Training camp is coming! TA reporter talks about the core issue of the Rockets: Still over-the-season? Are the twin towers really reliable?

(The original article was published on September 10, and the author is William Guillory of The Athletic website. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

After Kevin Durant joined this summer, the Rockets became the most eye-catching team in the NBA. Just a few weeks before the opening of the training camp, the Rockets have set out to blend one of the greatest scorers in league history with a young talented roster that won 52 wins in the competitive Western Conference last season.

The championship hopes to come to Houston again, and the road to the peak is accompanied by a series of challenges. This team must dynamically adjust the team's characteristics while overcoming many difficulties one by one. The following are several core issues facing the Rockets when they return to the court:

1. Can the Rockets solve the space problem of half-court offense?

Although Jaylen Green and Dillon Brooks both played a key role in the Rockets' jump to second place in the West last season, it was obviously wise to give up on them when the deal pays off was a player of Durant's level. The decision became easier after Jaylen Green struggled in the first round series against the Warriors, which also confirmed that the Rockets needed a reliable half-time scorer at critical moments.

Durant is fully capable of doing this role. He has proven his playing style with the Warriors, Nets and Suns before, and his playing style is extremely adaptable and can be an efficient high-level scorer in almost any environment. However, the derivative impact of replacing Jaylen Green and Dillon Brooks with Durant is that the Rockets must implement half-field tactics more deliberately, rather than relying too much on speed and athleticism. This will benefit the team in the playoffs, but it is inevitable to experience the pain of growth during the running-in process.

One of the biggest challenges that Rockets coach Uduka needs to deal with is to continue to form a lineup that can effectively open up space for Durant and All-Star center Shin Kyung. Amen Thompson, Ethan and Adams are key components of the Rockets’ championship puzzle, but how will they deal with it when opponents force them to take more responsibility on the offensive end? Will players such as Van Vreett, Finney Smith and Shepard play more important roles because of their ability to catch and shoot?

Coach Wuduka must carefully weigh two strategies: one is to take advantage of the physical dislocation advantages created by the team, and the other is to send a lineup that can efficiently organize the offense.

2. When will Durant sign the renewal agreement?

This has not been the focus yet, as all signs indicate that Durant will sign some form of contract renewal in the coming weeks, thus binding the Rockets for a foreseeable time in the future. But as of Wednesday, the 36-year-old star had only one year left in his current contract, worth about $54.7 million.

It is generally believed in the NBA that the Rockets are prioritizing Ethan, who has the same one year left in the contract, and then sign Durant's new contract. Once the two complete the contract renewal, the Rockets will have a clearer plan for the future salary structure of the existing core lineup.

The current suspense about Durant's contract prospects is not whether to renew the contract with the Rockets, but when to renew it - more importantly, how long will the contract last?

Durant will turn 37 on September 29. Although he still maintains an All-Star level after 18 years of the league's battle, it is understandable if he hopes to seek a stable home in the last few years of his career. He may also tend to remain open in order to have a chance to have a final championship sprint elsewhere. As always, Durant's future remains uncertain.

In any case, the Rockets will do their best to avoid Durant becoming a full free agent next summer. The beauty of the Rockets' marriage with Durant is that the Rockets not only have the strength to compete for the highest honor at the moment, but also retains enough young talented players. As these young people grow, the team will remain competitive in the future, and the only suspense is to what extent Durant will participate in this future.

3. Is the Rockets over-staffed?

Teams that have won superstars through trading in recent years often have to bear the cost of damage to the depth of the lineup, and completing blockbuster transactions usually has to sacrifice high-quality assets. In most cases, the price of acquiring a star is often the young players and the depth of the lineup. While completing the Durant trade, the Rockets not only retained most of the young geniuses, but also maintained the deep that the lineup was urgently needed. They have nearly saved all the first-round picks selected in recent years except Jaylen Green, while freeing up enough capacities to fill the roster with reliable role players. Many people had thought that to get Durant, shepherd, Ethan, Jabbarry Smith, and even Shinkin would have to send players such as Durant, but the Rockets kept them all, including Cameron Whitmore, who was later sent to the Wizards for several second-round picks.

Although coach Uduka will be excited about having so much talent available, it is never easy to allocate playing time among these players who are enough to serve as a major rotation on a good team. Almost every position combination sent by Uduka requires a difficult choice. The

back line may be the easiest position to sort out, but Van Vreet, Shepard and Aaron Holiday are all quality players worthy of playing time. As the 2024 draft, Shepard has limited roles in the rookie season, and the team also has expectations of giving him more opportunities to perform.

The inside line will form a deep lineup, and Shin Kyung and Adams will join hands with veteran Capela, who signed a three-year, $21.5 million contract this summer. Shin Kyung and Adams occupied most of the center position last season, but Capela obviously wouldn't be willing to sit on the bench all season. The same is true for Finney Smith, who joins the Rockets on a four-year, $53 million contract this summer, will form a dynamic forward group with Durant, Amen Thompson, Ethan and Jabbarry Smith Jr.

I think there is no way for coach Uduka to line up a rotation lineup with three point guards, three centers and six forward players. He has to determine the most suitable combination…or the Rockets will likely need to bring in another big-name player through a consolidated deal to consolidate the core rotation.

4. Is the double tower tactic really reliable?

Although the Rockets' most prominent figure in the first round of the playoffs this year was lack of experience and lack of execution in key rounds, coach Uduka also injected an interesting change of formation.

After a limited trial in the regular season, the Rockets fully activated Shinkyung and Adams' double tower lineup against the smaller Warriors and dominated the rebounding line in a (basically close) seven-game series. Shin Kyung and Adams made a 93-minute appearance in this round of series, and scored 32 points during the period. Their size and strength have always been a nightmare for the short Warriors, and Adams' presence allows Shin Kyung to be the creator of scoring opportunities more calmly when entering the position war.

Is this a flash in the pan, or is it the start of a new strategy that the Rockets can continue to rely on in the regular season? How will Capela fit into these two-tower lineups? What impact will Durant have if he has more time to partner with two big men? How will Amen Thompson play in the Twin Towers lineup? What if it is clearly shown that Shin Kyung is more suitable for the role of power forward?

Last season, the Rockets spent a lot of effort under the leadership of coach Uduka to build the traits of a tenacious team. Despite recalling many familiar faces, the team still seems to have to work a lot to determine their positioning and prepare for the best tactical choice when the playoffs come.

Original text: William Guillory

Compiled by: Li Taibai