Rockets prince Jalen Green was caught up in trade rumors last offseason, and he obviously saw those things as well, as he often played social media.
Shams asked Jalen Green in an interview at the time how he felt about it. "I feel like the Rockets trust me, and I think they've shown that a lot of times," Green said. Yes, I've been in the rumors, you never know what's going to happen.
This offseason, Jalen Green still hasn't been able to shake off trade rumors. Jalen Green's name is included in the various simulations given by the United States media for the Rockets trading star. Some fans ridiculed: Are the Rockets going to trade Jalen Green for the whole league?
The Bleachers previously suggested that the Rockets trade Jalen Green. However, it looks like Stone has no plans to trade Jalen Green at the moment, and he has been in excellent form in mini-camp and official training camp. In the group confrontation on the first day of the Rockets' official training camp, Jalen Green was successfully elected MVP.
The Bleachers recently ranked the starting lineups of 30 teams across the league, and the Rockets ranked 19th.
Houston's starting five are Van Jordan, Jalen Green, Dillon, Smith Jr. and Sengun.
The United States outlet said the Rockets could make the playoffs if Jalen Green could play in March.
In March, Jalen Green averaged 27.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, shooting 40.8% from three-point range, while the Rockets went 13-2.
Compared to the starting lineup of the Rockets, many fans are looking forward to the bench lineup. Rockets owner Fertitta openly stated in an interview that the team's roster depth is the best in the league.
The bench bandits of Shepard, Amen, Whitmore, Ethan, and Adams look combative. Some fans even said that the Rockets' starting lineup may not be able to beat the bench lineup.
Shepard doesn't have the athleticism of Jalen Green, and he doesn't steal the show in training camp. Shepard's attitude of taking the initiative to practice made Udoka very satisfied. According to the video leaked on the Internet, Shepard shot 24 of 25 three-point shots in practice, and his shooting fundamentals were quite solid.
As the player with the highest ball intelligence and shooting skills in the bench lineup, Shepard sensed the enthusiasm of the fans and the high expectations of the management and coaching staff.
Shepard became the team's main control player during the summer league and the coaching staff wanted to hone his playmaking skills. Later, the Rockets arranged for Van Jordan to coach Shepard, who said he benefited a lot.
Van Jordan's annual salary for the new season is as high as $42.85 million, which is obviously a premium. The Rockets signed Van Jordan at a high price, partly because the team lacks a starter-level point guard, but also because they want him to coach young players.
Last season, Van Jordan coached Jalen Green, this season he brought Shepard, and next season he may have to say goodbye to Houston. Van Jordan's team option for the 2025-2026 season is as high as $44.89 million, and the Rockets are not expected to exercise it.
Although Van Jordan is only 1.83 meters tall, he is physically strong, and his performance on the defensive end has been affirmed by Udoka. Van Jordan passed on his experience to Shepard. Shepard, who is 1.91m tall in shoes, took on 2.11m Langdale in defensive training and found an opportunity to cut the ball.
The first day of training camp was a group matchup, and Rockets head coach Udoka focused on defense on the second day, and he personally demonstrated it. Udoka asked his players to play aggressively on the defensive end and then take advantage of open shots on the offensive end.