Fred VanVleet Hypes Jalen Green's Upside, Draws Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker Comps

Even though Jalen Green's shot remains a work-in progress for the Houston Rockets, Fred VanVleet is extremely confident in the 23-year-old's potential to play at an All-Star level.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, VanVleet hyped up Green by comparing his upside to that of Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker:

"I don't know if you can go get another 2 guard with the upside or the talent level. [Anthony Edwards] maybe in Minnesota. I don't know, does Book have more talent than Jalen or is he more skilled and more polished and more experienced and older? ... I don't know what Jalen will look like when he's 26, 27, 28 after playoff series. And that's the upside, where it's like potential can get a little intoxicating. He has the talent. There's no reason for him not to reach that level. He's got to go through it; he's got to fail."

Green's first postseason experience has been a microcosm of the good and bad in his game. His best performance against the Golden State Warriors was a 38-point outing in Houston's 109-94 victory in Game 2.

In the three games around that one, though, Green has scored a combined total of 24 points on 10-of-34 shooting (2-of-14 from three-point range).

There were positive signs of progress with Green's shooting touch this season. He made a career-high 35.4 percent of his attempts behind the arc, while leading the Rockets in scoring average with 21.0 points per game.

Green's efficiency still leaves a lot to be desired. He ranked 164th out of 185 qualified guards with a 54.4 true shooting percentage.

Booker is an interesting player to compare with Green because his career got off to a slow start. The Phoenix Suns star shot just 43.7 percent from the field and 35.4 percent behind the arc during his first four seasons.

Since the 2019-20 season, Booker has been one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. He has averaged 26.5 points on 48.0 percent shooting (35.4 percent from three) with four All-Star selections over the past six seasons.

Green will be entering his age-23 season in 2025-26 having shot 42.2 percent overall and 34.2 percent behind the arc in his first four seasons.

Expecting a Booker-level leap from Green is unfair, but the Rockets bet on his ceiling four years ago when they made him the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

It's also interesting that VanVleet mentioned Booker since he has been linked to the Rockets as a potential trade target if they flame out in the playoffs and Phoenix decides to start looking toward the long-term future.

Suns governor Mat Ishbia has said in no uncertain terms he won't trade Booker, so it could be a moot point for Houston.

If a Booker trade were to materialize, Green would almost certainly have to be involved both for financial purposes and to give the Suns an established young player with the upside to be a star.

Of course, if the Rockets truly believe Green can reach his full potential, they might not be ready to give up on him this summer. It's not uncommon for a young player in his first postseason to struggle, then come back the following year even better.

While there will be plenty of time for the Rockets to think about the future, their immediate outlook is focused on extending their season. They trail the Warriors 3-1 and will host Game 5 on Wednesday needing a win to stay alive.