HOUSTON – It's been a much better season for the Houston Rockets compared to previous years. With new coach Ime Udoka and a new staff, along with some savvy veterans and former All-Stars, the Rockets' young core is surrounded by a variety of playoff experience. From Fred VanVleet's 2019 title run with the Toronto Raptors to Dillon Brooks' playoff appearances with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston is establishing a new winning culture. But no other veteran has been talked about as much as the newly awarded NBA champion, Jeff Green.
Relevant in Year 16
Jeff Green is what you would call an established veteran who should be at the tail end of an interesting NBA career. He is probably the most chosen player on Immaculate Grids. Green's illustrious journeyman career has an array of playoff experience like no other, and he just won the NBA Finals in the prior season with the Denver Nuggets, solidifying himself as the go-to veteran that any team would be glad to have.
Signing a two-year, $16 million deal with Houston, Green's initial role in his second stint with the Rockets would involve him as a leader, guiding the young guys with NBA experience. He'd also provide more depth to the Rockets' bench.
Fast-forward to thirty-five games into the regular season, and Jeff Green has done more than he's been asked to do in his 16th year, both on and off the court.
Outside of games, he is the guy youngsters like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason look up to, eager to ask him questions about his experience and how to stay as relevant as he has in the NBA.
On the court, Coach Ime Udoka gives him assignments to sometimes play the five and guard the biggest player. At the twilight age of 37, Jeff eagerly steps up to that challenge and can still hold his own effectively on the court. At various times, he can still turn back the clock and unexpectedly slam in a monster dunk.
This dunk from 37 year old Jeff Green 😳 pic.twitter.com/nmosN9ctq6
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) January 2, 2024
Sliding Green to the five
To backup Alperen Sengun, Houston signed center Jock Landale, in hopes of keeping the roster scoring consistent. This, unfortunately, has backfired. Landale hasn't quite been the quality backup big the Rockets hoped he would be. They needed a Plan B. This consisted of Jeff Green's insertion into the lineup as an undersized big playing the five to replace him. How has this worked out? Well, it's actually working better than expected.
While the baseline stats may not show his impact this season (6.6 points, two rebounds, 53.6% shooting in 16.4 minutes), Green does much more than what the numbers may show. Green's IQ as a player is still sharp. He can get into the lane, space the floor, and make timely cuts for a pass inside or on the wings. A notable game came against the Milwaukee Bucks. Green jumped back into the fountain of youth, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including an impressive drive to the basket guarded by Brook Lopez, who was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year last season. Playing 34 significant minutes, Green helped lighten the shorthanded Rockets.
Utilizing his placement on defense, no matter the size, Green is still capable of closing on players down in the post or on the perimeter. Franchise star Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves went 0-of-3 on isolated shots when guarded by the 16-year veteran.
This shouldn't be the answer
In whatever way he scores—the post, floaters off the dribble, or on a catch-and-shoot three — Ime Udoka has his trust and Green is always ready to answer the call. Sure, you could call this overachieving. This is certainly more than what he was initially asked to do, but when might this effectiveness at his age begin to wane? Houston still needs a quality backup center with adequate years to play in their NBA career, and Green shouldn't be solely the player the team relies on to play an undersized center. As the trade deadline looms, the Rockets need to stick with looking at sellers, specifically the ones who would benefit from giving away a quality backup big.
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