Can Rockets' Jalen Green Reach Mentor Stephen Curry's Greatness?
HOUSTON — Stephen Curry is currently in the midst of arguably one of the greatest NBA Finals performances in league history.
His 43 points and 10 rebounds led the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 road victory over the Boston Celtics Friday night. And with the 2-2 series shifting back to the Chase Center for Game 5, Curry is averaging 34.4 points on .500/.490/.860 shooting splits.
The possibility of Curry adding another championship to his resume has the general public debating whether he's the greatest point guard in league history. But Curry's career has already pushed the envelope on how to distinguish a guard's excellence for the next decade.
Jalen Green is one guard whose career will be measured by the success of Curry. He spent his rookie season with the Houston Rockets, studying Curry's blueprint under the guidance of coach Stephen Silas.
It's one thing for Green to try and mimic Curry's on-court style from afar, but the soon-to-be sophomore sensation has a relationship with Curry that has become a resource for Green.
And like Curry, Green has the desire to one day build his own Hall-of-Fame career.
"That’s like a big bro," Green said prior to the Rockets contest against the Warriors in January. "I was struggling a bit in the G-League, and he [Curry] sent me a voice message like, ‘Man, just keep shooting.’ I don’t know how many nights I had been in that shooting slump, but I just kept shooting. He’s always giving me advice. I can hit him up whenever I need to."
The mentor-mentee dynamic began when Green was still in high school, playing for the San Joaquin Memorial High School in California. His conversations and workouts with Curry over the years resulted in Green receiving All-Rookie First Team honors after averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 67 games.
Silas, who coached Curry during his rookie campaign in 2010, noticed similarities between Green and the two-time league MVP winner. Silas said nearly every flaw in Curry's game from 12 years ago are the same attributes Green must enhance to continue his development on an NBA level.
Green is not a carbon copy of Curry. But the template provided has given Green the potential to come close to the pinnacle of Curry's success. And a career that can help lift the Rockets out of a basketball abyss to compete for championships — similar to Curry's impact on the Warriors.
"It's a process that's part of the game," Green said. "You are going to have moments where you are killing the game. And moments when you are not doing so well. It's all a part of the process. I just have to stick to the plan because I want to be great. And Steph is great."
The Warriors drafted Curry with the No. 7 pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, where he recorded 17.5 points, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals across 80 games as a rookie.
Twelve years removed from the night he was drafted into the league, Curry has the Warriors in striking distance to take a commanding 3-2 series lead over the Celtics. Game 5 between Golden State and Boston is slated for 8 P.M. CT.
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