Houston Rockets: Jalen Green's Play is Beginning to Change the Narrative

Since his start in the NBA, expectations have been high for Jalen Green.

Being the heir apparent to James Harden, who many believe is the second-best player in Houston Rockets history, has added extreme pressure.

From the moment he stepped on the court he was expected to lead a Rockets team that was just starting their rebuilding years. The Rockets went all in to rebuilding mode after Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

Green played one season for the G League Ignite before the Rockets selected him No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft. Since coming into the league, Green has shown flashes of offensive brilliance. He was seen as one of the most athletic players in the league, who could one day lead the NBA in scoring.

Unfortunately, in his first three seasons, Green was part of a team that had the worst three-year stretch in franchise history. Building consistency is difficult for any player when part of a losing franchise, but it is even more difficult for a 19 or 20-year-old who is expected to lead a franchise.

The running narrative was that Green played inconsistently for most of the season and only put together consistent play at the end of the season when the games did not matter. The Rockets finished 22-60 in 2022-23, Green's second season and then-head coach Stephen Silas's last season.

Green put up good scoring numbers in his first two seasons, seeing an increase in his scoring and assists per season from his rookie year. However, that didn't lead to wins for the Rockets, and in the 2023 offseason, the team decided it was time to leave the rebuilding years in the rearview mirror.

The Rockets decided not to renew Silas's' contract and moved on from several of their young players. They then put on a full-court press to hire the No. 1 head coaching candidate at the time, Ime Udoka. The Rockets believed they needed a no-nonsense head coach, and they got one in Udoka.

The hiring of Udoka and signings of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks signified to everyone that the Rockets were ready to win now. That also meant Green would be held to a higher standard than he has ever been in his career up until that point.

The 2023-24 season saw improvements from a win standpoint but still inconsistent play from Green for part of the season. That all changed in March as Green had the best stretch of his career averaging 27.7 points 6.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

What made it even more impressive was Green was doing this without Alperen Sengun who went down with a knee injury earlier in that month. Green lead the Rockets to a 11-game winning streak and within a half game of the final play-in spot.

Green won a Player of the Week award during the winning streak and came close to winning Player of the Month. Even though the Rockets faded at the end of the season and finished 11th in the conference, Green showed he could lead a team for long stretches of a season.

Despite Green's successful end of the season some still wondered if he could have this type of success earlier in the season and maintain it throughout. Coming off that 41-41 season, the Rockets were expected to at least be a play-in team this season.

Thirty-seven games into the season, the Rockets are not only a top-10 team in the conference but are also one of the best teams in the NBA. Green played a significant part in the turnaround at the start of the season but then struggled for a few weeks.

Sengun and Green have been the Rocket's best two players since they came into the league, but they have never really played their best at the same time. Sengun has been great all season long and, for the most part, has carried Houston.

However, we are finally starting to see what a Rockets team would look like if both players were playing at an elite level. Since Thanksgiving, Green has started to show flashes of his March 2024 play. Green is averaging 22.8 points and 4.3 rebounds, and the Rockets are 12-6 during that time period.

Jan 5, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Green's January play has been even better. In the first five games of the month, Green averaged 27.6 points, shooting 47.7% from the field and 41.2% from the 3-point line. The Rockets are 4-1 during that period, and the shooting guard has shown up against some of the best teams in the NBA.

Green is excelling not just on offense but also defensively. Udoka has made one thing clear since taking over the team. If you don't play defense, you don't play. Green's overall defense has improved significantly over the last couple of seasons and has been even better this season.

The Rockets are currently second in their conference at 25-12 and with Thursday's night win over the Memphis Grizzlies the Rockets already have ten road wins. They didn't have ten road wins until March 29th of last season.

The play of Green and Sengun this season is exactly what the Rockets envisioned when they drafted both players four years ago. Green is starting to prove that the Rockets made the right choice in terms of who would help lead them back to the top of the league.

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