From 1-3 to 4-3! Quietly striving for the championship and becoming the biggest dark horse in the playoffs. You are really underestimated

NBA playoffs, as the Clippers quietly got out of the first round tiebreak, the only team left was the Warriors. The Warriors and the Rockets had a fierce battle to tiebreak. Butler said when talking about tiebreak: "This is a critical moment, either win or go home. Our confidence has reached the highest point in history and has not wavered." Although Butler has always been a star who is known for his toughness in the playoffs, Curry is not ruthless. He scored 50 points in the tiebreak duel with the Kings two years ago, to be honest, the Rockets this year's playoffs, the Warriors are really hanging, and the more they drag it back, the more they are bad for the Warriors. After all, the G7 is at the Rockets' home court, and the Rockets have many young people and have obvious physical advantages. They are full of vitality in every game, like a group of never-tiring beasts.

Of course, for the Rockets, whether they advanced or not in this round of series, this season has achieved great success. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that the Rockets would be the second in the West in the regular season this year? In fact, the Rockets have been steadily improving in the past two years. In the 22-23 season, they were still one of the most blatant teams in the league. The regular season record was only 22 wins and 60 losses, and the winning rate was only 26.8%. By the time last season, they jumped to the marginal level of the playoffs, with a regular season record of 41 wins and 41 losses, and the winning rate almost doubled. This season, the Rockets have been making great strides and have been ranked among the top three in the Western Conference since the early stage of the season. The final record is 52 wins and 30 losses, with a winning rate of 63.4%, and finally ranked second in the Western Conference. Being able to stand out in the Western Conference where there are many strong people and many heroes compete for dominance also proves that the Rockets do have hard power.

This is due to the correct choices of management and the rapid progress of potential players. Since Harden left, the Rockets have been hovering on the road to reconstruction. At the beginning, they did not rush to rebuild, but let it go, hoping to use the remaining resources to maintain competitiveness. The 21-year Rockets gathered a large number of veteran stars, Oladipo, Cousins, Wall, and the injured old ones, forming a frustrated league. The final result was naturally unsatisfactory and ended in missing the playoffs. In the next two or three years, the Rockets began to train young players, and at the same time did not forget to improve the team's immediate combat effectiveness. By the offseason in the 23rd, the Rockets made a series of incredible decisions, signing Van Jordan with a maximum salary of 130 million US dollars in three years, signing Dillon Brooks with 80 million in four years, signing Langdale with 32 million in four years, and signing Jeff Green with 6 million in one year.

It was the time to train young players, but the Rockets began to lock in the team's salary space and introduce a bunch of veterans who seem to be inexpensive. Van Vleet has been to the All-Star, but can he really deserve the maximum salary? Dillon was abandoned by the Grizzlies when he caused trouble everywhere. At one point no one could ask for it, but he picked up a big contract with the Rockets. Landale and Jeff Green have long been reduced to the level of water dispenser players, and the Rockets are not stingy to include them in their pockets. Looking back now, the Rockets' operations are really awesome. On the one hand, their signings are targeted and directed. In terms of lineup structure, the Rockets can make up for the team's shortcomings in the main point guard, 3D small front, and substitute center, especially the point guard. It is hard for you to imagine what would happen if this Rockets were without Van Jordan now, and the offensive organization is absolutely in chaos.

At the same time, the Rockets tried to establish the correct team culture. Van Jordan and Landale both failed the draft. Dillon entered the league in the second round to tell these young people that the basis for their foothold in the NBA is not based on innate talent, but more on acquired efforts, hard work, competitiveness and tenacity. In addition, Dillon's always evil nature can help the Rockets come in handy in the playoffs. This round of series is just the right correspondence. The Rockets can draw 3-3 from a big score of 1-3 (of course, no matter who wins in the end, the score will definitely be 4-3), which is because the team is unwilling to admit defeat. If they change to a team with poor psychological quality, they have collapsed directly in G5. In addition, the Rockets' entire team's defensive ability is full, and Dillon is the team's defensive model, leading the defense of the opponent's star Curry. Even though Dillon is indeed very active and is merciless in facing Curry, this is a favorable thing for the Rockets.

From 1-3 to 4-3! You are really underestimated to the championship quietly and become the biggest dark horse in the playoffs. This year, it may be difficult for this Rockets to compete with teams of the Thunder and the Celtics, and to truly reach the championship level, but it is certain that the Rockets' future is bright. Shin Kyung has grown into one of the best all-round centers in the league. Amen Thompson is talented, and his athletic ability and defensive oppression have reached the top level in the league. Jaylen Green's position in the team may be weakened, but he can occasionally play the role of a nerve knife, showing explosive scoring power in specific situations. Following old-school defenders like VanVleet and Dillon, Green can also gain a lot of game experience. The Rockets also have a number of potential players such as Smith Jr., Ethan, Shepard, Whitmore.

Go back to the Rockets' "premium" signings in 23, but it actually does not affect Shen Jing, Green and others' renewal. After all, Van Jordan's third-year contract is the team option, Dillon's four-year contract price has been lowered year by year, and Langdale is only guaranteed in the first year. For the Rockets, perhaps they will build a more competitive lineup in the future. The previous rumors of Durant and the Rockets' transactions have caused a lot of controversy. What if KD really comes to the Rockets?