Leading into the recent All-Star break, Ime Udoka hinted at potentially replacing third-year guard Jalen Green in Houston’s starting lineup. But the Rockets’ head coach ultimately chose to stay the course, and he reaped the rewards in Phoenix during recent days.
Green, 22, averaged 34.0 points (43.1% FG, 44.8% on 3-pointers), 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.5 steals over those two games versus the Suns, which the Rockets split (and the loss came by only single digits). After Saturday’s victory, Udoka gave some love to his talented but often inconsistent prospect at shooting guard.
“He made some really nice reads tonight and found guys wide open,” Udoka said of Jalen Green, via ClutchFans. “He’s playing great lately.”
Veteran guard and backcourt Fred VanVleet largely echoed Udoka’s assessment of Green’s play in recent games.
“Last game, this game, he is finding his rhythm,” VanVleet said of Green’s recent production, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “He was aggressive. He guarded Bradley Beal. He is picking up full court. He got the moving screen late in the game, crucial call. He did it all. You got to give Jalen a ton of credit. He was huge for us tonight. He gave us that pop, playing with that confidence, and gave the rest of the team confidence.”
Ime Udoka says Jalen Green has improved at recognizing different coverages and processing them in realtime. "He made some really nice reads tonight and found guys wide open," said Udoka. "He's playing great lately." pic.twitter.com/2hDsrapMu9
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) March 3, 2024
Green and the Rockets (26-34) hope to build on that momentum when they return home for a pair of games on Tuesday and Wednesday versus San Antonio and the Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.
Houston is 20-10 at home this season.
sleep can wait
watch @JalenGreen go off instead 👇 pic.twitter.com/Lo1ZMLpqr8
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 3, 2024
