At the beginning of the season, did you think Jalen Green would be an All-Star? I wouldn't dare think so anyway.
Even in the first few games of the season, when Jalen Green played very well, my opinion of Jalen Green was that he was firmly at the heart of the team. But then Jalen Green quickly entered a period of ups and downs, and the three-point touch was pulled to the bottom, so scared that I didn't dare to mention it again.
In November, Jalen Green averaged just 16.6 points per game and shot 27.1 percent from three-point range; In December, the state returned to normal, averaging 19.3 points per game, shooting 42.9% from the field and 32.6% from three-point range.
Jalen Green, a player who debuted as an eye-catcher, naturally has no talent to say, but the problem is that his state is too erratic. When it's good, it's the absolute hope for the Rockets' future, and when it's bad, people want to trade him in the next game.
Jalen Green's ups and downs in the first three years of his career eventually led him to the only three-year, $106 million rookie contract extension in history. The annual salary of 30 million+ proves the Rockets' expectations of him, and the three-year short contract also confirms that the Rockets do not fully trust Green.
However, for the first half of the season, this contract is undoubtedly worth it. Jalen Green has shown an ability to keep improving and hasn't been deterred by signing a big contract. After a slump in November, Jalen Green's overall form is also on the upswing.
Especially after entering 2025, Jalen Green's form is simply explosive. The Grizzlies, who played third in the West the day before yesterday, Jalen Green contributed a career masterpiece, shooting 13 of 18, 5 of 6 three-pointers, cutting 42 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal, with a plus/minus of +11. Arguably, this is the strongest fight of Jalen Green's career so far.
42 points is not Jalen Green's highest score, but it is the first time in his career that he has scored 40+ with such high efficiency, and even the usually stern Udoka did not hesitate to praise Green in this game: "He scored 42 points with this efficiency, and it really opened up space for other players to play." โ
Playing the Nuggets today, although Jokic didn't play, Jalen Green's play is still perfect. He scored 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the half, including 4-of-4 from the field, 2-of-2 from three-point range and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line in the second quarter, finishing with 15 points and one assist.
In the third quarter, Jalen Green scored 13 points in a single quarter, and scored 34 points in the third quarter to clock out early. Oddly enough, Green's 39-year-old girlfriend has been in explosive form since he brought her 22-year-old son to the game.
In seven games in January, Jalen Green is averaging 30.6 per game, shooting 52 percent from the field and 49 percent from three-point range. This season, Jalen Green has scored more than 30 points, and the Rockets have won all eight games.
Everything since the beginning of 2025 seems to be repeating last year's "March Madness". Last March, Green averaged 28.9 points per game and made 4.1 three-pointers while shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range.
One thing they have in common is that Amen Thompson and Jalen Green are in the starting lineup at the same time. Some time ago, Xiao Jia was injured, and Amen, who came back from the ban, was put in the starting lineup by Udoka. In the Rockets' winning streak last March, Amen was also part of the starting lineup.
In the nine games that Amen started this season, the Rockets won 8-1. Amen has shown amazing progress this season, and while the basket is still lacking, he has improved dramatically in other areas, becoming more mature on both ends of the floor, so he can now fit almost any Rockets lineup.
Amen's start, the most important significance for Green is that the Rockets' game rhythm is very fast by Amen, we have always said that Jalen Green likes fast game rhythm very much, and his previous incompatibility with Shen Jing also lies in this.
But at least for now, it seems that the Rockets are firmly in the second place in the West, and the wave of wins during this period proves that playing fast is not a bad thing for the Rockets. This is a team with a very young core and it will be a long time to explore the road ahead.
The Rockets' current record can be regarded as locking in an All-Star spot. That's why I'm going to say that Jalen Green's All-Star is not a small probability event. So far this season, Jalen Green has averaged 21.3 points per game and is the Rockets' leading scorer, and he has given a lot of impressive points during this time.
Don't think about being an All-Star by voting, Jalen Green's popularity is still low at the end of the second round of voting. But then when the coach drafted the bench, Jalen Green's impression points came into play. Among the players in the Western backcourt, Jalen Green is no longer a small transparent role.
The long wind and snow will eventually stop, and the first ray of sunshine seen after crossing the wind and snow is called hope.