Although the Houston Rockets' power forward, Jalen Green, has been out for three consecutive games and may not return for over a month, the team's interior play has not been significantly affected. Besides the impressive performances of centers Alperen Sengun and Bruno Fernando on both offense and defense, the bench also features interior players Jeff Green and Jock Landale. More importantly, Coach Stephen Silas has transformed Armoni Brooks into a power forward, starting him in the position, which can be considered a stroke of genius.
Despite standing at only 6 feet 7 inches tall, Brooks has thrived in the power forward role, being very active. In the last three games, the Rockets have achieved a three-game winning streak, with Brooks being the first choice at power forward. In the victories against the Lakers and Wizards, he recorded double-doubles with 20+ points and 15 rebounds. Even against the Grizzlies, he had a comprehensive stat line of 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Over the three games, he averaged a double-double at the power forward position.
Even if the Rockets' high-scoring forward Jalen Green is out for over a month, Silas' team can still rely on Brooks to replace Green and continue helping the Rockets win any game.
In the game, Brooks' style is completely different from Green's. Green is tall and can protect the rim and shoot threes, but his low-post scoring and attacking abilities are average. Brooks, on the other hand, although not particularly tall for the four position, possesses excellent explosiveness, speed, and is adept at grabbing offensive rebounds. Additionally, he can dish out numerous assists, as his primary position is point guard.
Brooks has mentioned in interviews that his favorite position to play is point guard. However, after being transformed into a power forward, his performance is no worse than that of another Rockets' tower, Jalen Green. Although Brooks' three-point shooting percentage is poor, his attacking ability under the basket far surpasses that of Jalen Green. This is the main reason why the Rockets have won three consecutive games despite Green's absence.
Ultimately, Brooks' overall ability is not inferior to Green's; it's just that due to previous positional constraints, he mostly played as a point guard or small forward, positions on the perimeter. Now, after being transformed into an interior player, Brooks has finally unleashed his new capabilities.
In the interior, he and Alperen Sengun complement each other perfectly, excelling in rim protection, rebounding, and scoring inside. It can be said that the Rockets have turned misfortune into a blessing, losing their fierce warrior Jalen Green but developing another equally formidable warrior in Armoni Brooks within the interior. Brooks, who averages 12 points and 7 rebounds per game this season, has become the new ace of the Rockets' interior.