Rockets Jalen Green Emerging Into Prominent Playmaker In Second Year
Jalen Green has made major improvements during his second season with the Houston Rockets.
He has led the team in scoring by averaging 21.3 points on an efficient 42.4 percent shooting from the field. But Green has found different ways to impact the game beyond his scoring. And over the past few weeks, Green has developed into one of the Rockets' best playmakers.
"Anyone can go out there and take as many shots as they want," Green said. "But it's also about taking what the defense gives you. Sometimes, they are going to take me away, and my teammates are going to be open. At the end of the night, it's all about making the right read and slowing the game down."
Green has averaged 5.8 assists since the Rockets' Nov. 9 contest against the Toronto Raptors. His play inside the Scotiabank Arena marked the first time he registered half a dozen assists, and he would go on to achieve the feat in six out of the next 10 games.
In Houston's 118-105 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Green set a new career-high with nine assists while scoring 28 points.
Despite being disappointed that he did not finish the game with 30 points, Green said he wanted one more assist to reach 10 — which would have given him his first career double-double.
"He had [eight] assists before his first turnover," coach Stephen Silas said. "When he is making plays for our teammates, that says a lot about our spacing. His development as a playmaker makes him even more dangerous."
Green believes his opponents underestimate his passing. But it would not be long before Green's playmaking would be at the top of the scouting report — a tier below his scoring.
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