9 wins and 3 losses! The Rockets are first in the league in five events, the Durant effect is here, and Uduka also gives a big gift

The NBA regular season continues. The Houston Rockets currently have a record of 9 wins and 3 losses, ranking third in the Western Conference, only 0.5 games behind the second-place Nuggets. Since losing to the Spurs, we have found that the Rockets have started another winning streak. In addition, the US media recently updated the Western Conference's strength ranking. As a result, the Rockets are also third in the Western Conference, behind the Thunder and Nuggets. However, the famous basketball commentator Su Qun commented that the Rockets are the team that threatens the Thunder the most, more than the Nuggets, because the Rockets' lineup can match the Thunder. In theory, the Rockets have no shortcomings, and Udoka is not as stubborn as Tyronn Lue.

Teacher Su Qun hit the nail on the head. First of all, he looked back at the early games of the season. At that time, the Rockets made a fatal mistake in their tactics, that is, Durant played too tired. It was no different from the Suns. It was difficult to win even though he was exhausted. Uduka used Durant in the wrong way at the beginning. For example, the Reaper held the ball for too long, which led to opponents frantically flanking him.

affects Durant's efficiency, and the Rockets' mistakes will also increase dramatically. After losing to the Spurs, the Rockets' tactics were obviously more reasonable. Shen Jing's holding time increased and Durant's holding time was shortened. On the offensive end, they basically shot as soon as they got the ball. The efficiency was guaranteed and the game was easier.

After all, the Rockets are a team of young people, and Durant cannot dominate. The Rockets' current tactics can be summarized as follows: Amen Thompson holds the ball and advances past half-court, Shen Jing is responsible for high-post support, organization or inside attack, Durant shoots directly from the top of the arc, Jabari Smith is more about shooting or rebounding, and Okogie defends.

Shepard is ready to take over the organization at any time, and everyone performs their duties. So even though Durant's average playing time has reached 36.2 minutes per game, the physical exertion is actually not as serious as we expected. Of course, Uduka must still compress Durant's playing time to around 33 minutes.

According to NBA big data statistics, the Rockets have ranked first in the league in five statistics so far this season, namely offensive efficiency (123.4), average rebounds per game (50.3), average offensive rebounds per game (16.4), average secondary offensive points per game (19.4 points) and average three-pointers per game. rate (42.6%), and as for defensive efficiency (111.6), it ranks sixth in the league. What surprises us most is that the Rockets have become the strongest offensive team in the league. You must know that last season their defense was the top in the league, and their offense was only at the middle level. As a result, they reached the top of the league this season. This shows that the Rockets' offensive firepower has been greatly improved after Durant joined.

Of course, it is also related to the progress of young players. Shen Jing has fully evolved. So far this season, he has averaged 23.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Except for rebounds, which are the same as last season, the other four statistics have set new career high records. Amen Thompson averaged 17.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. His scoring and assists reached career highs. A similar situation exists for Shepard, who averaged a career-high 12.6 points per game, plus 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists, and shot 47% from three-point range per game. In summary, we can draw a conclusion. The Rockets themselves are very tough, and Durant has injected soul.

The Rockets ended their training today. Uduka accepted an interview. When talking about the Rockets' offense and defense this season, he said: "We have repeatedly emphasized the need to improve offense, but at the same time maintain our defensive characteristics. I think we are one of the few teams that can take into account both offense and defense at the same time. We must do better in both aspects." These words are easy to understand. Uduka must pay close attention to offense and defense at the same time.

Later, when talking about Durant's role on the team, Uduka said: "KD (Durant) is very selfless. He will accept everything the game gives him, and he will be ready to take action. What I mean is that KD can bring leadership. He is a player who can change the game. We only need to hand the ball to him at some moments. You only need to watch him perform as a bystander."

Uduka's meaning is self-evident. First of all, he believes that Durant plays selflessly; secondly, Uduka also gave Durant a big gift. Durant is the undisputed leader of the Rockets at critical moments. The ball must be handed over to Durant at critical moments. After all, the biggest shortcoming of the Rockets last season was that they were prone to losing a lot of goals because they did not play well at critical moments. Durant solved this problem.

However, there is another statistic that surprises the Rockets. According to statistics, Shen Jing has made 10 of 18 shots at critical moments so far this season (the last two minutes of the final quarter or within 3 points of overtime). This number ranks first in the league. This means that Shen Jing has also evolved into a key player. With Durant and Shen Jing being two players who can fight hard, it is really difficult for the Rockets to lose.