Stone wanted to find a qualified mentor for Rockets prince Jalen Green, but Wall couldn't, and neither could Gordon. Jalen Green thinks Harden's return will be both good and bad for him.
The ideal mentor for Jalen Green's mind is Irving. Jalen Green said in an interview two years ago that he and Irving had many exchanges and benefited a lot from it. Green admits that it's incredible to see his idol Irving playing, and his skills are fantastic. Green hopes to train with Irving in the offseason.
Previously, many American media believed that the Houston Rockets would be one of Irving's potential next homes, and suggested that Fertitta smash him with a big contract.
The Rockets, who had a huge salary space last offseason, did contact Irving, with Udoka as a representative in charge of recruitment. Udoka, who has worked as an assistant coach with the Nets and the U.S. men's basketball team, has a good relationship with Irving.
On July 1 of last year, Houston reporter Kelly Eco broke the news that Irving would meet with the Rockets that day. The outcome is well known, as the eight-time All-Star turned down the Rockets and eventually signed with the Mavericks. Udoka really likes Irving, but the latter wants to win a championship.
When the Rockets host the Mavericks this month, Udoka praised Irving in an interview before the game: "He's the best offensive player I've seen so far."
P-15 win over the Rockets on the road in 2015, Irving scored 24 points, including 15 in the final quarter. With assists, rebounds and a rematch against the Rockets at home, Irving exploded, scoring 48 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists, including 19 points in the final quarter and 6 points in overtime.
Speaking after the game, Owen said: "We played very hard, we were under a lot of pressure ourselves, we wanted to win, and I think that belief will be passed on to our team-mates.
The boiled duck flies, and the victory of the rocket in hand is given away like this, which is indeed a little unsettling. Smith Jr. missed two key free throws, the Rockets did not foul in time, and the opponent hit a three-pointer to equalize, and finally lost in overtime. Smith Jr. was the sinner, and Udoka's on-the-spot command was also questioned by fans.
Led the team to the finals and won the Coach of the Month, Udoka didn't have any problem thinking he was a coach, and he threw the blame on the players after the loss. Udoka said that a late three-point lead should be fouled, and he hinted that he usually said it, but the player didn't do it in this game.
There are many young players in the Rockets, Dillon is easy to get hot-headed, Van Jordan is difficult to convince, and Udoka, as the head coach, should be reminded in time. Udoka's substitutions, timing of challenges, timeouts, offensive routines, and defensive changes are not nearly half a point away from the league's top coaches, and his ability to win the March Coach of the Month is mainly due to the sweet schedule and Jalen Green's outburst.
Jalen Green had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in this game, shooting 6-of-15 from the field, 2-of-7 from three-point range, and had 5 turnovers. Green scored 15 points in the first quarter, three fouls in the second quarter, and five fouls in the fourth quarter. Green didn't score much in the second three quarters, but he still contributed on the court, diching out multiple assists and working hard defensively.
Of course, Jalen Green is still far from the All-Star that Rockets management is expecting, and he is trying to tear off the label of the data brush, but he is labeled as an abusive product.
Smith Jr. had 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, and he thought that he was the top talent and created too much pressure, and he made mistakes at critical moments not once or twice.
Whitmore had 11 points and 4 rebounds, and the embarrassment of the Rockets losing since his comeback continued.
Amen was fouled early with 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and the law that the Rockets can win in a clash was broken.
Dillon had 29 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals, which is the performance that Mr. 86 million should have.
Van Jordan has 24 points and 12 assists, Houston is really a small-ball market, and many All-Star players are reluctant to come, so they can only grab people at a premium.
Bullock had 11 points and 3 rebounds on 4-of-4 shooting, and he was resurrected near the end of the season, which was too late. Bullock improved his three-point shooting to 41.5 percent and wondered if Udoka would ask to keep him.