The Houston Rockets were a defensive juggernaut this season, as the team boasted stoppers at every position. Houston was able to rise from the lottery all the way up to the Western Conference’s second seed because of their defense — and despite their offense. The Rockets have several talented offensive talents, including All-Star center Alperen Sengun. But the supposed centerpiece of the offense, Jalen Green, often left much to be desired, especially in the postseason.
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Green trudged to just three double-digit scoring games over his first playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. The fourth-year guard turned heads with a 38-point performance in Game 2, but immediately reverted to being a liability for the rest of the series. Green failed to top 12 points in any of the next five games, prompting some questions about the Rockets’ future.
The Rockets have one of the most important offseasons of any NBA team coming up, as the franchise will have to decide whether to continue to build with what they have or go all-in for a superstar. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett acknowledged their dominant defensive young core but also understand why Houston may want to chase a star.
“Do you continue to develop Jalen Green and say, ‘He can be our guy as a scorer, as a young talent, and he can grow into that,’ or do you make a splash and go after a guy like Devin Booker?” Pierce questioned on KG Certified. “A guy who could be a main scorer, because they have problems scoring. You know, inconsistencies in that part.”
Booker would supply the Rockets with a bona fide star scorer and a true go-to guy, but Pierce doesn’t want to see Houston mortgage their future to make it happen.
“I don’t know if you make a trade or just grow with the team one more year. Maybe I’ll grow one more year. It’s like I don’t wanna go after something that’s going to kind of mortgage the future too,” The Truth continued.
Pierce knows Amen Thompson is an untouchable part of the team’s core and Sengun is likely there to stay as well. The Celtics legend also appreciates what veterans like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet bring to the team, leaving Jalen Green as the franchise’s biggest question mark heading into the offseason.
If Green can continue to develop as a scorer, he’ll be exactly what the Rockets need without forcing the franchise to trade away their treasure trove of first-round picks. Instead, the team could focus on upgrades elsewhere while using their assets to improve around Green rather than to move away from him.
The Rockets will have a big decision to make regarding their former top-3 selection. Still just 23 years old, Green has plenty of time and room for improvement. But for a team in win-now scenario like Houston, staying patient with Green may not be worth the wait.
