In a very short period of time, Jaylen Green has completed a turnaround in public opinion, from being controversial before to being praised now. Green can do this entirely due to the improvement of his personal performance. He is performing in “March Madness” and aiming for the Western Conference Player of the Month.
How did Green do it? What exactly is the so-called “Green enlightened” reflected in?
Before and after the All-Star break, Green suffered a serious crisis of trust. Against the Grizzlies before the All-Star break, Green scored 4 points on 2 of 7 shots and was abandoned by Uduka in the Nth final quarter. After the All-Star break, they played against the Pelicans and Suns, and Green was abandoned in the final quarter of two consecutive games. Coupled with the Rockets’ poor record during that period, the outside world was hotly discussing whether Green should play as a substitute.
As of March 1, 2024, Green averaged 17.9 points per game, shooting 40.4% from the field, and 31.2 from three-point range. %, the data has declined in all aspects compared with the previous season.
The away game against the Suns on March 3 was a turning point in the season for the Rockets and Green. From this game on, the Rockets made it clear that ” speed up” strategy. The Rockets scored 28 points through fast breaks. Green scored 34 points with a shooting rate of over 50%, entering an unstoppable state.
As for the Rockets’ rhythm, Uduka believes that there are misunderstandings in the outside world. The Rockets’ slow pace in the first half was not to accommodate Shen Jing, but to solve several problems that led to last season’s bottom ranking. After studying the Rockets’ data last season, Uduka identified slowing down the pace, reducing turnovers and fast break points as the main goals. The essence of slowing down is to improve defensive efficiency. Regardless of whether there is Shen Jing or not, Uduka Everyone will ask for it. When the Rockets made great progress in these areas, Uduka decided to relax his disciples and let the team speed up. Does Shen Jing’s presence affect the Rockets’ speed? not at all.
In fact, before Shen Jing was injured, the Rockets showed signs of speeding up. It is already obvious. From March 3 to March 11, the Rockets played at a pace of 100.4 in the 5 games played by Shen Jing, which was the 6th fastest in the league during the same period. The Rockets’ fast break score increased by 5 points compared with before, reaching 19.8 points. Ranked 4th in the league during the same period. These data show that the Rockets are capable of playing fast with Shen Jing on the court.
After Shen Jing was injured and fell down, the Rockets The rhythm of 8 games was 100.44, which was basically the same as the 5 games played before Shen Jing was injured. During the period, the Rockets scored 18.5 points on fast break.
The Rockets Green is obviously the beneficiary of the overall increase in speed and pursuit of quick counterattacks. Before March, Green averaged 2.7 fast break points per game. After March, Green averaged fast break points per game increased to 5.7 points. This is also related to the fact that Green is no longer beaten in the final quarter. It was abandoned because the average playing time per game increased by 6 minutes.
Simply using the Rockets to speed up is obviously not enough to explain why Green’s output and efficiency are both average. Skyrocketing, because VanVleet is still the main point guard, Green’s number of touches and time holding the ball have not changed significantly. Green’s changes are mainly reflected in the significant improvement in the data representing the main offensive ability.
One of the things Green has been criticized for a lot before is that he clearly has great physical talent but is unable to produce a productive and efficient performance in the penalty area. He has low breakthrough and finishing efficiency, and lacks passing consciousness and ability. Before March, Green averaged 9.2 points per game. times, his shooting rate was only 43%, and he averaged 5.9 points per game. Entering March, Green averaged 9.8 breakthroughs per game, his shooting percentage increased to 54.9%, averaged 8.5 points per game, and his turnover rate dropped from 8.3% to 5.9%. .
“Green is really aggressive and confident now,” Uduka praised Green.
In March, Green’s shooting percentage in the three-second zone was 73.2%, which was only 59% before. Green’s pick-and-roll breakthroughs have become more and more sharp. When opponents are afraid of his fierce three-point defense, Green can Directly breaking through, his assist rate in the three-second zone dropped by more than 10%. Green’s so-called “our playing style is completely different from before” is reflected here to a certain extent. In the past, Green often had to go around Shen Jing to beat the opponent. When passing the hand or cutting from the weak side, you need to wait for the pass from your teammates. Now Green is the main attacker with the ball and has the offensive dominance.
Another impressive skill of Green in March was the step-back jump shot. Green did focus on this difficult skill during special training with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the offseason last year. Skill, but the effect is not obvious. Before March, Green shot 36.1% on step-back jumpers, including 29 of 85 three-pointers, with a shooting rate of 34.1%, which is pretty good but not fatal enough.
As we enter March, Green suddenly seems to have completed a system upgrade, making various difficult step-back jump shots. Green’s step-back shooting percentage reaches 50% %, including 23 of 48 three-pointers and a hit rate of 47.9%.
The difficulty lies in evaluating whether Green is a flash in the pan or whether he has truly enlightened himself. With Green’s physical talent, Clear the air for him to break through, and he can average 10+ breakthroughs per game and maintain a breakthrough shooting rate of more than 50%. But how can Green maintain an incredible 47.9% step-back three-point shooting rate? After the sample is enlarged, Green’s step-back three-point shooting rate is obviously unsustainable. It is better than Stephen Curry’s step-back three-point shooting rate of 39% this season. Meng Shen is already considered a benchmark in this field.
The good news is that Green himself understands this. When his outside touch is not good, he tries to affect the game in other ways.
In the battle with the Trail Blazers, Green made only 3 of 12 shots in the first half. In the third quarter, he focused on defense and sent out 2 steals and 1 block in a single quarter. Cover, affecting the game with defenseThe momentum was rarely affirmed by Uduka. Uduka said: “His defensive presence is real, from rotation to execution to coverage area, it is obvious. He makes much fewer mistakes.”
In today’s battle with the Thunder, after Green scored 17 points in a single quarter in the third quarter, the Thunder resorted to quick retreats, counterattacks, and positional battles in the fourth quarter and overtime. The double-teaming strategy was aimed at Green, who easily resolved it by passing the ball. When the opponent blocked the breakthrough route in the middle, he distributed the ball to find Smith in the bottom corner. If the opponent double-teams on the flank, he will look for the center or top shooter to follow up in the middle. Green sent a total of 6 assists in the fourth quarter and overtime. This game showed the improvement of Green’s ability to read the game.
“In addition to scoring, how can I affect the game in other ways? This is what I have been thinking about. Even if I can’t score, I have to let my teammates integrate into the game and take the initiative. To participate in defense,” Green has long said that he will become a player who can comprehensively affect the game, and he has taken a big step forward towards his goal.
In March, Green averaged 28.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, with a plus-minus of +14.8 points, which was a solid At a solid All-Star level, he has a chance to win Player of the Month for the first time in his career. The Rockets have 10 games left. Whether Green can keep going will not only determine whether the Rockets can counterattack and get tickets to the play-offs, but also affect his prospects for early contract renewal during the offseason, as well as his ultimate positioning in the Rockets.
