Since his excellent match against the Lakers on November 8, Jalen Green has been in trouble. Over the last five matches, he averaged only 15.8 points and 30% shooting success, including a low 25% at 3-points.
Ime Udoka even did without him in the last quarter against the Warriors. As the Rockets remained on three defeats, he had to be woken up. The coach therefore had a discussion with the back, showing him videos.
Obviously a click since, against Memphis, Jalen Green scored 34 points at 13/26 shooting. “I just took what the defense gave me and when I made my first winning shot, the basket got bigger”he thus delivers for the Houston Chronicle.
Words and deeds
“I showed him the shots he missed and in this match, he took them,” says Ime Udoka. “Even though he missed shots early, he stayed aggressive and kept taking his chances. Memphis gave him shots, he took advantage of them. »
The Texan coach was not the only one to speak with the young talent. Fred VanVleet also spoke with his teammate, who got off to a bad start, being clumsy. Finally, the two men did not really “exchange” since only the former Toronto player opened his mouth.
“We can do a lot to have an impact and energy is contagious, whether positive or negative,” explains the 2019 NBA champion. “Our energy wasn’t good and I thought he could step it up a notch in terms of his intensity. He did it. It was a good opportunity to let him express himself, to give him the ball. He was huge in the second half. »
The right balance to find
Fred VanVleet’s monologue was appreciated by Jalen Green, who sees it as a difference from the weak Rockets of previous years.
“I never want to do that to my teammates, especially those who play hard, so hearing that really kicked me into high gear,” he reacted following his teammate’s comments. “The last two seasons, it wouldn’t have happened like this. Nobody would have said anything and we would have continued to play like that, despite this negative energy. This year, we have veterans speaking and that’s a good thing. »
After his good start to the season, the second choice in the 2021 Draft experienced a slump then his best game. It now remains to find a certain consistency, between the need to be aggressive and the need to be patient. “It’s a balance and I’m still learning. I don’t want to force too much or not enough.”he concludes.
| Jalen Green | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | HOU | 67 | 32 | 42.6 | 34.3 | 79.7 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 17.3 |
| 2022-23 | HOU | 76 | 34 | 41.6 | 33.8 | 78.6 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 22.1 |
| 2023-24 | HOU | 12 | 31 | 39.5 | 35.4 | 78.1 | 0.3 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 18.0 |
| Total | 155 | 33 | 41.9 | 34.1 | 78.9 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 19.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
