Rockets' Jalen Green 'Not Happy' with Offensive Game, Says Rafael Stone

Rockets GM Rafael Stone: "I know Jalen is not happy with where he is offensively and we want him to be better and more efficient too. But I would say that it would not be accurate or fair to single him out."

Jeremy Brener | Dec 24, 2023

Rockets' Jalen Green 'Not Happy' with Offensive Game, Says Rafael Stone /

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Houston Rockets

There's a lot to like about the improvements the Houston Rockets have made over the first 26 games of the season, but there are also some areas where the team could be better.

In particular, Jalen Green hasn't made that third-year leap that many would have expected from a former No. 2 overall pick who averaged 22.1 points per game a year ago.

Not only is Green's scoring average trending down to 17.1, but he's shooting just under 40 percent from the field, which is far from what you desire from your franchise shooting guard. However, general manager Rafael Stone isn't overtly concerned with where he is at the moment.

"Some is just the ball hasn’t gone in as much as he’d like," Stone said via Kelly Iko of The Athletic. "Some of it’s make and miss. I don’t know that it’s not having the ball in his hands so much as trying to adjust to a different offense, different schemes. ... I know Jalen is not happy with where he is offensively and we want him to be better and more efficient too. But I would say that it would not be accurate or fair to single him out."

Rockets Snap Losing Streak in Win vs. Mavericks

In his last 10 games, Green has only shot better than 50 percent in one of those contests. If he is going to become the team's shooting guard of the future, he simply has to play better. He has time as he's still just 21 years old, but the trend isn't in the right direction.

Green and the Rockets face off against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 at the Toyota Center.

Published Dec 24, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.