The Houston Rockets are being rewarded for their recent decisions. Now 10-4 nearly a fifth of the way through the season, they’re third in the mighty Western Conference. For a franchise with a team that looked bound for the lottery for the foreseeable future, the rapid turnaround has been a rush.
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone might deserve the bulk of the credit for putting together a stifling defense.
Stone put his money where his mouth is, signing Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to above market contracts just to ensure that they improved at that end. He drafted Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Reed Sheppard with firm belief they would be difference-makers. He hired Ime Udoka, who coached them. Pushed them. Molded them.
Rockets this season:
3rd in DRTG
5th in NETRTG
1st in RPG
1st in OREB3rd in the West. pic.twitter.com/WfaKJfLDig
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 18, 2024
For all of that though, there’s been just one glaring problem.
Rockets High-Riser Reaching For Stardom, Where Will He Land?
While Rockets guard Jalen Green has made large strides over the past year, he’s still too inconsistent to be relied upon. His icy hot streaks would be easier to absorb if he was coming off the bench. Yet, he’s a highly-paid starter vying to be a cornerstone of the franchise. For a top-three draft pick reaching for stardom, he’s not inspiring enough confidence.
Through 14 games, Green is averaging 19.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. For the most part, the production is there. However, there’s plenty of points being left on the table, as he’s made only 39.5 percent of his field goals and 32.5 percent from three.
Frequently reverting back to bad habits, Green’s taking at least one too many ill-advised shots a game. Being able to make tough shots is one way a player can separate themselves from their peers. Nonetheless, Green’s performance isn’t making him stand out in the way he likes.
He tends to pound the air out of the ball, a truly insane 38.7 percent of his field goals coming after he takes at least seven dribbles. Even worse, he’s only making 37.0 percent of these attempts. He’s a respectable finisher in traffic, an aerial acrobatic with a knack for completing circus layups.
Jalen Green WILD finish over multiple Spurs defenders 😲 pic.twitter.com/ZDKkLNEAdT
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 27, 2024
Yet, when he’s taking shots against a tight defense (the closest defender is within 2-4 feet) and he’s at least 10 feet away from the rim, his percentages plummet. On those attempts, 64.6 percent of which have been threes, he’s shooting just 28.9 percent from the field.
The Last Word On Jalen Green
There isn’t a need to give up on Green, who could just be going through a shooting slump. To that point, he had nailed 38.2 percent of his threes through the first week of November. It’s only been less than two weeks since then.
Jalen Green tonight vs the Spurs:
36 points
2 assists
11/22 field goal
7/13 from 3
7/7 free throw
72% TSStraight Buckets. 10 in the 4th. ROCKETS WIN!! pic.twitter.com/vmhVLVQznT
— Julie Gilchrist (@JulieanneGilch1) October 29, 2024
The problem is just that Green plays instinctively, but not necessarily cerebrally. He’s picked up his energy when the ball isn’t in his hands and generally improved his decision-making when it is. Still, he has a ways to go so far as consistently making the right play.
To that point, while his confidence can be appreciated, he needs to take better shots, particularly from beyond the arc. He could also stand to make faster decisions, which could prevent the defense from loading up on him so quickly.
