KD brings qualitative change! The Rockets create a top-end forward group support, and is it still a favorite to compete for the championship without backcourt depth?

The new season is 25 days in the countdown. Looking back on last season, the Rockets are definitely one of the most surprising teams in the regular season.

Udu has an iron fist to control the army. The Rockets not only return to the playoffs since 2020, but also won 52 wins and 30 losses and ranked second in the West!

You should know that the Rockets ranked 11th in the Western Conference with 41 wins and 41 losses in the 2023-24 season, and ranked 14th in the Western Conference with 22 wins and 60 losses in the 2022-23 season - 22 wins, 41 wins and 52 wins. It is no exaggeration to say that Uduka only took two seasons to rebuild a team and trained a team to the Western Conference powerhouse.

Defense is the foundation of the Rockets' rise. When Silas coached the Rockets in the last season, the team's defensive efficiency ranked 29th in the league. Uduka transplanted the Celtics' successful unlimited defense replacement system to the Rockets youth team, with significant results: in the 2023-24 season, the Rockets' defensive efficiency ranked 9th in the league; last season, the Rockets' defensive efficiency ranked 4th in the league!

In addition to defense, depth is another important reason for the Rockets' success last season.

In the regular season, the Rockets had seven players, Green, Shin Kyung, Van Vreet, Amen, Dillon, Smith and Ethan, and 12 players played in at least 50 regular season games. Although the Rockets have no superstars, they win because they play. In addition, Udu Kass is well-trained, and a young army with defense-oriented, solid lineup and strict discipline has risen rapidly in the West.

Rockets lost to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. The Warriors scored in the first quarter at 18 points in the first three games of the series, but the difficulty lies in their own strong defense and weak offense. Jaylen Green, the scoring champion in the regular season team, averaged only 13.3 points per game in the series, and the Rockets lost to the experienced Golden State Warriors in the final tiebreak.

Defense and thickness were the two major advantages of the Rockets last season. The fatal problem of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs is undoubtedly the superstar who has no final say, which also pointed out the direction for the Rockets' offseason signing work.

Jaylen Green lost his net worth in his first playoff journey in his career, and he began to execute a three-year, $106 million contract next season, which has become a negative asset. When the Rockets have the chance to upgrade Jaylen Green to Durant, I believe no one will miss it.

Jaylen Green averaged 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in the regular season last season, shooting percentage of 42.3%, shooting percentage of 35.4% of three-pointers per game, and shooting 2.9 three-pointers per game! As a 23-year-old young man, this performance is remarkable.

But in the playoffs, Jaylen Green only scored 38 points in G2 and played the only good goal in the series. G1 made 3 of 15 shots and scored only 7 points, G3, G4, and G7 scored in single digits, G5 and G6 scored 11 points and 12 points respectively - averaging 13.3 points, shooting percentage of 37.2%, and three-point shooting percentage of 29.5%, which is completely different from the regular season performance.

The Rockets, the second in the Western Conference last season, were in a period of rapid growth, and there was no time to wait for Jaylen Green to grow and try and error. The management packaged Jaylen Green + Dillon + No. 10 of the 25th picks + 5 second round picks from the Suns!

Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks last season, shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from three-pointers - as a 36-year-old veteran, you can't ask him for more.

Jaylen Green was upgraded to Durant, directly solving the key ball that plagued the Rockets last season and just handing the ball to Death at the last moment. This transaction has allowed the Rockets system to undergo a qualitative change, and it can be said to have taken off on the spot! The Rockets introduced Durant only fired the first shot to strengthen the market. General Manager Stone can be called the MVP of the free market this summer.

The Rockets used 53 million years to dig 3D forward Finney Smith from the Lakers. He can make up for the vacancy of Dillon after the wing lock on the team. Jaylen Green + Dillon → Durant + electric fan, which makes a real reinforcement.

The Rockets also gave Jabbarry Smith a five-year, $122 million in advance to renew his contract. The 211-centimeter high forward line can not only switch to multiple positions, but also have the ability to shoot mid-range and long-distance jump shots, and can play a guest appearance as a small lineup center. Whether the Rockets are in a large lineup or a small lineup, Smith is an important part of it.

Durant + electric fan + Smith + Amen + Ethan, these five are undoubtedly the strongest forward group in the league in the new season, and the "Death Five Fronts" ensures the Rockets' top forward depth.

The Rockets also renewed Adams with 39 million in three years, and signed 21.5 million in three years, and then exchanged them for the old player Capela from the Hawks. The three centers of Aquaman + Capela + Shen Jing were in charge, and the thickness and size of the inside line were full of the inside line. The inside rotation was rich.

The Rockets created a top forward group and a luxurious interior tower during the offseason. Their strength was a huge improvement over the previous season, and they became the first championship team in the new season.

The Rockets also renewed their contracts with Van Vritte, Tate, Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday, signed 3D wing Okogie in one year for 3.1 million yuan, and built a 14-man rotation in-depth lineup, aiming at the championship in the new season.

Defense is the root of the Rockets. Although Dillon has lost, there are many defenders on the lineup, Amen, Electric Fan, Okogie, Ethan, Aquaman, Capela, Durant and Smith. The goalkeeper combination + Aquaman + Smith is the basic set of the Rockets' defense. Now, Capela, Durant and Okogie have also been added to the defensive end. The Rockets' defensive ability is even stronger than last season.

The Rockets' inside and forward line are both top-notch, and the backcourt is relatively ordinary. The four backcourt rotations of Van Vritte + Aaron Holiday + Shepard + Okogie (193 cm) are theoretically sufficient, but with the ACL tearing and reimbursing of the season, the Rockets lost their most reliable starting No. 1 candidate - the depth of the backcourt rotation is not enough in the playoffs, and now it is even worse..

Fortunately, the Rockets have Shepard as an alternative to No. 1 position. As Tanhualang last year, he averaged only 12.6 minutes per game in regular season last season, and only played 3.3 minutes per game in garbage time per game in playoffs, not in the Rockets' regular rotation. It can be predicted that before the Rockets resolve the starting No. 1 candidate through trade/signing, Shepard's playing time will increase significantly. Whether he can seize the opportunity is crucial to the Rockets' performance in the first half of the regular season.

Tanhualang Shepard is not bad at all talent, and he still has three years of rookie contract bonuses to take advantage. At the very least, he will play a rotation role as a substitute point guard, which is obviously what the Rockets management hopes.

The Rockets can still use 13-man rotation when they lose Van Vreet early. Their defensive efficiency was fourth in the league last season, and the key goal was also a hard solution. Durant can finalize the starting point guard candidate for the playoffs by the trade deadline in February next year. There are three inside mountains and top-supported forward teams to support the bottom. The Rockets truly ranked among the first echelon in the new season's championship with their lineup thickness!