Rockets' Jalen Green has reinvented his game

Fresh off signing a $106M rookie extension, Green has averaged 28.8 points per game so far this season. He's shooting 41.3% from three-point range on a league-leading 11.6 attempts per game.

On Monday, Green had 36 points on 11-for-22 shooting in the Rockets' 106-101 win over the San Antonio Spurs, including a 7-for-13 performance from deep. But what stands out isn't simply Green's gaudy scoring numbers. It's his newfound commitment to efficiency.

While Green's 50% shooting mark is impressive, it's the selection of those shots that stands out. On Monday, Green took five shots at the rim, 13 from three-point range and four from the mid-range (where he went 0-for-4). For the season, 52.3% of Green's shots have come behind the three-point arc.

He's also taking more of those threes off the dribble, with only 36.8% of his triples coming off assists. On shots within three feet of the basket, Green is shooting 81.3%, and he's earning six free throws per game. His true shooting percentage is a career-high 58.3% as a result.

Green scored like this last March when the Rockets stormed back into play-in contention with an 11-game win streak. He averaged over 30 points per game during the streak and upped his three-point attempts to more than 10 per game. That's perfect for an organization and a coach who preach threes, layups and foul shots.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka wants his teams to shoot a high volume of threes, like his Celtics team that the made the NBA Finals his lone year coaching them. Udoka's Rockets have played good defense, finishing ninth in defensive rating last season and ranking fifth this year, but his offenses have ben stagnant. That's where a player like Green who can create his own shot thrives.

But he's also making the right play even when it's not for his own shot. Last in Monday night's game, Green drew a double team in the final seconds, then found Fred VanVleet for a game-sealing three-pointer.

Now that Green is a true three-point threat, he's showing the kind of complete offensive game that could someday lead to a scoring title, especially since, despite all his three-point prowess, Green's top skill might be throwing down dunks.

It helps Green that Houston has center Steven Adams, who scored six points in his Rockets debut and freed Green for a wide-open dunk and a wide-open screen. 

With this kind of efficiency, Green's rookie extension is already looking like a great deal a year before it even kicks in.