NBA Legend Cites Rockets Player as Missing Piece for Nuggets

Following the Denver Nuggets' ouster from the playoffs, TNT's Charles Barkley stated that Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green's absence made all the difference for Denver.

Jun 4, 2023; Denver, CO, USA; TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley speaks before game two between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Green was one of the Houston Rockets' final free agent signings last offseason, and he wasn't expected to be a major impact player for the franchise. The Rockets had just hired Ime Udoka, who noticed a need for long-time NBA veterans for a Rockets team that was an extremely young ball club.

Green had just won a championship with the Denver Nuggets and was viewed by most as a vocal locker room guy who could teach the Rockets' young guns how to be professionals and have long-lasting NBA careers, much like Green. The 37-year-old was thrust into the closing lineup early in the season, as Udoka opted to play seasoned vets down the stretch over the Rockets' less experienced players.

Green began playing in place of Jabari Smith Jr. during "winning time", much like Aaron Holiday began playing over Jalen Green in crunch time. Green seemed to have turned back the clock and developed the fountain of youth, as he looked more spry and played much more above the rim.

The 17-year vet even tried putting people on posters, which left Udoka and his Rockets teammates impressed, and he soon became the Rockets' primary reserve big man for a long stretch of the season. Green's Rockets finished much better than expected, going 41-41 and taking a 19-win leap from 2022-23.

His former Nuggets team also finished with a better record than last season, as they went 57-25 this season, while going 53-29 last season. However, they didn't quite enjoy the same postseason success, as they failed to reach the Western Conference Finals this postseason.

TNT's Charles Barkley took to Inside the NBA to explain how Green's absence proved to be a substantial loss for the defending champs.

"The one thing we said about the Nuggets all year was 'man, they're going to miss those guys on the bench'. That's the reason they lost.

And that's the reason those guys had to play so many minutes. Bruce Brown made alot of shots and Jeff Green made some shots.

You let all of your bench go. You were going out there with all of those young guys, thinking they were gonna step up. 

You give away all of your players and you're like 'uh oh, I've got to play my starters'. I'm like that's y'all fault. 

Nobody matched Jeff Green. Jeff Green played very well. They didn't match him."

Unsurprisingly, Kelly Iko of The Athletic announced Tuesday that the Rockets will be exercising Green's team option for 2024-25, which goes to show how well he played for the franchise in his first season in Houston.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Rockets on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.