I don't know what you think is a failure. We overachieved ever year we had harden. I call it a success. Sure we never won but he went up against the greatest team ever and almost beat them, probably would have if he didn't have his second best player get hurt every year. Not one time could we have a healthy run through the playoffs. Yet everyone wants to blame him for our losses. Doesn't make sense, he propped up a terrible team for years. Without him you saw how easily we went to worst team in the league. Learn to appreciate greatness stop hating.
Well, there were lowlights like the San Antonio series one year and the year when the team had its comeback against the Clippers and he was riding the bench and guys like Josh Smith led the way....... And that is not talking him missing film room sessions and going to strip clubs, and going missing in Vegas and the whole Lil Baby shet.
This is some serious hyperbole. Jalen is currently not one of the top 5 players on the Rockets. It's difficult to imagine he'll become a top-10 player in the NBA. He has improved a little with his handle and passing. As to shooting, he remains a very inefficient scorer and his true shooting is now worse this year than his rookie season. Others will argue that statistics lie. In basketball though, it matters if the ball goes in. It doesn't go in often enough when Jalen shoots it. Also, he has not been very impressive this year defensively. Of our top 7 players, Jalen is clearly the worst defender. He's improved defensively but has progressed to mediocre rather than good. Jalen is a fun player and I hope he continues to improve. I don't understand what you're seeing though to justify your take. Your optimism is appreciated though.
So what the team still way overachieved. We weren't expected to beat clippers or spurs. They were both heavy favorites. He carried a bunch of fringe players for years for us. Literally the greatest offensive player in Rocket history and yall want to harp on a few bad playoff games. He had some amazing ones also. Spurs series was weird, like some believe he got concussed in OT.
I disagree. Jalen is not the 7th best defender on this team he doesnt get hunted unlike FVV or Sengun. I cant really compare perimeter with big men defenders. For example Amen is the best perimeter defender but Jabari increases the team defensive ranking by 2 ranks when he is playing. Perimeter defenders after Amen, Tari and DB Jalen is already the 4rth best defender. He would be the best or 2nd best defender on an average defensive team. Jalen is considered inefficient for the sole reason he doesnt get foul calls. When he becomes a star he will get those calls and then he will be efficient just like Booker, SGA, Ant etc. He is also the one who gets star treatment by opposing teams, he faces the other team best defender every night so that "little improvement" you are seeing is actually a large improvement. If no names were defending Jalen you would see him score 30 pts every game unfortunately the guys defending him are the other team best defender.
He gets hunted all the time. Watch the first quarter of today's game versus Nuggets. They scored like 7 straight possessions by going right at him. They were begging for that matchup because he can still get out muscled in the paint. He even got out muscled in the paint by Braun today...
FVV is a much better defensive player than Jalen Green. FVV is tenacious, has great hands and makes good decisions defensively. As small as he is, of course other teams will hunt him on defense. He holds his own more than you would expect because of his strength. FVV is among the best defensive point guards in the NBA. Jalen is a net negative defensively on all the reputable advanced stats- EPM, LEBRON and DARKO. There is no league-wide conspiracy to not give Jalen Green free throws. Jalen does not seek out contact the way better players do. Jalen often jumps away or falls away from contact. Jalen is a good player and hopefully will continue to improve. The argument is whether he is on his way to being a top-10 to top-15 player. That's a silly take for a guy not in our top-5. Your point about Jalen being defended by the opposition's best perimeter defender is true. That's true about every guard or wing who is his team's number one option. That fact is not unique to Jalen.
You are using an exhibition game to discuss Jalen's defense? Funny how Lou Dort couldnt outmuscle him when he is serious.
Jalen is the one being guarded by the other team's best defender but he isnt even in our top 5? Which other NBA team is that happening? How can he be the no 1 option if you dont even think he is in the top 5? lulz I actually also am not sure if Jalen will be a top 20 player, but I find your criticism of him just as absurd. Do you think other teams are dumb? They send their best defender to guard the other teams' 6th+ best player? lol what a joke. Jalen is the superior defender to FVV thats just a fact thats obvious to anybody watching the games on the court. He is 6'5 vs 5'11, he has longer arms and is extremely switchy and athletic. FVV is one of the best AT HIS SIZE but overall he is a worse defender than Jalen because of his size. I posted some Jalen highlights above a lot of those FVV cant do thats why he is the one hunted and not Jalen. Do you have proof of Jalen falling away from contact more than other players? Thats the sort of allegation you need to provide evidence for. I can show you Jalen drives near the same rate as other stars but gets far less calls. In fact he drives more than Booker but gets way less calls. Relying on "trust me bro" isnt a valid argument to me.
People are prepared to blame Jalen if he does not play well in the Playoffs. In fact, a lot of people are already expecting for him to play poorly and they have their pitchforks out already.
I also expect Sengün to have some bad games given how stacked the West is and how many teams are rolling out their best even with the coaching changes in Memphis and Denver. I know he relishes the big moments but those Playoff grinds are brutal.
its normal to expect 4yr and near max long term Alpi and JG to elevate their games more in the playoffs
The last 2-3 games were forced on him or he was telling Udoka to play him and Udoka granted it. If you play 2 point games or a 10 point game just to fulfill your quota, that is just stats padding on your games played.
This is a silly take that no one shares with you, especially not the HC. How absurd. You need to learn to contextualize data.
Let them be mad who cares. It was always going to be difficult with so many non-shooters suffocating the paint, and if he does well it's a pleasant surprise. I called this very early on so that they don't say it's a last minute excuse. The team is not built for Jalen, the offense is on the rebounders and interior players - Sengun and Amen - while Jalen/FVV/Brooks just have to make their open jumpers outside the paint. This playoffs will show Ime we can't have 2 non-shooters for 48 minutes and expect to get far in the playoffs. It won't be Jalen they're thinking of trading this summer. Trust me.
