Drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2021 first round, Jalen Green began his NBA career with a rebuilding Houston Rockets squad that finished at the bottom of the Western Conference in his first two seasons.
But in the 2023 offseason, everything changed. The Rockets transitioned from Stephen Silas to Ime Udoka at head coach, and they signed influential veterans such as Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green to supplement the existing young core.
The results have shown dramatic improvement. Houston jumped to 41-41 and No. 11 in the West in 2023-24, Udoka's first season, and they're currently 50-27 and No. 2 in the West standings in 2024-25. Green is now the leading scorer on a bonafide contender.
But after Wednesday's blowout victory over Utah, which clinched Houston's first playoff berth and division title in five years, Green wasn't taking any personal victory laps. Instead, he used the platform as an opportunity to credit Udoka.
Among Green's comments:
We have the talent, but he was the head of the snake. Coming in and bringing the dog out of us, and bringing that culture to us, and getting guys to play hard.
That first year (last season), he taught us all a lesson. If you're not going to play hard, you're going to come out. That's habits we had to break, as young guys on the worst team in the NBA.
The Rockets have five regular-season games left to play before the 2025 playoffs, which will begin for the Rockets on Saturday, April 19 or Sunday, April 20.
"It feels great," Green said. "That's what the grind was for. This is what we worked hard for. And it's finally happened."
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ‘Head of the snake’: Jalen Green credits Ime Udoka for Rockets’ growth
