Rockets' Jalen Green: Team X-Factor?

The Houston Rockets have seen a boost from Jalen Green as of late, and it is resulting in more victories for the team.
In six games for the month of January, Green is averaging 30 points per game and the Rockets have won five of those six matchups.
HoopsHype writer Mike Shearer has named Green the team's X-Factor due to his recent boom.
"This isn’t exactly a hipster pick, but if coach Ime Udoka continues giving Green big minutes, the young guard simply has to deliver more on offense," Shearer writes.
"Green has notably improved his defense year-over-year, a must for any Udoka rotation player, but the shotmaking hasn’t materialized. He’s shooting 38 percent on wide-open threes, which is fine (if not particularly great), but he’s also shooting a surprisingly high volume of three-pointers that are considered closely contested – nearly two per game, and he’s making just a quarter of them."
Green's stronger production is also a result of him picking up some of the slack left by Jabari Smith Jr., who broke his hand on Jan. 3. If Green can continue to fill in the gaps for Smith, he could keep the Rockets on track.
The Rockets return to the court tonight as they take on three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets at 8 p.m. CT.
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