It is no secret that Jalen Green is one of the more confident scorers in today’s NBA. However, this has also affected his efficiency throughout his career. This season has been no different. As a result, many peers are wondering if the team should relegate him to a bench role to provide a scoring punch for Houston’s second unit. Head coach, Ime Udoka, is not sold on the idea.
“Obviously, with [Green] playing that way, if he was playing the other way we obviously wouldn’t struggle as much offensively and have to lean on other guys as much or play other guys minutes,” Udoka said postgame. “We’ll continue to keep him confident, continue to [help] him improve in certain areas, and he’ll take a jump eventually.”
Houston has taken a step forward this year in terms of developing their young core. Jalen Green is a part of that core and has certainly had some ups and downs as the season has progressed.
Houston Rockets Head Coach, Jalen Green, Not Moving Jalen Green to the Bench
Jalen Green’s Impact This Season
Jalen Green is currently tallying career-lows in field goal percentage (39.4 percent) and three-point shooting percentage (33.1 percent). Some of this could be attributed to him getting less touches considering the Rockets did re-tool their roster this offseason with the additions of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green.
Jalen Green is averaging 16.9 points, 3.1 assists, and 4.4 total rebounds per game. Last season, the shooting guard tallied 22.1 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 total rebounds per game to go along with an effective field goal percentage of 48.5 percent. Despite Green having a down season so far, the Rockets are still in good shape, and they will be even better if the former All-Rookie Team member can break out of this current shooting slump. When all is said and done, Jalen Green is still a vital piece to Houston’s young core whether he is in the starting rotation or coming off the bench.
Houston’s Success So Far This Year
The Rockets have been one of the more surprising teams of the league this season. They are currently 15-14 and reside in the eighth spot of the competitive Western Conference. This is a huge leap compared to last season when they were arguably the worst team in the entire NBA. Fred VanVleet has given the team a solid go-to option in clutch situations. Jeff Green is a solid locker room presence and Dillon Brooks provides some needed defensive grit. On top of this, their young core is developing at a nice rate.
Alperen Sengun is an offensive-oriented center who has modeled his game after Nikola Jokic and it has paid dividends. Of course, Jalen Green can still get hot at any moment despite the current struggles. The Houston Rockets have a bright future and hopefully Jalen Green can be a part of it, especially with how much potential he possesses not just as a scorer, but as an all-around player. Ime Udoka has faith in Green for a reason.
