Rockets: Ime Udoka speculates on whether Jalen Green will be benched.
The Rockets and Ime Udoka can still have faith in Jalen Green to make a difference.
So far in the 2023–24 season, the Houston Rockets have done a respectable job of maintaining their competitiveness. The signings of Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet via free agency have given them a defense-first identity, and the appointment of new head coach Ime Udoka has proven to be beneficial in turning things around for Houston in the fourth year of their rebuild. But in the midst of the Rockets’ comeback, third-year guard Jaleen Green seems to have stagnated thus far, casting him aside as a potential franchise cornerstone.
In fact, there are moments when it seems like Green has deteriorated rather than just stagnant. The Rockets coaching staff had to reduce his playing time because he is now putting up the lowest efficiency stats of his career. The 21-year-old guard’s situation has gotten so terrible that the Rockets have chosen to start players like Aaron Holiday and Tari Eason over him when it matters most. Against the Pacers, Green did not play for the last 16 minutes of the game.
However, Ime Udoka and the Rockets have “not thought about” benching Jalen Green because it might not be the wisest course of action to preserve his self-assurance.
According to Michael Shapiro of Chron, Udoka stated, “We’ll continue to keep him confident, continue to [help] him improve in certain areas, and he’ll take a jump eventually.”
The Rockets continue to think that Jalen Green has the potential to revolutionize the team’s fortunes. With a longer leash coming with his selection as the second overall choice in the 2021 NBA Draft, Green has already proven in his short career that he is an unstoppable scorer.
According to Ime Udoka, Green’s difficulties are more psychological in nature as he attempts to adjust to a more supporting role on a squad that is more competitive.
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