Rockets Analyst Ben DuBose: Jalen Green Has Become "Much More Dependable"

Ben DuBose, editor of The Rockets Wire, joins Next Up to review the Houston Rockets as they are currently on a five-game win streak after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-103 Saturday at the Toyota Center. The Rockets are now 7-1 in March and 3-0 since Alperen Şengün sprained his ankle. "This season could have gone a number of directions after the All-Star break," but "we're in the final month of the season and [the Rockets] are still very much in the Play-In [Tournament] conversation," DuBose said. DuBose credits head coach Ime Udoka with Rockets recent success after dealing with multiple injuries, but says "time will tell if they're able to sustain it." Jalen Green has also had a recent surge after an up-and-down first half to the season, recording a double-double against the Cavaliers. Green has "become a much more dependable player." Even though it us unlikely that the they will make the final spot in the Play-In Tournament, the Rockets have a young, talented core, including rookie Amen Thompson. Thompson has struggled with ball-handling and shot-making, but makes up for it with strong defense and rebounding. Thompson finds success in the starting lineup when "you let him operate off-the-ball." Veteran Fred VanVleet had 16 assists on Saturday, and DuBose says VanVleet's value on the court is immense to his younger teammates. "Fred is an extension of Ime Udoka" and "the embodiment of that coaching staff on the floor."

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Rockets were in action on Saturday.They absolutely beat the Bejezus. They were
up twenty seven at one point versusthe Cleveland Cavaliers OV at the Toyota Center
one seventeen, one oh three,and the Rockets are looking pretty good.
Undefeated. How about that being undefeatedall the Rockets since alfrinshiin Gun has gone
down. Who would have thunk?Yeah? Amazing, Although we should point

(00:22):
out they're now seven and one inMarch and they won five in a row,
so while they haven't missed a beatsince losing, shouldn't gun. We
should also point out, in fairnessto alp that they were playing better before
the injuries. Really, it's atestament to emy Udoke. This season could
have gone a number of directions afterthe All Star break and how ugly things
looked at the time. He didn'tlet it. These guys stayed bought in

(00:45):
and now it's unlikely. But we'rein the final month of the season and
they are still very much in theplay in conversation, so kudos to im
Udok. He's got these guys fightinghard. So I had a couple thoughts.
I want to make sure I getthem out for the rock to be
just three games under five hundred withall of the injuries including Shan going over
the course of the season. EmaUdoka, although he may not look at

(01:07):
or sound it, he's got tohave some silver line and then be proud
of how this team has fought likehell, given all of those things.
Are you getting that from Udoka orhow do you perceive how he looks at
with fifteen games remaining, it's thirtytwo and thirty five record right now.
Yeah, Emai's a classic guy whodoesn't get too high or too low.
That's how he wants his players toplay. So he's not gonna tell you

(01:32):
that he's happy or show it evenif he is, just because that's that's
sort of the hallmark of how hewants his teams to be. Always wants
them to be composed, take careof the job in front of them,
don't get too high, don't gettoo low. That's how you get the
consistency and you don't have the upsand downs that most teams around the NBA
have, And that's what he eventuallylet's get the Rockets to a point where

(01:53):
they do not have. With thatsaid, I don't see how he couldn't
be pleased, especially in the pastweek. Look, they're having to play
a completely different style without all forin Shangoon. For the most part,
all he was their offense in termsof not just the points and rebounds that
he puts up in the field goalpercentage, but also using him to draw
attention, the gravitational pull whatever youwant to call it, and then generate

(02:15):
open looks for teammates. Now,ever since Shin Goon went down, they
basically played without a true center.They're going to this small ball lineup with
Javari Smith Junior as sort of afour spacing five and then Thompson filling in
at one of the forward spots.You have freddent Vleet and Jalen Green initiating
most of the offense in a driveand kick fashion, and to this point
they're thriving. Now, it's onlythree games, and it's worth noting that

(02:38):
teams will adjust to this new scheme. In the NBA is the league of
adjusting to the adjustments. You knowhow it goes, so time will tell
as to whether they're able to sustainit. But the fact that they watched
their best player go down in anagonizing fashion last forty seconds of one of
their best wins of the year,and the fact that on the fly they
figured it out how to play adifferent way and have some success us.

(03:00):
That's the adaptability that Joka wants inhis team. He wants to be able
to sort of filter out the noise, filter out whatever bad stuff happens,
and just focus on making the bestof a given situation. That's exactly what
they've done the past week. BenDubos joining us now. He's editor of
Rockets Wire. He's our analyst forthings Rockets over there at the Toyota Center

(03:22):
and beyond. Also contributes to thelog line and Locked on Rockets as well.
Okay, Ben Jalen Green. Idon't know that we can have any
more conversation about Jalen than the thingsthat's already been said. But when he
goes out there and has a nightlike that on Saturday or afternoon like that
on Saturday, twenty six points,eleven rebounds, four says from Jalen plus

(03:46):
sixteen was second best on the teambased on my stat sheet that I'm looking
at here. Has he made itharder to not give him an extension or
to retain him on the roster.Has that conversation about him his future being
quieted with this run he's been onhere recently. Yeah, I think he's
definitely giving Rafelson in the Rockets alot more to think about. At the

(04:10):
All Star break, the question waswhether he could even hold his starting job,
because the comments from e May beforethat were clearly, in my opinion,
hinting out a potential change of themen Thompson going in for Jalen Green.
Now he's quieted that in a bigway. I don't know how you
can't if the deal is reasonable,at least think about it with what he's
showing you, because what stood outto me it's not even so much the

(04:31):
high points, like, yeah,he was great against the Cavaliers in the
last five games. He'd averaged morethan twenty five a game in this shriek,
and his efficiency has been pretty good. What's realisted out to me,
Stan is that ever since the AllStar Break, there haven't been any really
bad games, and I thought itwas revealing. After one of these two
recent games at home, somebody askedJalen about what his focus has been since

(04:55):
the All Star break, and hisresponse was that it was all about defense,
and I thought that was really tellingbecause it's the defensive end of the
court that led to Imo Udoka pullinghim like that game right before the break
in Memphis, where he had justfour points and played just twenty two minutes
and didn't play it all in thelast quarter and a half of the game.
He's quick enough, he's athletic enough, he should always be able to

(05:17):
provide some value defensively. It's justthe times in the past, if you'd
have it a bad shooting game,you can see sort of the shoulder slump,
the body language isn't good and helets it take a toll on his
effort. What you've seen in thisstretch, and it's all the more important
friends to stay out there even ifhe's not making shots. Just the threat
of him is athleticism, is talent. They need it without all for in
Shogun, they don't have a lotof playmakers this stretch over March, when

(05:40):
they're seven to one. The badgames, he's generally going for something like
fifteen sixteen points, five rebounds,maybe five or twelve, five of thirteen
shooting and he's still out there forthirty plus minutes and being a difference maker
defensively. That has been what's reallychanged. It's not so much to high
points, because we know this andhe's had stretches of it in his NBA

(06:01):
career where for a few games atthe time he looks great. What's really
changed is that this month, andreally ever since the Aul Star Break,
you haven't seen just the total zerogames where Imo Rudoka just pulls in place
twenty minutes because the shot isn't falling, and then he lets it take a
toll on all the other elements ofhis game. He's been much more well
rounded, much more focused, andso because of that, he's just become

(06:21):
a much more dependable player. AllRight, we'll get you out of here
on this one. Unless I changemy mind. I might want to add
another one. But the guy thatI keep my eyes on, I'm in
Thompson. You mentioned he's made hisway into the starting lineup. I think
they've got him going. He's playingthe three right because they got Dylan Brooks
playing the four. Nijabari's playing thespace five there. Okay, so I'm

(06:44):
in Thompson. I love everything hegives me. I appreciate the effort to
rebound against sensational, being able toswitch multiple positions, the link, athleticism,
all of those things. I gottwo complaints. Tell them if they're
fair, the handles and the shotmaking. Yep. So the shot making
we knew was going to be aweakness. That's something that's going to take

(07:06):
a little while. We're talking monthsand probably years. The handle has been
weaker than expected. However, that'swhy this particular configuration that Emo Joka has
put since the Shindgun injury, it'sso intriguing because it lets you play to
a men Thompson's strengths. That's what'sso important, which he's almost functioning.

(07:28):
What it reminds me of seeing It'slike the way the Rockets used Russell Westbrook
four years ago after they traded ClintCapella and went without a traditional center,
and if you recall Russ Beeck thensort of was their center, at least
in the perspective of being a lobthreat and operating out of the dunker slot.
He's had a bring and with themen Thompson, Yeah, like over

(07:49):
time, you certainly I think theystill view him at the point guard of
the future. They want him toimprove the handles and that's something that I
think by next season at the latestyou should see some progress on. But
for right now, Oh, hehas some clear strength. He can rebound
well, he's high IQ, hecan defend, he can make a ton
of plays near the rim because ofthis elite athleticism. But he can't really

(08:09):
create that well because of the handle, and he can't really shoot. So
how do you mitigate that? Youlet him operate off the ball. And
that's where this lineup with Javari Smith'sspace before is so useful, because you
can sort of let a man operateout of the dunker spot. You can
use him as a screener, lethim make plays on the short roll,
you can let him crash the offensiveglass. That's tough to do when shinggun

(08:31):
is out there because it's straingoon thatneeds to be on the low block.
You need to clear space for himin the post or in the mid range
areas as opposed to now you canuse four of your guys around the perimeter
and let Amn Thompson, even ifhe's not technically your center, he's doing
a lot of the things that acenter does, and so I think this
grouping is really helpful for him.I love that answer that that is a

(08:54):
really profound thought by you. Ihadn't considered that, but then I appreciate
you adding that. That's why Ilike when you by the show. Oh
I did lie. One other thingcaught my attention on Saturday afternoon. Fred
VanVleet sixteen assists, one turnover hasfreed van Vliet been worth the money in
your eyes and the eyes of RocketsTwitter, if you will. Yeah,

(09:16):
I've never understood the criticism that hegets because for starters, a lot of
what you wanted from Frednsleet. It'snot just about the on core product.
It's the day to day culture.It's the leadership and as we said a
few minutes ago, to keep thisteam bought in as ugly as things look
going into the Ulstro break nine andeighteen, Fred is an extension of email

(09:37):
Udoka, that calm, that poise, that ability to filter out the noise.
Fred is the embodiment of that coachingstaff on the floor and so beyond
just what he gives you, butyeah, since the Ultra break, he's
done a good job all season longreally of limiting the turnovers. But beyond
just distributing, I think what shouldbe noted is that since the Ultro break.
He's shooting above forty one percent fromthree point range on an average volume

(10:01):
of more than eight per game.That's phenomenal efficiency. Stand that's incredible,
and that's exactly what you need inthis stretch without all per in Shin Goon.
Look, we know the story forthe Rockets for the most part this
season. They've been a good defensiveteam and a below average offensive team.
And now they just lost their bestoffensive player in all for in Shan Goon.
So somebody has got to pick upthe slack. Even if they're more

(10:22):
agile, they're more switchable on defense, how do you overcome losing a guy
like Shangoon on offense? Jalen Green'san obvious guy that people are talking about
a lot. Javari Smith has improvedsome of late, but something that's got
under the radar is that on topof the leadership, the distribution of Fred
him hitting threes at an even higherlevel. Who knows, hopefully the All
Star break let and get healthier,fresher second win, whatever you want to

(10:43):
call it. But having a guylike Thread that can shoot three a high
volume and make them above forty percent, that's exactly the kind of contributions you
need on offense to overcome or mitigateat least losing a guy like Shinoon.
Wonderful work by you for a usualBen Dubos joining the show. You can
find his work on the Rockets Whycourtesy of USA Today. You can hear

(11:05):
his work with us from time totime when he's gracious enough to join us
and from a podcast to standpoint,contributed to the loger line and locked on
Rockets as well. Being. Havea great week Rockets. Three games this
week if you include next week thegame excuse me this weekend on Saturday,
so we'll be monitoring your work onsocial at being Dubos d U b O

(11:26):
sc all right, friend, appreciateyour time, brother, thanks for having
me. All right, take care