Jalen Green didn’t win the league’s 2022 slam dunk contest, but the elite athleticism and explosion of the No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft has been evident throughout his rookie season in Houston.
In Monday’s game between the Rockets and visiting Spurs, the 20-year-old showed off his hops with perhaps the best dunk of his young career to date — throwing it down over San Antonio big man Jakob Poeltl.
For Green, the highlight dunks are even more enjoyable these days because they’ve corresponded with an uptick in his overall level of play. Since the calendar turned to February, the 6-foot-6 guard entered Monday averaging 18.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and only 1.6 turnovers in 32.6 minutes per game. Best of all, Green is doing it on elite efficiency, shooting 47.4% from the field and 38.9% on 3-pointers.
Going forward, poster dunks like his throwdown in Monday’s second quarter certainly won’t hurt those efficiency metrics.
Here’s a look at the dunk from multiple angles, followed by reaction from Rockets fans and others across NBA Twitter.