“If I Wasn’t Playing Defense, I Was Gon Sit Down”: Jalen Green Describes Ime Udoka’s Impact on His Defensive Improvement

The Houston Rockets are on a roll as they picked up a big win on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets. The architect of this win was Jalen Green who dropped 34 points in the 128-108 win. However, it was Green’s defense that caught everyone’s attention. The 22-year-old talked about his improved defensive game while talking to Steve Smith on NBA TV.

The guard credited his coach Ime Udoka for the change as he always emphasizes the importance of defense. Scoring comes naturally to Green, so working on his defense to make him a complete player was a no-brainer.

He said, “I think he knows that I can score naturally, he wanted to see it on both sides.” Playing defense is also a part of Green’s strategy as it allows him to stay on the court for more minutes. He said, “If I wasn’t playing defense, I was gon’ sit down. So, I’m just trying to stay on the floor and earn his trust to play in the big minutes of the fourth quarter.”

Is an @NBA Slam Dunk Contest in @JalenGreen's future? 🫣

The @HoustonRockets star joined GameTime to talk about the strong chemistry within his squad and his hot start to January 🚀 pic.twitter.com/u5BAAPSeNq

— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 16, 2025

Green played a great game against the Nuggets. He played a crucial role in locking down their offense which helped the Rockets restrict the home team to 108 points. Green shot over 60% from the field and the three-point line and had five assists, a rebound, and a block in his 30 minutes.

While the stats don’t do justice to Green’s work on the other side of the floor, he was brilliant in his moments on the court. The Rockets have been a very successful team this season so far and a lot of credit for the same should be given to the way they have improved their defensive game.

Houston Rockets defense has made them unstoppable

The win against the Nuggets at the Ball Arena was the fifth consecutive win for the Rockets. They are the second-best team in the Western Conference with a 27-12 record. The impressive seeding is largely a result of their defensive prowess.

Ime Udoka hash changed the way the Rockets focus on the defensive side of the floor. Their stifling defense often leads to opponents losing their flow of the offense, which helps them compensate for their lack of offense at times.

The Rockets have the third-best defensive rating in the league with 108.1. They are only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Orlando Magic, who are in the first and second spots respectively. It’s also interesting to see that the top two teams in the West are in the top three defensive rating list.

This massive change has been brought in by Udoka and the results are out there for everyone to see. From finishing the season as the 11th seed last year, the Rockets have jumped up to 2nd in a very competitive Western Conference.