Rockets Reportedly Don't See Jalen Green's Struggles in NBA Playoffs as 'a Red Flag'
The Houston Rockets reportedly saw Jalen Green's struggles in his first trip to the NBA playoffs as a team problem rather than an individual issue, according to The Athletic's Kelly Iko and Sam Amick.
Green, who posted 21.0 points per game during his fourth NBA season, averaged 13.3 points in seven playoff games against the Golden State Warriors.
He recorded fewer than 10 points four times during the series, including during the Rockets' Game 7 elimination loss last Sunday.
The Rockets didn't see that limited production as a "red flag" regarding Green's potential, according to Iko and Amick.
"As the Rockets see it, the Warriors’ choice to eliminate Green on the offensive end with double-teams and blitzes should have been punished to a far greater degree by his teammates. In that sense, there was a shared fault there that they’ll all grow from going forward," Iko and Amcik wrote.
Green scored a game-high 38 points in Game 2 to help Houston even the series at one game apiece. The Warriors responded by holding him under 10 points in consecutive victories.
"It's something we've seen all year. Teams go after Jalen," Udoka said after the Rockets' Game 3 loss.
Green was unable to overcome the Warriors' defense for another big performance over the rest of the series. He said after the Rockets' elimination that he had played like "straight s--t."
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said during his end-of-season press conference that "nobody's untouchable," but also pushed back against a question about data showing some Rockets players' stats improved when Green was off the court.
According to Iko and Amick, the Rockets' faith in Green is enough to keep them away from a potential pursuit of Phoenix Suns veteran Devin Booker. The Athletic reporters wrote on Monday that the Rockets "previously held serious interest" in Booker but are no longer pursuing him, in part due to Booker's struggles last season and in part due to their expectations for Green.
