3 aspects to watch for in Houston Rockets preseason opener vs. Pacers

2. Jalen Green off-ball

Jalen Green has displayed the ability to be a prolific scorer through his first two seasons in the league. Green entered himself in the conversation among the league's all-time greats due to his scoring surges and ability to get hot within an instant.

Green would never be mistaken for an efficient bucket-getter, as his efficiency has been below average and in need of significant improvement (53.8 percent true shooting in 2022-23 and 54.2 percent true shooting through his first two seasons). Part of the issue has been the Rockets' lack of a true point guard, as the team was experimenting with Kevin Porter Jr. at the point guard position, which wasn't his natural position.

Porter and Green essentially play the same position, so the Rockets moved Porter to point guard to have them on the court at the same time. But Porter was better as an isolation scorer or as a catch-and-shoot 3-point threat.

In other words, there wasn't any playmaking or shot creation for Green. He was forced to create offense for himself and get buckets on his own, which led to the dip in efficiency.

The addition of Fred VanVleet (and Amen Thompson, to a lesser degree) will change that, as Green will have a formidable shot creator and floor general on the court with him. This means Green will have to learn to thrive off-ball and without the ball in his hands.

Tuesday's preseason game could be a good opportunity for him to showcase this ability.