The young Houston Rockets (10-30) have lost seven straight games and 12 of 13 overall. One recurring theme in recent weeks has been the struggles of second-year guard Jalen Green.
Could the 20-year-old sophomore, drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2021 first round, benefit from a more veteran presence around him? Austin Rivers, now 30 years old and formerly a Rocket from the 2018-19 through 2019-20 seasons, had some thoughts on that subject after his Minnesota Timberwolves won at Houston on Sunday night.
Via Michael Shapiro of Chron.com:
Someone needs to teach KPJ (Kevin Porter Jr.) and Jalen how to play the right way, you know what I mean? I like those guys, they’re super talented, they can really score. … They need someone to help them take that next step.
Those veterans mean everything when you’re young. They teach you how to run the game, how to control things as guards. Not everything has to be (isolation). It’s sometimes about making that quick read, making the quick decision, keeping things moving.
The talent is there. They can really score. It’s just a matter of them doing what they need to do. I know if I was here, I’d be in their ear, I’d be bugging them. They may hate it. I may get in their nerves, but it’ll be for their own good.
You need your peers. It needs to be someone on the team guiding them through this, and hopefully, they’ll be better for it.
Full story now live @chron ⬇️https://t.co/pI4ZJIDzoR
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) January 9, 2023
Dating to late November, Green is shooting 38.4% overall and 28.1% on 3-pointers over his last 21 games. The Rockets are 5-16 as a team over that stretch. His true shooting (TS) percentage during those games is 50.5%, well below average. Porter, by contrast, has been much more efficient at 58.1% TS over that period.
In the first 19 games of the 2022-23 season, though, it was flipped — with Green posting a 55.7% TS line and Porter at just 52%.
The bottom line is that for the most part, Houston’s duo of young, talented guards hasn’t clicked at the same time, and it’s a big factor in their underwhelming record and worsening trend line.
They do have Eric Gordon as a veteran to lean on, but he’s not a point guard. He is also going through his own issues as a 34-year-old without a guaranteed contract for next season on a rebuilding team. It’s possible Gordon may not be the optimal veteran fit, given those circumstances, or perhaps one player just isn’t enough.
The good news for general manager Rafael Stone and the Rockets is they are positioned to have up to $60 million in salary cap flexibility in the 2023 offseason, which could help significantly when it comes to adding veterans to place around their existing young core.
But if Houston wants to address that need and improve their play over the second half of this season, further moves or signings by the Feb. 9 in-season trade deadline could be necessary. Stay tuned!
