The Rockets' character has improved, and in the third quarter, their rhythm of advancing and the lucky three-point shots might have really given them momentum against a different opponent. However, the Rockets responded every time, firmly holding down the Nuggets.
With Green's current form and the return of Little Jason at full strength, it's hard to imagine what a complete Rockets team would look like. It's really something to look forward to!
Green needs a lot of shooting opportunities to bring back his shooting percentage. He is the fastest scorer on the Rockets, and this type of player needs a lot of shots to gradually improve his shooting percentage. Even if Green has an average first half, he can bounce back in the second half!
During the 11-game winning streak last March, without Shenjing as the first core, Green faced a significant increase in defensive attention. Then, in several games, he struggled in the first half but scored over 10 points in the third and fourth quarters, widening the gap or overtaking the score, and his shooting percentage also went up.
During the 11-game winning streak, Green averaged a top-level shooting percentage of 48% + 42%. This type of ball-handling offensive player needs to hold the ball more to maintain his touch and offensive rhythm while combining with off-ball positioning tactics to keep him moving, making him almost invincible, similar to the perfect display of Green's talent on the offensive end against the Grizzlies on January 14!
Now that Green and Amen are playing better and better, it may be uncomfortable for the Suns and Kings, as the chances of their Booker and Fox being traded to the Rockets are getting lower and lower. If the Suns continue their current record, it will benefit the Rockets, as they want to get back their first-round pick by trading Booker, but the Rockets won't take Durant.
The Suns have put themselves in a desperate situation. Originally, with Paul, Booker, Big Joe, Huang Zhong, and Ayton, they could reach the Western Conference Finals, but they insisted on dismantling the team to trade for Durant and Beal, trading away all their first-round picks. Now their record has dropped to 11th in the West, while the Rockets, without any absolute All-Star level players, have secured second place in the West. The Rockets should not follow the Suns' all-in approach, as they will end up losing all their accumulated young talents and first-round picks.
Amen has become a nightmare for small guards, looking at how he defends against Fox and blocks Morant. Yesterday, he made Morant particularly uncomfortable, and in fact, Amen playing as a point guard is a good choice. This Amen contributes memorable moments every game, just like a real-life version of Sakuragi Hanamichi!
How many memorable moments are there? Lightning-fast chase blocks, jumping face blocks, rebounding, wrestling, and breaking jaws. With his jumping ability, speed, explosive power, and gradually improving shooting, he is just like Sakuragi Hanamichi!
When facing teams that primarily initiate from the point guard position, Amen can be assigned to mainly defend against their point guard, which will be very effective. With his height, weight, jumping speed, wingspan, and dynamic and static dominance! On offense, he should still go to the frontcourt and wait for Amen's shooting and passing skills to improve before playing as a point guard again. Amen will evolve significantly, so let's wait quietly for the flowers to bloom!
It feels like the true core is about to emerge, Green and Amen! Green's current scoring ability cannot be abandoned, and Amen is like a heart or reactor. If Ethan and Smith can perform normally, plus a blue-collar center, they will take off directly.
The Rockets gave Green too few years in his contract, not taking a big advantage. They should have offered him a five-year sub-maximum salary. At that time, they didn't choose Mobley to sign stably. Choosing Green was a big gamble. The renewal should have been done. (Booker was so great only in the season before Paul arrived, and previously he could have won the championship). At most, they can rebuild after five years. Now that Green has performed well, the Rockets can only offer him a maximum salary renewal two years later.