Houston Rockets: Can AJ Griffin Jr. Recapture the Success of his Rookie Season?

Can Adrian Griffin Jr. turn turn around his career with the Rockets?

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward AJ Griffin (14) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Doug McDermott (20) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Aj Griffin Jr. was always on the Houston Rockets' radar. The son of former NBA player and brief Houston Rocket Adrian Griffin, Griffin Jr. was on the Rockets' draft board well before the 2022 draft. The Rockets hoped he would still be around when their pick came up at No. 17.

The Rockets came up one pick short of their initial target, Griffin Jr., who the Atlanta Hawks selected. The team then pivoted to their other target, Tari Eason. Eason did not disappoint, as he would have a great rookie season and was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team.

Griffin also had a promising rookie season for the Hawks. Griffin averaged 8.9 points on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range. This is, for any player, excellent shooting from beyond the arc, but especially a rookie.

The second season didn't go as well for Griffin, as he struggled with injuries and a lack of playing time. Most reports seemed to suggest that Griffin struggled on the defensive end, and when his shots stopped falling, it magnified his defensive liabilities. Griffin shot only 26% from beyond the arc and under 30% from the field in only 20 games.

Griffin was interviewed after the season as part of the end-of-season exit interviews. The 20-year-old talked about improving his defense and filling out his frame to compete with NBA players.

He also spoke about his time away from the team for personal reasons:

The Rockets went into draft night with a surprising top-three pick and a second-round pick. After the Rockets selected Reed Sheppard, the talk turned to who would be available in the second round. With the Rockets already having a set roster, some speculated they could trade the pick for future draft picks.

The Rockets did trade the pick, but not for future draft picks.

ESPN Sources: The Atlanta Hawks are trading F AJ Griffin to the Houston Rockets for the 44th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Griffin, 20, was a 2022 first-round pick out of Duke. pic.twitter.com/IhjHKnCxCd

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2024

Adding another rookie to the team didn't make much sense, considering the Rockets already have multiple players under 23 who all need playing time. Second, and probably most importantly, the Rockets believe they will get the rookie year version of Griffin and believe in his potential.

The Rockets also have confidence in their G League team and their ability to help develop players. Griffin will likely spend the first part of the season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to work on his game.

Griffin is still extremely young, and we've seen time after time young players struggle with one team only to turn around and find success with a new team. If Griffin Jr. can find his form from his rookie season, the Rockets will have made one of their better trades in years.

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