The Houston Rockets’ 2025 playoff run was supposed to mark the start of a new era in H-Town. Instead, the series is teetering on the edge, with the Rockets down 3-1 after dropping Game 4 to Golden State in San Francisco, 109-106, with their hopes hanging by a thread. Alperen Şengün is doing his part, while Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet have barely shown up.
What has happened to Jalen Green?
Jalen Green is the Rockets’ wild card, for better or worse. Some nights, he looks like a future All-Star. On other nights, he looks lost. And in this series, those other nights have been far more common. That’s not just harsh commentary; it’s the fact of the matter.
Game 2 was his personal highlight reel, scoring 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting, draining 8-of-18 from deep. Houston ran their offense through Green, and he delivered, punishing Golden State by slashing to the rim and hitting deep threes. Green was the reason the Rockets got that game at home.
But that’s the outlier, not the standard. In Game 1, Green posted a 7-point performance on a nasty 3-of-15 clip, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. Game 3 wasn’t much better, and Game 4 saw him put up just 8 points. This series has been rough for Green, and it doesn’t help that if he isn’t scoring, he’s pretty much rendered useless to Houston.
The numbers aren’t pretty
Let’s get specific. Through four games against Golden State, Green’s averages have cratered to 15.5 points per game—well below his regular season number. He’s shooting just over 34 percent from the floor in losses and has a 44.4 percent three-point mark in his big outing, but that number plummets to 14 percent in defeat.
It’s feast or famine. Green’s best game was phenomenal but at his worst, he’s been horrendous shooting the ball. The supporting numbers tell the same story, a handful of rebounds and assists, but not enough to offset missing so many buckets. For a guy who’s supposed to be the scoring engine, that’s a problem the Rockets can’t afford.
Golden State is forcing Green into a lot of tough shots. The Warriors are blitzing him off screens, crowding his space, and daring him to make the extra pass. Every time he tries to force a shot through double coverage, it frequently results in a turnover or a brick.
If Green wants to get back on track, he must pick his spots. That means smarter shot selection and letting the flow of the game come to him. Green needs to trust his teammates, swing the ball, and attack closeouts instead of charging into traps. Keeping his composure is the only way to keep Houston’s season alive.
Fred VanVleet has not been the calming force Houston needs him to be
Fred VanVleet was brought in to settle the young Rockets, give them poise and hit big shots. He’s done some of that, just not often enough in the first round against Golden State.
Game 4 highlighted his shooting range with 8 made threes, keeping Houston in it. But let’s not ignore the turnovers and cold stretches. In Game 1, VanVleet shot 4-of-19, bricking key shots as the Rockets fell apart late. VanVleet’s game 4 performance of 25 points was courageous but not enough to come out on top in the end. But other than this game it’s been a lot more down than up for VanVleet in this series.
VanVleet’s playoff stat line has been a mixed bag. He was impressive from three-point range in game 4 (over 66 percent) but the first three games of the series were downright disgraceful (under 21 percent). Costly turnovers have helped to shift the momentum for the Warriors on multiple occasions. The numbers don’t lie. When VanVleet protects the ball and finds his shot, Houston competes. When he doesn’t, it’s tough for them to hang with Golden State.
He’s supposed to anchor the backcourt. Instead, his shaky moments have let the Warriors rattle the Rockets and snatch momentum at the worst times. VanVleet is the one guy on this roster with a championship ring. These young guys look to him for calm in the storm. But so far, he’s mirrored their nerves instead of settling them more often than not.
If the Rockets want a shot at a miracle comeback, VanVleet has to step into the leadership role he’s being paid for. He needs to hit big shots, run the offense, and stop the bleeding when the Warriors go on their inevitable runs. No more hiding behind an occasional hot shooting night, this team needs his voice and his presence every possession.