The Houston Rockets defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 120-118 at home, giving a sense of fulfilling past efforts this year. The Rockets have achieved the second-best record in the West, replicating last season's Thunder script. Moreover, Jalen Green has recently started to explode, providing a significant boost to the Rockets' record. Green played for 40 minutes, shooting 13 out of 18 from the field, including 5 out of 6 from three-point range, scoring 42 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Notably, Green has now matched the level of Hakeem Olajuwon, the first star of the Rockets.
Green scored 42 points against the Grizzlies with a 72.2% shooting rate, making him the second player in the Rockets' history after Olajuwon to score over 40 points with a 70% shooting rate before the age of 23. It can truly be said that Green is unpredictable. When you praised Green for his breakthrough at the beginning of last year, he underperformed for a month, dropping from an average of 29 points to 19 points per game. However, when you say Green is not good enough, he averages 25 points after Christmas.
Now, Green's average has quietly reached 21 points. What can you say about that? You dare not even hype him up because doing so might lead to another disappointing performance in the next game. Of course, we still hope that Green can maintain his form throughout January, as the schedule this month is tough. If the Rockets can stabilize their record this month, they will undoubtedly secure a spot in the playoffs this year. They have won all three games against the Grizzlies, with the third game likely being the highlight of Green's career, where he scored over 40 points but had never consistently dominated the entire game like this before.
After the game, Udoka spoke about the Rockets' current record, expressing satisfaction. Udoka believes that in the 12 games the Rockets lost, they missed at least half of the victories. This includes games where they led by more than 15 points against the Hornets and Spurs but were overturned, followed by a loss to the Trail Blazers. They also failed to capitalize on a weakened Warriors team without Curry. In December, they led by 15 points against the Timberwolves and Heat but were overturned. However, in January, the Rockets have improved significantly and are finally able to hold onto victories.
Why do the Rockets experience ups and downs? Ultimately, it boils down to Jalen Green. If he can maintain his January form for an entire season, the Rockets could indeed soar this year. After the game, Grizzlies head coach Jenkins stated that they lost to Green because his offense forced the Grizzlies to focus their defense on him, creating opportunities for others. Jenkins also believes that Green should receive more attention from the Rockets. In fact, the ball has always been in the hands of Van Jordan and Shen Jing.
There are reasons for Udoka's preference for a defensive system and the weakness of the offensive system. There are also reasons for Green's inability to handle the ball early on, which is why Udoka has been relying on the pick-and-roll with Van Jordan and Shen Jing. Now that Green can handle the ball, everyone has noticed. Van Jordan's shooting rights have dropped sharply, and Shen Jing is willing to pass the ball to Green. In reality, Van Jordan did not want to handle the ball either, but had no choice as Green had not developed yet. Now, with Green's superhuman performance, Van Jordan and Dillon naturally become supporting players. With Amen's rise, the Rockets are not yet complete, aside from injuries, the young players are growing. This year, the Rockets are definitely not just a young team ranked second in the West.
The Rockets possess the most suffocating frontcourt defense in the league, and even before Green's state improved, they achieved such a record. Now that Green is in top form, the Rockets' potential is even higher. As Amen Thompson said after the game, he believes the Grizzlies are frustrated about not being able to defend Green because they don't have Amen. If he were on the Grizzlies, he could defend Green. This remark made the reporters laugh. Amen also asked the reporter to tell Green that he can defend him, and the two have an excellent relationship. It's unknown if Green would respond by saying that Amen can defend anyone, but not him. These two contradictory combinations truly represent the future of the Rockets.