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Green once looked like he could be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, a scoring machine who ended up going second overall to Houston.
While Green appeared to be on the path to becoming a future All-Star with the Rockets, some offseason free-agent spending and the emergence of Alperen Şengün has forced the third-year guard to take a step back in both role and production.
Şengün now looks like the face of the franchise moving forward, establishing himself as the Rockets’ leading scorer over Green. Both are eligible for contract extensions this offseason, with a new deal for Jabari Smith Jr. potentially coming the summer after. The Rockets also need minutes and shots for Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason to develop.
Adding in a proven point guard like Fred VanVleet should have at least helped make Green more efficient, although the 22-year-old is shooting a career-low 40.7 percent overall and 30.9 percent from three. He’s taking more three-pointers and getting to the free-throw line less compared to last season as well.
The Rockets want to win now, yet are a whopping 8.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Green on the floor this season.