It had been around forty minutes after the Rockets had fallen to the Suns in a close game, but Cam Whitmore was still in his jersey, sitting at his locker with both feet in an ice bucket.
Despite being involved in his second incident in less than a week with Suns star Devin Booker halfway through the fourth quarter, the feisty youngster was still full of energy and trying to unwind. Jalen Green, a third-year guard, was seated next to him, preparing for the team bus after taking a shower and getting dressed.
Since joining the NBA, Green, who had put up a rather groundbreaking performance that evening with 34 points, has developed a “next game” attitude. Never overstate the highs or give in to the lows. During a talk with Whitmore, Green used his body language and tone to reassure and almost nurture the 19-year-old.
Green said to The Athletic that it is crucial that he support his rookie buddy. Two years ago, I was exactly in his position. I’m in my third year here. I’m beginning to reach the stage where people see me as someone who has been in the league for a while, someone to look up to and learn from. The positive, negative, and ugly. quite significant.
It was not typical for their lockers to be next to one other.
Green’s station in Houston is next to that of seasoned point guard Fred VanVleet, at the far end of the locker room closest to the shower door. Whitmore’s is grouped with Dillon Brooks’ and Tari Eason’s, and is more centered. Even when they’re on the road, Green and Whitmore don’t usually share a locker; that arrangement is deliberate.
However, the Rockets’ absurd post-All-Star break schedule included two straight games versus the Suns, which required spending four days in Phoenix. Whitmore and Green could spend more time together because of this anomaly. Their connection together, both on and off the dance floor, has made their relationship a pleasant surprise.
When Green went to see the Rockets play in summer league in July at the Thomas & Mack Center, it took off. Initially, he had withdrew to the locker room in search of his colleague, second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr., who had made the decision to play in Vegas. However, Green had the chance to see Whitmore for the first time after returning there. Given that both of them play the same position, there could have been some fear or worry. Nothing, however, felt pushed or out of place. It seemed very organic.
Green said, “There was good vibes and good energy.”
Their upbringings are different: Whitmore is an East Coast native from Odenton, Maryland, while Green was up in Fresno, California. However, it’s obvious that they are similar: Young, gifted athletes with explosive energy right out of the gym. It was like witnessing a mirror image for everyone of them.
“It was just pure love,” Whitmore said. “There was an instant connection between us. Because we play basketball as guys in general, there is always chemistry off the court.
Head coach Ime Udoka has toyed with the Green-Whitmore combo on the court, but they haven’t committed to a serious partnership. There is a chance to experiment with the pair given the Rockets’ offensive problems this season—they have been a bottom-10 team for the majority of the campaign and rank 28th in points scored per 100 possessions since the All-Star break. This is especially true given that Houston’s chances of qualifying for the Play-In Tournament are now all but gone. (With only 20 games remaining in the season, the Rockets were six games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 10 spot on Friday.)
“They are two aggressive, attacking wings that complement each other well,” Udoka said. We like seeing what they’re doing together when they’re both rolling on the wings and defending at a greater angle. We looked into it and found two dynamic scorers.
The Rockets’ offensive problems can be attributed to a number of things, including the slow adoption of a new system, insufficient practice time, roster construction, and subpar shooting, but the main issue is that there is a lot of unrealized potential that needs to be explored outside of the VanVleet-Alperen \engün two-man game.
At worst, the Rockets have two players who can score at all three levels—Green and Whitmore—who are in the 99th percentile. Although Houston’s season hasn’t gone as planned, the vitality of both young wings has sometimes had beneficial knock-on consequences. Together, they make up a tandem that can swing games for an offense that is always searching for a spark. Could we play them together more often?
Whitmore said, “We can be the best team in the NBA and have some of the best athletes on the team.” At that height, when two plus two equals four, it ought to be unstoppable in transition. In the long term, it ought should function.
In any case, Whitmore and Green are aware of their potential. Though Green has spoken to Whitmore and fellow rookie Amen Thompson about making the most of their lethal mix of height, speed, power, and skill, particularly in the open court, the subject is not one that often comes up in discussion. Even with a starting lineup that includes players who aren’t very quick, Udoka has advocated for a faster pace. The Rockets have the fourth-most possessions per night in the NBA with 102.7 since the All-Star break.
The Rockets should run more, according to the analytics, even if pace isn’t a catch-all measure and coaches perceive it differently. Udoka, for example, considers not just how rapidly his team moves up the floor but also how quickly it sets and acts in halfcourt situations. Houston ranks 15th in terms of points per possession and 23rd in terms of transition frequency in such scenarios, according to Cleaning the Glass. They convert thefts from their aggressive defense into transition chances at the third-highest rate in the league, scoring 1.6 points per possession on these plays, which is ninth-best in the league.
The Rockets also need to improve in other aspects of their offensive profile. InPredictable shows that they rank merely 18th and 24th, respectively, in terms of scoring efficiency off live rebounds and made shots. If nothing else, playing Green and Whitmore together more often should be planned in order to gather more information before the regular season ends. If their skill sets were duplicated and resulted in ineffective offense, that would be one thing, but so far, the opposite has happened. When both Green and Whitmore are on the court, the Rockets outscore opponents by an average of 7.3 points per 100 possessions in 183 minutes. It provokes thought.
It’s difficult enough to put a body in front of one of these athletes on the half court. Attempt that when one is sprinting at you on the open floor. Try both of them simultaneously now. Running is a strength of both Green and Whitmore’s and may be hard to stop on the back foot, which is why they both advocate for it so much.
Having a variety of athletic skills allows you to take advantage of favorable circumstances in different ways. Not everything has to come to an abrupt end. Green is wiry and slithery, while Whitmore is strong and powerful. When employed correctly, their combination of traits causes defenders a great deal of trouble. Both are able to reliably close out plays.
We’re thought to be the most athletic squad in the league, and you got us on the team,” Green said. Sprinting, leaping, and similar activities. Many teams thus find it difficult to keep up with that while we’re out there. We just take use of our advantages when we can by rebounding, playing defense, and drawing stops, at which point we leave the game.
Green and Whitmore can be just as productive in the half court by using their skill sets, despite how lethal they can be in transition. Green is a passable ball handler who has made significant progress in his ability to read the ball while it is in his hands. This kind of possession makes full advantage of Whitmore’s space, Green’s gravity, and, in situations such as these, enhanced decision-making. In addition, when the ball is in their hands, the two young wings are combining for a clean 3.14 assist-to-turnover ratio. VanVleet ought to ruin this appearance.
“I’m going to drive or drive-and-kick if I’m on the wing,” said Green. “You have to respect Whitmore’s shot and go out there because he’s a crazy shooter.” You really can’t put too much pressure on him.
The simplest and most obvious method for both wings to play together more often under Udoka is to increase their defensive effect rather than try to score goals. Udoka loves to move Whitmore around the floor and match him up with power forwards and small forwards because of his stature. Green’s size limits the range of places he can fairly defend, but when he’s totally committed on that end of the floor, he may exploit certain circumstances because to his speed and verticality. According to NBA.com tracking statistics, Green and Whitmore have combined for a scorching plus-28.3 and a stingy defensive rating of 101.1 in 41 minutes since play began. It is hard to disregard such kind of information, particularly in light of the coach’s affinity for defensive rigor and the system’s advancements from the previous year.
They are two of our top wing scorers, so if the scoring is there, Udoka said, “the main thing which has been the case with them has been the defensive intensity and focus.” They provide distinct skill sets when they’re focused and doing effectively. With his bulk, Cam is able to mimic some of Dillon’s (Brooks) abilities. Their scoring is an extra benefit if Jalen is focused in on both his opponent and the help side and is in the right rotations. really trying to assist them in strengthening their defense so they won’t be pigeonholed as offensive specialists.”
Of course, there’s always room for progress in any youthful partnership. Though they haven’t played together as often as other young perimeter duos in the NBA, Green and Whitmore are far from polished players, and as a result, their defensive effort may decline and some of their offensive possessions may become clumsy.
Here at the assigned set, see Whitmore and Green expressing uncertainty and then switching back to a VanVleet-\engün action after seeking explanation from Udoka.
However, the Green-Whitmore duo feels that they should have more time on the court together. Whitmore attributes his ability to work through reads that transfer to game action to the quantity of repetitions he receives with the coaching staff and the one-on-five sessions. In a similar vein, Green has lately reduced his style, which has helped him develop personally. Thoughts of a Green-Whitmore duo on the wings may not have been as high as they were with all the adjustments the Rockets underwent this past summer. Development doesn’t often follow a straight upward line. However, they are aware of the potential it has; others are as well.
The Athletic was informed by Clippers head coach Ty Lue, “T-Mac and Vince Carter when they got to Toronto.” It makes me think about those two people a lot. Two really athletic men who are able to work out how to play together. They are kind of the same pair here in Houston.
Whitmore and Green are also able to view it.
Whitmore said, “There is chemistry.” We are closer because of the things that happen off the court. Once you have it, it shows up on the basketball floor.
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