https://www.houstonchronicle.com/te...(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral This was a terrific article on development of the young’ns IMO!
Rockets rookie Josh Christopher was not embarrassed, not in the least. Like a shot blocker that occasionally has a dunk smashed down upon him, his defense on Trae Young that night in Atlanta, placing him on the wrong side of the highlight, is the price of doing business. “Everybody had their welcome to the NBA moment,” Christopher said. “I don’t think anybody has escaped that moment. It comes with it, man.” If anything, that moment could be considered a point of pride, in some ways more even than his storybook birthday performance against the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 8 when Christopher made all seven of his shots in the Rockets’ win in the return to Houston of James Harden, his Arizona State predecessor and occasional mentor. Defending Young’s crossover in Atlanta, first sending Christopher stumbling back into the lane and ending with Young stepping back for a 3-pointer through a scrambling Christopher foul, was another reminder of the company he now keeps. The way he is expected to defend, tight and ultra-aggressive, will make him susceptible to such moments. But it also speaks to the potential the Rockets see in the fourth of their first-round picks and the latest of their 20-year-old and younger prospects now getting regular playing time. “Since I was told I was going to be guarding these guys before I even put on a Rockets jersey, I had no choice but to be comfortable with it and accept the challenge,” Christopher said. “That comes with knowing your personnel and knowing guys tendencies so I can make it easier on myself. At the end of the day, these are the best players in the world and it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be difficult.” As much as the Rockets have emphasized the development of their young starting backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green, their injuries have opened playing time for another youthful guard, including in his birthday breakthrough game. “His shot selection has gotten way better and his awareness on the court has gotten better as well,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “The last part that we continue to talk to him about is his defensive pressure, putting pressure on the ballhandler. That’s improving as well. If he just does those three things, we’re moving in the right direction. And he’s been doing those lately.” There is an exuberance to his play. He put tried enough body English on an Evan Fournier missed free throw in Thursday’s loss to the Knicks to change the tides. When he subbed out moments later, he sprinted off the floor. No one celebrates dunks and scoring runs more enthusiastically. But the surge in production has brought tangible evidence of progress. In the past six games, beginning with the win against the Nets, he has averaged 12.3 points on 58.3 percent shooting, 47.6 percent 3-point shooting. His previous high scoring game was 10 points, a number he had reached once in his first 15 games. “I feel much more comfortable with him out there than I did before,” Silas said. “That’s all him, him watching film, learning, working on his game, taking the minutes that he gets and making the most of them. I’m definitely satisfied with the way he is playing.” Christopher never doubted that he could but he said he did not grow impatient with the wait for his chance or his brief stint with the G League Rio Grande Valley Vipers. “They sent me down to the G for those three games,” Christopher said. “It was almost like preparation for this stretch right here. I think I’m learning a lot, getting better, seeing that I can compete. It is good for my confidence going forward.” He averaged 22 points, 6.3 rebounds and six assists with the Vipers, but has shot better in the NBA since he returned than he did in the G League. Playing off the ball, usually playing in a backcourt with veteran D.J. Augustin, has helped Christopher fill a 3-and-D role. But he never seemed to lack confidence. “His confidence in through the roof,” Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate said. “That’s going to carry him a long way for his career. He’s starting to understand the game more. He’s starting to slow down. He’s going to continue to get better. Everybody sees his talent, what he’s capable of.” Finding his scoring opportunities is not the only way he has shown patience. When asked about the difficulty waiting for his chance, Christopher said it was “Not hard at all.” “Just knowing your time was coming and knowing I put a lot of work in, if I was going to go home and be in my head about stuff, I wouldn’t be able to maximize the opportunity I have now to play good basketball,” he said. “I would be too worried about stuff and I wouldn’t be ready. “When you’re 19-years-old and just turned 20 and knowing this is your first time in the league and you know that the greats like Kobe Bryant weren’t playing when they first got to the league, who would I be to complain? I’d rather just put in work and get better so when my name is called, I’ll be ready to go.”
