Jalen Green Extremely Important For Rockets

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green has been incredibly important to the team's growth ever since he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Now, coming to the end of his fourth season in the league, Green is part of the solution to get the Rockets back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes listed Green as the team's X-Factor for the remainder of the season.

"Jalen Green was one of the NBA's best scorers in January, averaging 25.7 points on a 60.3 true shooting percentage. It's no coincidence the Houston Rockets went 11-4 and averaged 116.1 points per game across those 15 contests, both of which matched or beat those from any other month," Hughes writes.

"Unfortunately, Green's career has been defined by hot stretches that give way to cold spells, and this season has been no different. In both November and February (so far), his true shooting percentage dipped below 50.0 percent, which is unacceptable for a high-volume shooter.

"The Rockets have plenty of supporting talent, and much of it (including Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr.) will be back soon. But for a team that has struggled to find offensive efficiency all year, especially late in games, Green's performance is often the difference between wins and losses."

If Green can continue the way he has played over the past month or so and the course of the season, the Rockets could be a surprise team to watch in the playoffs.