Shen Jing has made significant progress. What level is Shen Jing currently in? What is the gap between Shen Jing and Jokic?

Last season, the biggest question for the Rockets was who was the core of the team between Shen Jing and Jaylen Green.

Jalen Green has a higher draft pick than Shen Jing, has higher physical talent, and has a higher ceiling. However, Jaylen Green's biggest problem is that he has great ups and downs and is unstable. In some months, he can become the team's all-star performance. In some months, his performance is far lower than the league average at the same position.

Shen Jing's biggest advantage last season was that he was the Rockets' highest-level player, but he lacked shooting on the offensive end and was not good at free throws. On the defensive end, his footwork was slow and he had poor pick-and-roll defense.

Last season, the biggest problem for the Rockets was that Jaylen Green had a high upper limit, but a low lower limit. Shen Jing gave people the impression that the upper limit was low, but the lower limit was high.

In the end, the Rockets chose to keep Shen Jing and thus traded Jaylen Green.

Judging from this season, this choice is completely correct. At least from the preseason and even the opening game, the rewards brought by the Rockets' choice were highlighted when VanVleet was reimbursed for the season due to injury.

In the preseason, Shen Jing is the Rockets' largest organizing center. Whether Amen or Shepard holds the ball for half the game, the ball will basically be handed over to Shen Jing. Shen Jing becomes the Rockets' nominal organizing center. Therefore, throughout the preseason, Shen Jing's average assists per game ranked first in the league.

In the opening game, Shen Jing showed more content of the game, which is jaw-dropping.

Shen Jing’s first big change is from a non-space point to the Rockets’ most accurate space point. Although this sample is small, combined with the preseason, Shen Jing’s three-point improvement is indeed very big.

In this game, Shen Jing played 49 minutes, shooting 12 of 24 from the field, 5 of 8 three-pointers, 10 of 11 free throws, scoring 39 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. The plus-minus value on the court was +9.

From such data, Shen Jing's three-pointers take into account both productivity and efficiency. You must know that Shen Jing has averaged 1.3 three-pointers per game in his career, only hit 0.4 three-pointers, and his three-point shooting percentage is 2. 7.9%

Shen Jing's biggest improvement is from blocking the space and dragging the space in a very narrow offensive area, to immediately transforming into an elite-level shooter. Although the sample is small, Shen Jing's confidence and boldness in shooting are unprecedented. Shen Jing's offensive options are not only open three-pointers, but also many three-pointers with the ball facing the defender, which shows that Shen Jing has really evolved, not just a few goals.

After Shen Jing’s evolution, the Rockets deployed twin towers or even five-high lineups. Shen Jing’s improvement in space was obvious, giving Uduka more space and possibilities to switch lineups, and also gave Uduka more confidence to experiment and match lineups, which significantly improved the Rockets’ overall offense.

When Shen Jing has a space threat, his deterrence is greatly increased. Previously, Shen Jing was mainly dealing cards in the high position. Since there is no shooting threat, it is often the point where the opponent leaves. Now that Shen Jing has a shooting threat in the high position, the Rockets will have more offensive tactics. Shen Jing's deterrence in the high position prevents the opponent from shrinking. Shen Jing's passing is good, and Shen Jing is developing towards a ball-holding core center.

Shen Jing’s second biggest change is that free throws have become much better. In this game, Shen Jing only missed one key free throw, and all the others were hit. The missed free throw may be related to physical fitness. After Shen Jing adjusted, he did not miss any subsequent free throws. You must know that Shen Jing’s career His free throw shooting rate was only 70.3%, while last season's free throw shooting rate was only 69%

When Shen Jing's free throws improved, the opponent did not dare to use foul tactics on Shen Jing. The benefits of Shen Jing's killing were higher, which prompted Uduka to dare to put Shen Jing on the court for a long time in the fourth quarter.

Shen Jing’s passing and organization have also improved significantly compared to last season.

In the 4 games of the preseason, Shen Jing has become the most important core player in the organization and connection of the team. He ranks first in the team in assists per game and is also first in the league in average. He has 7 assists in this game, the highest of both teams. Therefore, Shen Jing’s deterrence on the offensive end has increased, prompting Shen Jing to bring more double-teams and provide more open opportunities for teammates. Other players have better opportunities, and Shen Jing’s data has naturally increased.

Shen Jing's current performance has basically made him the second center in the league. Compared with Jokic, Shen Jing's shortcomings have been made up for and even become his strengths. He has every chance to compete for the Most Improved Player of the Year and compete for the MVP of the regular season. Of course, we need to observe whether this evolution is long-term or short-term. After all, the current sample is too small. Shen Jing is just making a good start, that's all.