Rockets Jalen Green 'Building Brick by Brick' Into an All-Around Player
HOUSTON — Before the Houston Rockets' 135-119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, coach Darvin Ham showed respect to his Western Conference counterparts. Ham described the Rockets as a talented group and depicted Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet as a "three-headed monster."
Ham's description was displayed as the Rockets had one of their best outings of the season. Şengün had another performance that proved worthy of an All-Star nod with 31 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while VanVleet notched 14 assists despite finishing with three points.
However, at the helm of the Rockets' victory was Green, who finished with 34 points on an efficient 12 of 23 shooting from the field. But as great of a scoring performance Green had, it was the development he displayed as an all-around player that stood out inside the Toyota Center.
Rockets guard Jalen Green celebrates after scoring a basket during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center.
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"They have a three-headed monster in Şengün, Fred and Jalen — those guys can kill you in many different ways," Ham said. "When you play against Houston, you can't go in there thinking it's going to be a walk in the park. We have a game plan we put together and will try to execute it."
Coach Ime Udoka has always raved about Green's scoring. But after he took over as head coach in April, his top challenge to Green was to impact the game beyond scoring.
It took Green time to get adjusted to Udoka's desires. On several occasions, Green's struggles led to early benchings. However, Green continued to put in extra work behind closed doors, which included studying film and working alongside several members of the coaching staff.
Monday night against the Lakers, Green's play was a full-circle moment. In addition to having his second-highest scoring performance of the season, Green added a career-best 12 rebounds and seven assists in the win — a near triple-double.
"I am building on it," Green said. "I know that's what he wants from me, and that is what I want for myself. I just need to keep building brick by brick and keep learning."
Green's career night on the boards was the third consecutive game he finished with 10 or more rebounds. After leading the Rockets to a road victory against the Charlotte Hornets Friday night, Green has averaged 10.7 rebounds. He has also picked up his intensity on the defensive end by averaging 1.3 steals.
Green came into the 2023-24 season with lofty expectations. His early season struggles made the start of his third year a slight disappointment.
However, Green's play over the previous three games showcased that the former G League Ignite prospect is still learning and developing into a player who can take the helm as Houston's next franchise player.
"My main focus is right here with my team and being present," Green said. "Every day that we get to play and come into practice, it is another chance to grow and learn."
