Rockets fans still haunted by one problem despite holding on to win Game 5

The Houston Rockets were reignited in Game 5. Two straight losses plagued the minds of Rockets fans everywhere, as Stephen Curry slowly dominated the series, just as he did all those years ago when James Harden was leading the way, but Game 5 saw the Rockets bring a new energy. Yet at the same time, Houston may have left with a similar, eerie feeling.

Though the Rockets picked up a huge win, bringing the series to 3-2 and earning themselves a trip to The Bay for Game 6, Jalen Green still looked rough. He hasn’t had the best series, and if the Rockets want to win consistently, they need him to perform.

Green needs to be a go-to guy.

The Rockets won Game 5 vs. the Warriors, but Jalen Green question marks still loom large

By the time the final buzzer sounded on Wednesday night, Green had just 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. He shot 3-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 behind the three-point line.

But perhaps the stat that stood out more than anything else was Green’s playing time. Despite it being a close-out game, Green played only 27:50. On a night where Amen Thompson played 34:41, Fred VanVleet played 33:07, and Alperen Sengun played 30:51, Green failed to crack the 30-minute mark.

Even Dillon Brooks (28:59) got more playing time than Green.

Heading into Game 5, Green was averaging 32.4 minutes per game, but his averages were still less than ideal. In the first four games, Green averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting just 39.0% from the field and 31.3% from deep.

Houston hasn’t had the best offense all year, and all of the questions heading into the series surrounded the idea of, ‘Can the Rockets score enough to keep up with the Warriors?’

One of the potential solutions (outside of Sengun’s post play) was Green’s shot creation—but it hasn’t been there.

Winning Game 5 is a huge victory for the Rockets, both literally and figuratively. They have a very young team, and any playoff experience they can get is valuable, especially against the likes of Curry and Jimmy Butler.

But they need a leader moving forward. A guy who can lead them in the postseason, who can carry the load on offense, and who they can trust with the ball in his hands in the final moments of close games.

Based on everything Green has shown in the playoffs so far, including in the Rockets’ blowout Game 5 win, he hasn’t proved that he can be that guy.