Revealing the Rockets' plans for this summer: Cultivating Amen into a peak powerhouse cautiously pursuing the four stars

On May 1, Beijing time, ESPN's McMahon wrote an article revealing the Rockets' offseason plans, returning to the playoffs, making them more convinced that the team needs a superstar, in addition, about the development of several young people in the team, executives will also give different attitudes through evaluation, such as Amen Thompson is already a clear non-sale, and some people may be ready to leave.

Jalen Green admits he's not quite ready for the playoffs. For Green, the spotlight shines brighter than ever in the series opener against the Warriors at the Toyota Center. The opponent has several future Hall of Famers who have a strong record in the playoffs. And this is the playoff debut of Green and several other young cores of the Rockets. Since trading Harden for a painful rebuild, the Rockets are finally starting to reap the rewards.

"The pitch looked huge," Green said a few days later, "and I couldn't find a rhythm and my legs were shaking." The nervousness was evident in the 23-year-old's character, which also led to his poor performance in the game. In G1, where the Rockets lost 85-95, he scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting. This playoff debut reinforces the league's widespread belief that the Rockets, the No. 2 seed in the West, are still one step away from becoming true championship contenders.

"They were wrong," Green said with 38 points in Game 2 to help the Rockets win, showing the potential of the 2021 top pick, "At the end of the day, I'm going to give it my all." The fourth quarter will be in my hands and we're going to make a difference. ”

However, the series didn't go his way. In the two losses in San Francisco, Green again scored without a double-double, and in the decisive moment of the fourth game, he had to sit on the sidelines. In the final seconds of the game, Shen Jing chased his dream in a single game and failed to hit the key ball. A tough question remains: How do the Rockets get the elite offensive core that all the top teams need?

The Rockets once hoped that this key player could be born from their home-grown roster.

"We don't set a cap for players," general manager Rafael Stone told ESPN. butThe alternative is to use some of the team's patiently accumulated assets over the past five years to accelerate the championship race through a blockbuster trade.

Green is the Rockets' leading scorer and one of the "potential stocks" that Stone calls the Rockets have high hopes for, and the team expects him to grow into an All-Star who can lead the team to a championship. Technically well-rounded center Shin Kyung, 22, was named an All-Star for the first time this season. Amen Thompson, the 22-year-old No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft, has grown into a defensive slug and is starting to make his mark on the offensive end.Rockets management believes this year's No. 3 pick, guard Shepard, may be the team's most talented offensive player, despite not yet establishing himself in the rotation as a rookie.

"There's a lot of consensus about the current roster and what we want to see these young players grow," Rockets head coach Udoka recently told ESPN, "When you have so many high-pick picks, it's natural to see which players come out on top." When I took over the job, I knew that we had to work hard to develop these young people and see what we could achieve. I think they've all shown growth and potential. The next step is to find out who will be our stable leader. ”

"Therefore,Bringing in a star to speed up the process by trading in now is somewhat contrary to what we originally envisioned。 That's our philosophy, and I think this year's playoffs will give us a much clearer picture of the team and allow the players to work out in different high-pressure situations and see how they react. ”

An evaluation of the Rockets' young stars in their first playoff game will be an important part of the team's internal discussions. While a blockbuster trade could mean the Rockets are giving up some of their young players, butThe Rockets have made it clear to other team management that Amen Thompson is not for sale.

"I'm a firm believer that at their age, multiple players on the team have the potential to be at the heart of a championship team," Patrick Fertitta, the 30-year-old son of owner Tillman Fertitta, told ESPN at the end of the regular season.That being said, if a top star enters the trade market, it would be remiss for us not to conduct a thorough assessment.”

Udoka's Rockets are tough and physical, ranking first in the league in rebounding percentage and fifth in defensive efficiency, making up for deficiencies on the offensive end. But there is a ceiling to this style in the absence of a superstar.

"We know thatIn the playoffs, sometimes a game is won or lost depending on whether an unguarded player finishes the game in the final five minutesVan Vleet told ESPN, "and we have everything else." I don't think anyone can be the savior who will save us, but the key is, in the final five minutes of the playoff series, do you have a player you can trust to win for your team in the most crucial moments? ”

"I think if we had players like that, the call for the title would be higher. Of course, you don't have a superstar to make it in the playoffs, but it's tougher and there's less room for error. ”

VanVleet hasn't proven himself to be such a player, but he's a great leader who will play a big role in the Rockets' future whether the team exercises his $44.9 million team option next season or signs him to a long-term contract. He also agrees with Udoka and the management that there are players in the squad who have the potential to become superstars.

In fact, in the Rockets' brand-new training hall, the team's young players are often compared to the league's top stars.

For example, it has been pointed out that Jalen Green's career stats are similar to Suns star Booker's first four seasons, even though Booker is already a top scorer at his age, even if his team has a poor record at the time。 The current suspicion about Green is that his performance is inconsistent and his efficiency needs to be improved, but Booker's experience proves that as a prolific shooting guard, he can improve in these areas as he gets older.

"I think it's hard to find another scoring guard with the potential of Jalen Green," VanVleet said, "and maybe Edwards of the Timberwolves is one." I don't know, is Booker more talented than Green, or is he more technically well-rounded, more mature, and more experienced, just because he's older? I don't know how high Green is going to be at 26, 27 or 28 after so many playoff games. That's where his potential lies, and it's a lot of anticipation. He's so talented, there's no reason why he can't be at that level, he just needs to go through it and grow through his failures. ”

The 22-year-old Shin Kyung's stats are similar to those of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic at the same age, however,Scouts and executives at other teams believe that among the league's scoring prowess, pass-aware interior players, Shin Kyung is a better fit to compare three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.

"His highlights are remarkable, his mistakes are just as noticeable, and his successes are even more radiant," Van Vleet said of Shin Kyung-do, "and once he can play more consistently, I believe his potential and level will continue to improve." ”

Rocket management can't help but wonder if Amen Thompson, who is 2.01 meters tall and is still polishing his jumper, can reach the height of Russell Westbrook in his prime。 At the moment, the Rockets have not fully handed over the offensive playmaking to Thompson, but the possibility has not been ruled out in the future.

In the final moments of the game against defending champions Celtics on January 28, Udoka chose to trust Thompson. Thompson singled All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, creating space in the box and hitting a winning throw to help his team win with 33 points.

"He's grown into a great NBA player," Stone said, "and he's definitely going to be better next year than he was this year, and he's going to continue to improve for the foreseeable future." He's a great kid, hard at training and with a smart mind. He did what we asked him to do, and it was done quickly and easily, sometimes surprisingly. ”

Shepard is sometimes compared to Hall of Fame point guard Nash, the latter also rarely played in his rookie years. Shepard, who is 1.88m tall, still has a long way to go before he can adapt to the pace of the NBA game, especially in a highly competitive team. But the Rockets remain bullish on his potential to grow into a star.

"I think Reed [Shepard] is a very talented player," Stone said, "and there are very few people who shoot as accurately as he does, and very few people who pass the ball as well as he does, and more importantly, he understands offensive tactics so well." This is not a skill that can be easily taught, at least not at his level. We believe he has a chance to be a special player. ”

Once the Rockets' season is over, team management will have a better idea of how far the team is from a true championship contender. This will influence management's decisions in the offseason, but the Rockets won't take anything lightly that could shorten the team's championship cycle.

"This alliance and this cause is full of emotional swings," Patrick Fertitta said, "and there is the joy of victory, but also the pain of defeat." It's important not to make major adjustments, even subtle ones, based on emotions alone. ”

Rockets management, including Stone, Udoka and Patrick Fertitta, wants to give the young team a chance to grow together. Still, it is expected that there will be at least a discussion within the team this summer about potential stars in the trade market. Here are four stars who could pique the Rockets' interest –

Considering the cost of the transaction and renewal, he is about to turn 37 years oldKevin DurantIs it a good fit for the Rockets? If 30 years oldBrother AlphabetEventually applying to leave Milwaukee, how aggressive will the Rockets be in pursuing him? What about the young stars who are more in tune with the Rockets' development pace?Zion WilliamsonIs the huge potential worth the risk? IfJa MorantWhat about entering the trading market?

"It's a very high bar to get a deal that changes the game," Stone stressed to ESPN, adding that he is confident in the growth of the team's young players and believes they can drive the Rockets' continued improvement.

In the 2020 offseason, Harden, the longtime core of the Rockets, asked for a trade, when Patrick Fertitta, who is a Rockets executive, anonymously told ESPN thatTeam "willing to wait in the throes of rebuilding"。 Today, he is proud of that statement.

This quote exemplifies the patience of the Rockets over the past five years. At the time, the phrase specifically referred to the Rockets' calm in trade negotiations when dealing with Harden's strong desire to leave, believing that the chips gained through the trade could ultimately create an opportunity for the team to challenge for another championship.Rockets management decided to trade a large number of first-round picks from the Nets and drop the 76ers' offer to center then-All-Star guard Ben Simmons at the core. This decision was criticized at the time, but it seems to have worked out very well today.

Patrick Fertitta and Stone had to convince billionaire Tillman Fertitta that the most realistic way for the Rockets to get back into contention for a championship. When Tillman Fertitta bought the Rockets, the team was still in the top ranks of the NBA. Over the next three seasons, the Houston team won just 59 games, and Patrick and Stone had to persuade Tillman to stick to the rebuilding plan from time to time.

Nearly five years later, the Rockets' roster benefited directly or indirectly from the Harden trade. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Thompson were all drafted with high draft picks during the three seasons when the team had a poor record. Like Smith, Tari Eason is a highly regarded defensive role player, and he and Shepard were drafted with draft picks from the Nets.

Last summer, in another trade, the Rockets returned the Nets' first-round picks for the next two years in exchange for more picks. As a result, the Rockets have the Suns' 2025, 2027, and 2029 first-round picks, as well as the Mavericks' 2029 first-round picks, as well as a 2027 first-round pick swap with the Nets.

If the Rockets choose to chase a superstar this summer, those assets will be their bargaining chips in trade negotiations. Regardless of the outcome of the playoffs, though, this is far from a foregone conclusion.

"As exciting as it feels like the team is getting closer to success, it's important to maintain the patience that got us to where we got to where we got to and make sure we make decisions not just with the present but also with the future," said Patrick Fertitta, "because we must not sacrifice the long-term for short-term gains."If there is a great opportunity to make a big difference in the team, we will carefully evaluate whether it is the right choice。”

"But ideally, we want to see this team grow together as we did before and become title contenders in the league. If everyone can continue to improve on an individual and team level, we believe that the Rockets are capable of competing in the playoffs in May and June, and hopefully that day will come sooner rather than later. ”