Ime Udoka on Jalen Green's emergence without Alperen Sengun: 'I think they can complement each other very well'

To better contextualize its ending, it’s important to recall how Ignite began. The NBA launched the program in April 2020, with a commitment from top-ranked prospect Jalen Green, now the Rockets’ third-year guard who is spearheading Houston’s late-season playoff bid in the Western Conference. Ignite arrived on the heels of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leading a group investigation into the underworld of college basketball recruiting — a shadow game that also provoked an FBI probe into sneaker company and agency payola connections within numerous major NCAA programs. The NBA, too, watched a pair of highly touted prospects, LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, depart for Australia’s National Basketball League before they would enter the 2020 NBA Draft. -via Yahoo! Sports / March 28, 2024

Enough hugs to go around, high fives, and even a smile from head coach Ime Udoka. The Rockets — players, coaches, team staffers and even the front office and ownership — all convened in the adjacent visitor’s space to revel in the victory. Udoka brought up the most important play of the evening — the drive from Jalen Green which led to a kick-out pass to a Smith corner triple with 21 seconds remaining in regulation. It was a sequence that displayed all of the ingredients Houston had been cooking with during this 10-game run: pace from Amen Thompson, decision-making from Green and trust in Smith even though he had yet to hit an outside shot all night. “It was lit,” Green said postgame. “Everybody was happy, celebrating, screaming. We fought for that one, worked hard. That’s how we should react after a game. We gonna celebrate our wins.” -via The Athletic / March 28, 2024

Justin Kubatko: Jalen Green was 🔥 last night: 37 PTS 10 REB 7 AST 7-11 3P Green has posted seven straight 25-point games, the longest such streak of his career. He’s averaging 33.7 PPG with 53/49/81 shooting splits over that span. Today’s free game notes: statitudes.com/p/nba-game-not… pic.twitter.com/jci3ZuvhXJ -via Twitter @jkubatko / March 28, 2024

Bobby Marks: Notable names that have reached the 65-game criteria, are on pace or ineligible/not on pace: Reached the criteria Jarrett Allen Jayson Tatum Derrick White DeMar DeRozan Coby White Jarrett Allen Nikola Jokic Stephen Curry Pascal Siakam Paul George James Harden Kawhi Leonard Anthony Davis Giannis Antetokounmpo Damian Lillard Rudy Gobert Anthony Edwards Jalen Brunson Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Paolo Banchero Kevin Durant Domantas Sabonis Chet Holmgren On pace Jaylen Brown Jrue Holiday Alex Caruso Luka Doncic Tyrese Haliburton LeBron James Jaren Jackson Jr. Bam Adebayo Zion Williamson Herb Jones Jalen Suggs Tyrese Maxey Devin Booker De’Aaron Fox Victor Wembanyama Off pace/Ineligible Trae Young Kristaps Porzingis LaMelo Ball Zach LaVine Darius Garland Donovan Mitchell Kyrie Irving Draymond Green Ja Morant Jimmy Butler Khris Middleton Karl-Anthony Towns Julius Randle Joel Embiid Bradley Beal Scottie Barnes Lauri Markkanen TBD because of injuries Alperen Sengun Brandon Ingram -via Twitter @BobbyMarks42 / March 27, 2024

Bradeaux: From the Brain Windhorst podcast: “It’s within the realm of possibility that Şengün could return during the #Rockets regular season” 👀 -via Twitter / March 25, 2024

Bradeaux: .@ShamsCharania on Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun: “The #Rockets called the Nets on Mikal Bridges discussing a concept around Jalen Green and multiple 1sts, that was not accepted… It’s a great problem for the #Rockets to have, you have 2 burgeoning stars with Şengün, with Jalen Green… What do you do if you’re the #Rockets moving forward, can these 2 guys co-exist? They haven’t figured it out yet” -via Twitter / March 25, 2024