Rockets' Jalen Green And Kevin Porter Jr. Illustrate Dynamic Growth vs. Pistons
HOUSTON — Kevin Porter Jr. stood on the sidelines inside the State Farm Arena in Mid-October set to begin the 2022-23 campaign against the Atlanta Hawks.
While revealing a few of his goals, Porter expressed his desires to establish a dynamic backcourt starting next to Jalen Green ahead of their second season this season.
It took some time, as Green and Porter had their share of struggles together. But Porter's ambition came to fruition Friday night during the Rockets' 121-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
The duo scored a combined 65 points inside the Toyota Center. Porter led the way with a game-high 33 points on 12-for-20 shooting, 7-for-13 from behind the arc and four steals. Green added 32 points (10-18 FG, 10-16 FT), which marked his fifth 30-plus performance over the past 15 games.
"They were playing off each other," coach Stephen Silas said. "They were getting downhill. They drew the second defender to make a play to the other one.
"Those guys are starting to trust that when that second defender is there, they can give it up, and something good will happen. They were both pretty dynamic tonight. It was fun to watch those two play."
It took a moment for Green and Porter to find their niche simultaneously. Their play against the Pistons marked the first time Houston's starting backcourt scored 30 points or more in the same game this season — but third overall.
But Pistons' coach Dwane Casey was not surprised by the production of the Rockets' two young guards.
Casey described the pairing of Green and Porter as two "dynamic and talented guards." His depiction of Houston's backcourt coincided with New York Knicks' coach Tom Thibodeau, who described the pairing as "a very dynamic backcourt" on March 27.
Silas said he made a few changes to his offensive scheme that opened the game for his starting guards. But Green's and Porter's play was the result of self-assessment.
Green said before the game, he spoke to Porter, and the two vowed to get back to the production they showcased during the final 10 games of last season. They averaged a combined 23.8 points to end the 2021-22 campaign.
"This is our second year together," Porter said. "The longer we play together, the more deadly we can be. We have shown that multiple times this season for sure."
Green added: "We fed off each other. It’s pretty easy because I feel like we both draw a lot of attention and making the right reads off each other makes it easier."
In Atlanta, Porter looked at the All-Star pairing of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young as the ideal on-court companionship for him and Green. But five months later, a peak of their ceiling illustrated a concept that can surpass Porter's original thought.
"They know how much confidence I have in them," Silas said. "If they don’t know how much confidence I have in them — then something’s wrong. I was proud of the way they played."
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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