Houston Rockets: How Jalen Green can Find his Early-Season Consistency

After the first 10 games of the season, Jalen Green started to become inconsistent. His future in Houston looks shaky once again.

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the second quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

In the beginning of the season, Jalen Green was looking like an All-Star, averaging 28.8 points on 43.2% from the field and 41.3% from three

The Rockets have now played 26 games, and Green has started to revert to his inefficient ways. Some nights he scores nine points, and others, he might go off for 30-plus. Overall, Green is averaging 19 points on 39.5% from the field and a career-low 31.3% from three. From 5-9 feet away from the rim, the guard is shooting 18.2%. He is shooting 28.6% from 10-14 feet, 23.5% on 15-19 foot shots, 26.3% on 20-24 foot shots, and 33.1% from 25-29 feet out.

Although his offense has not looked strong, the former G League Ignite guard has been having his best defensive season in his four years. He flashed a good defensive showing against the Golden State Warriors on national television last Wednesday collecting three steals and a defensive game-winning possession. This season, he is averaging a career-high 1.1 steals a game.

Will he be able to get back in his groove?

Houston does not have a single player on their roster averaging more than 20 points a game. This is due to Ime Udoka's "everyone eats" offense. If one player is hot on any given night, that is the player who the team will play through for the majority of the game. Green was that player for Houston to start the year, especially in the clutch. Due to his ineffiencies, he doesn't get those opportunities as much. In a half court set, Green does not get the ball very often. This is also affecting his scoring, as his shot selection is not great in the half-court set rather than a full court push.

Green's speed is his biggest weapon. He is one of the fastest players in the league, and he can get to the rim with ease. His speed was the main reason why he was succeeding expectations in October and early November. For Green to become consistent again, and shoot on good efficiency, he really needs to start using his speed more. Houston needs to run plays to get the opponent's big men on their 22-year-old guard so he can blow past and score over a smaller defenders.

All in all, the guard needs to find his confidence again. He plays like an All-Star when he has good games, and it seems to be fueled by his confidence. As he plays with confidence and shoots good shots, they tend to fall. Green can get back to playing how he was to start the season, but he needs to take better shots and use his speed.

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