Former NBA player makes Kobe Bryant comparison for Houston Rockets star, who had a terrible series against the Houston Rockets.
The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors‘ first-round series went down to the wire, with the contest taking seven games to reach its conclusion.
However, many will argue that the series should have never been extended to seven games, let alone the Warriors coming out on top. After all, the Rockets were the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
A key reason behind the Rockets’ demise was the underwhelming performance of fourth-year guard Jalen Green. Many are even urging the Rockets to part ways with the 23-year-old in the offseason.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesLou Williams defends Jalen Green with Kobe Bryant’s example
There is no doubt that Green struggled to get going throughout the series, including the crucial Game 7 matchup between the two sides.
After all, Green was restricted to just 8 points on an underwhelming 3-of-8 shooting display. Despite the poor performance, former NBA player Lou Williams wants fans to be patient with Green.
Williams cited the example of a young Kobe Bryant and how the Los Angeles Lakers‘ patience ultimately helped the franchise win five NBA Championships over a span of 20 years.
“I’ve heard the talks about them moving him. The only way you consider moving a guy like Jalen Green is if you have a real chance at getting a Ja Morant or a Kevin Durant or one of these guys what are obvious franchise-changers.
“Other than that, you stay put. You hold your cards where you are. You have a nice young nucleus. Granted, he did struggle in these playoffs, but it was his first introduction,” Williams said.
He added: “You know, imagine if the Lakers turned their backs on Kobe when he played how he played against the Utah Jazz when he was such a young player.”
While Bryant is often viewed as one of the best playoff performers of all time, he had a terrible outing during the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals vs the Utah Jazz.
The Mamba infamously had four airballs in a span of just five minutes. Today, however, fans remember his other achievements more fondly than his terrible introduction to the world in the postseason.
“Imagine if the Lakers turned their back on Kobe when he played how he played against the Utah Jazz when he was such a young player…there’s not a lot of Jalen Green’s laying around.”@TeamLou23 says the Rockets should NOT trade Green…unless it’s for KD or Ja Morant 👀 pic.twitter.com/zaVmWSwmHN
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) May 5, 2025
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Jalen Green’s numbers vs Golden State Warriors
Despite enjoying a good spell in the regular season, averaging 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, Green never got off in the playoffs.
Sure, he played and started in all seven games of the series, but Green’s performances did more harm than good to the Rockets.
The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft put up just 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in the opening round.
However, the biggest complaint that fans had about his game was his terrible shooting. Green shot just 37.2% from the field and a terrible 29.5% from the three-point line.