The Houston Rockets have now become the second strongest team in the Western Conference, with their winning percentage consistently ranking second in the West. After defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, the Rockets achieved a small three-game winning streak, with their winning percentage and form steadily improving. Udoka clearly stated in an interview that Jalen Green and Shen Jing have been performing outstandingly and stably recently, serving as the core pillars of the team. He likes to see them play in tandem to better complete scoring, rather than having them take turns playing individually. Udoka places great emphasis on teamwork.
Udoka is a strict head coach who started as a defensive assistant coach, learning from Popovich and working for a long time with the Spurs coaching staff. During his tenure with the Celtics, Udoka was known as a defensive coach, leading the Celtics to the top defense in the league at the time. The current defensive system of the Rockets is also built by Udoka, centered around Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Tate, and VanVleet. This season, the Rockets' defensive efficiency ranks third in the entire league, with both Jalen Green and Shen Jing's defense entering the top 70 in the league.
According to official reports from ESPN journalists, Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick for the Rockets, has averaged 27.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals since January, with a shooting percentage of 47.8% and a three-point percentage of 41.2%. Recently, Jalen Green has continuously scored high points, including 33 points + 6 rebounds + 4 assists + 1 block, 29 points + 8 rebounds + 2 assists + 2 steals, 27 points + 3 rebounds + 3 assists + 3 steals + 1 block, and 27 points + 3 rebounds + 1 assist + 2 steals. His offensive scoring ability has been stable, no longer as low as before.
Jalen Green and Shen Jing have always been the key targets for development by the Rockets' management and coaching staff. Jalen Green possesses strong offensive talent, with excellent driving and one-on-one abilities, but he was previously criticized for his inconsistency. In the past half month or so, Jalen Green has performed exceptionally well in both offensive scoring and defensive play, much to the delight of Rockets fans, who hope he can maintain this fiery state. The Rockets renewed Jalen Green's contract ahead of schedule during the offseason for $105 million over 3 years.
NBA reporters reported that the Rockets' management pursued Paul George during the offseason, with some believing that George could solve the team's problems with tough and hard-to-solve situations. Looking back now, it was very wise for both the Rockets and the Clippers to give up pursuing Paul George. If the Rockets had traded Jalen Green for Paul George at the time, they would now be facing the "deep water and hot fire" of the 76ers. This season, after joining the 76ers, George's average score dropped from 22.6 points last season to 16.8 points this season.
Furthermore, Paul George's shooting percentage this season is 41.2%, and his three-point percentage is 33.1%, a significant decrease compared to last season when he had a shooting percentage of 47.8% and a three-point percentage of 41.3% with the Clippers. After signing a supermax contract worth $212 million over 4 years, George's scoring and efficiency have plummeted, with the 76ers ranking 11th in the Eastern Conference. Fans say that the Rockets did not trade Jalen Green for George, which turned out to be a winning bet, as the Philadelphia 76ers giving George the maximum contract is like lifting a rock only to drop it on their own foot, reaping what they sow.
