Rockets' Jalen Green Playing Aggressive and Faster to Break Free of Scoring Slump
Jalen Green did not add his name to the 70-point club like his counterpart Luka Dončić Friday night. But during the Houston Rockets' 138-104 road win over the Charlotte Hornets, Green's performance displayed the potential of a player who may add his name to the prestigious club one day.
Green scored a season-high 36 points on 12 of 20 shooting inside the Spectrum Center. However, scoring was just one-third of his impact against the Hornets, as Green added nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win.
The 2023-24 season has been an up-and-down year for Green. But the previous two games have illustrated why the 21-year-old guard is still vital to the Rockets' foundation.
Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) shoots against Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) during the second half at Spectrum Center.
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
"It's about him being aggressive and getting into a good rhythm," coach Ime Udoka said. "If we play faster, it benefits him. The more stops we gets, the more he gets out and runs. I think our younger group, the second group especially, also benefits from that, and he is a part of that."
Before a 29-point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night, Green had a five-game stretch of some of his most inadequate career performances, averaging 13.6 points on 37.1 percent shooting from the field, 13.8 percent from behind the arc.
His worst game came during the Rockets' overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 20, where Green finished with seven points on 3 of 12 shooting. Green's play against the Jazz marked the seventh time he finished a game scoring in single digits.
But while Green was going through the worst slump since his rookie season, Udoka kept installing the teachings of staying aggressive while challenging him to impact the game beyond his scoring.
Udoka never discouraged Green from looking for his shot, who he has always deemed a "big-time scorer." And after his performance against the Hornets, Green has averaged 32.5 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the field over his last two games while adding 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
"He has taken good shots and is getting great looks, and now it is falling at a little bit of a higher clip, and obviously, he is being more aggressive," Udoka said. "He is a big-time scorer, and when he gets that going, everything else is easier for him."
