The Houston Rockets returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 last season. The young Rockets team showed potential and finished as the third seed in the Western Conference. However, they couldn’t handle their first-round matchup, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors’ experience took over and led them past Houston after seven games.
One of the highlights in their postseason matchup was Jalen Green‘s subpar performance. The 6-foot-4 guard had difficulty in his first playoff series. Throughout seven games, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 37.2% shooting from the field.
Green only had one game where he scored at least 20 points. The second-highest scoring game he had was in Game 6, when he finished with 12 points on 27.3% shooting from the field.
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green gave his honest assessment of the Rockets’ playoff performance. The Golden State Warriors star talked about Green’s performance and how it affected their postseason run.
“Where they struggled was Jalen [Green] had a very tough playoff series,” Green said. “You’d like to think if he had a better playoff series, they win. Who knows? But you’d like to at least think that.”
While all eyes were on Green, the four-time champion pointed out how Jabari Smith Jr. performed well in the series.
“No one gives him credit but I thought Jabari Smith was really good in that series and I thought Jabari Smith worked his way back from almost going the wrong way as the number two pick to like hold on, I can compete at this level.”
Golden State Warriors guard reveals advice he received from Green
NBA players get a chance to change their lives, especially with the amount of money a player can get. Even rookies can earn as much as $12 million in their first year. When Moses Moody entered the league, he was lucky to have Green as one of his mentors.
The Golden State Warriors star helped Moody when it came to managing his earnings.
“It made a lot of sense,” Moody said. “He was saying, ‘The money that you get earlier is more valuable than the money that you get later,’ obviously when you talk about compound interest and investing, so that was some really good insight that he gave me.”
Green also advised Moody, aside from the financial aspect of the league.
“He told me to go to Europe,” Moody said. “Because in America we live to work. In Europe they work to live.”
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
