Jalen Green’s confidence key to his future with Rockets

As if it hasn’t been made abundantly clear in the 68 days since Jalen Green became the Houston Rockets’ second overall pick in the draft, confidence is not hard to come by within the rookie.

To those on the outside looking in, the constant clamoring about how he should’ve been the number one pick has gotten tiresome; especially to Detroit Piston fans, but it’s an expression from Green that Rockets fans should embrace, because it not only gives him an edge to play with, but it reflects his Hall-of-Fame sized conviction.

Confidence can come in many shapes and sizes along with many ways of expression, which typically leads it to be either a silent killer or a virtue of self-belief; it’s why many that soak in it end up being seen as such a sensation that either leaves you uplifting them or praying on their downfall.

It’s madness, really.

Green’s confidence hasn’t been loud since joining the Rockets, but it’s been on display many, many times. It’s the tiny shorts he wears, the bright-flashy draft day suit, and it’s even the black nail paint that covered a few of his nails as he threw out the first pitch before the Houston Astros - Arizona Diamondbacks game back on September 17.

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It’s a reflection, a notion, that he’s extremely comfortable in his skin, which is a token of evidence that he’s never going to refrain from being himself.

Question for the reader: When he has a shooting slump, which is bound to happen to any player whose job is to score, do you think his scorer's mentality will hinder or will he keep taking those same shot attempts until they eventually start to fall again?

Personally, I’d bet on the latter.

As much as us hoop heads love crunching numbers, there are certain things that can’t be found on basketball reference or your stat keeper of choice, and that’s demeanor. So while it’s exciting that the current Rockets rookie averaged 17.9 points per outing while shooting a true shooting percentage of 61 percent amongst a bunch of NBA hopeful grown men, what may be most telling is the flash that came along with it.

Knowing that all eyes would be on him every time he took the floor, Green wasn’t subtle with his scoring creativity or his high-rising poster-attempting tendencies. Of course, he didn’t put up absurd attempts like he once would when alongside Josh Christopher during their high school summer days playing with Vegas Elite, but he still very much was the same guy that was not only raved about by scouts but also those on social media that live for highlight mixtapes and viral clips.

All of this, all that was shown in the bubble, ties into those painted nails and that draft day suit - he’s just comfortable. So believe it or not, as crazy as it sounds, there might not be a bigger indicator of confidence than how you tailor your appearance.

If able to, each day when leaving the house, there’s an option of either wearing an outfit that’s an attention-catcher or wearing something a bit more casual and subtle. The casual route is the more laidback approach and avoids feeling like “you’re doing too much”, but the more appealing choice is typically made with zero hesitation because it simply is what you want to go with it.

Apologies if that hit too close to home BUT I say this to say that those little decisions can end up going a long way, and for Green, it does.

This way of expressiveness for Green in the past would have undoubtedly led to assumptions about his sexuality and the reputation-shattering label of “soft”, which has haunted athletes since the beginning of time as it suggests a lack of assertiveness or that they are scared of the moment - but today, things are different.

This current generation of players has begun to let go of the fear of being labeled and have ultimately begun to just operate however they’d like to. It’s not only seen in pre-game ‘fits while walking through the tunnels, but it’s also evident when they decide to switch teams or recruit other stars in order to do what’s best for their career; basically, the noise from outside the hardwood doesn’t ring as loud as it once did.

So when, or if, Jalen Green ascends to stardom in the association - it’ll largely be because just continued to be himself. That chip of not being the first pick in the draft is going to stay on his shoulder, that flashy style of play is going to always be shown in his movements, and that self-confidence that he displays both on and off the court is going to help steady the boat as he sails through the unpredictable waters of the NBA.