Houston Rockets' Jalen Green On Addition Of Fred VanVleet: 'Leadership'
After going 59-177 in the last three seasons, it was time for the Houston Rockets to shake things up.
The additions of point guard Fred VanVeelt and head coach Ime Udoka weren't just to improve the team on the court, but to bring much-needed stability and leadership for young players like Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr.
In a sitdown interview with NBA insider Shams Charania, Green spoke about the importance of signing VanVleet and what he brings to a young Rockets team.
"He's a really good leader," Green told Shams. "His story is pretty crazy. He's been in the environment of winning basketball. He's done it before.
"If you're a point guard in that environment, you've got to have leadership so you can be a point guard. I think he fit us best. Him coming in just teaching us, mentoring us, being in that environment, I think leadership was the biggest thing for us."
Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet (5) dribbling up the court against the Indiana Pacers.
© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston signed VanVleet to a three-year $130 million deal this offseason after he spent the first seven years of his career with the Toronto Raptors, where he won an NBA championship in 2019. In his last season in Toronto, VanVleet averaged 19.3 points, a career-high 7.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Udoka as head coach also brings much-needed experience and leadership. In his lone season as the Boston Celtics' head coach, they went 51-31 and reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Golden State Warriors in six games.
For Green, he's already noticed Udoka's impact on the team ahead of the regular season.
"That's my guy," Green said. I think he's going to change the culture for us. He's already brought so much energy. He's brought a good staff to help us out. The energy is just great."
Houston will look to open the regular season on the right foot on Wednesday when they head to the Amway Center to face the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. ET.
