Housing Storm! The four giants in the Rockets challenge the Thunder Throne

Before the smoke of the free market opening, Rockets general manager Stone ignited Houston's midsummer with two heavy punches: 53 million in four years and 53 million in four years and welcomed old player Capela back for 21.5 million in three years. ESPN data analysis expert Kevin Pelton gave a sharp comment: This crazy Rockets have become the number one rival of the defending champion Thunder in the new season!

This offseason, Houston's trading is at the textbook level. Coach Uduka received a high salary renewal, with backbone such as Adams and Van Freit staying in the team, and Jabbarry Smith Jr. renewing the contract in advance. The most important thing is undoubtedly Durant’s airborne Houston, Finney Smith seamlessly replaces Dillon Brooks, who left the team, and Capela builds a solid barrier for the No. 5 position, supplemented by budget-conscious role players signing. The Rockets' top talent has completed a leap, and the lineup is even more profound.

Such a busy and efficient summer makes people look back to the starting point of the Rockets' takeoff in 2017. When Paul joined, Tucker invested with the exception of middle class. Similar to Tucker, Finney Smith is also a top 3D puzzle with rich experience. Will history repeat itself? The Rockets management obviously hopes to replicate the success trajectory. Although Finney Smith is slightly inferior to Dillon in defensive flexibility - the latter was even able to switch to Vanbanyama and Alexander last season, the Rockets have a perfect solution. Amen Thompson, the new best defensive first-team member, can be called the outside gate and will effectively share the defensive pressure of Finney Smith. On the offensive end, Finney Smith and Durant are far more adaptable than Dillon. When the four major ball holding points Durant, Amen, Shin Kyung and Van Vreet are on the court at the same time, the fifth man only needs to make accurate shots to open up the space. In the past six seasons, Finney Smith's three-point shooting percentage has remained stable at 38%, and last season it has climbed to 41%, and his career shooting history (38%) is significantly better than Dillon (35.5%). The most terrifying thing about the Rockets is that Durant’s superstar effect does not come at the expense of depth. They retained the confidence to deal with Durant's regular season rest, and the team's overall combat power is still strong. When the Thunder overlooked the league as the defending champion, the Rockets had quietly built an armament that could shake the throne.

Stone has Durant as the core and is supplemented by precise supporting role signing, and the Rockets' ambitions for the new season are already obvious. This brand new team is not only aiming to disrupt the situation, but also aims at the O'Brien Cup. The Western Conference is on the rise again, and the Rockets' roar is spreading from Houston to the entire league.