Still operating! The Rockets have another S-class reinforcement! Congratulations to KD, you really have a chance to lead the team to win the championship this time

The summer league has been completed, and the operations in the NBA free market are still unstoppable, and another S-class reinforcement for the Rockets has been born. Free agent forward Josh Okogie has reached a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the Houston Rockets, according to reporter Shams. Okogi is about to usher in his eighth NBA season, playing in 416 games in his career, averaging 6.3 points per game. After being traded by the Suns to the Hornets last season, Okogi played 15 games, averaging 18.3 minutes per game, scoring 8.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks. Judging from the data, Okogi does not seem to be a very prominent player, and his role status has been declining in recent years, and there is a tendency to fade out of the league. Why is it still said that it is the Rockets' S-class reinforcement?

several main reasons. First, Okogi is not very effective in offensively and has not many offensive methods, but he is good at defense, and he can reach the defensive level of defense even in his few playing time. Why has Okogi been going around in circles in recent years and not having a high net worth? The main reason is that his projection stability is too poor and it is difficult to find a team with strong adaptability, and the Rockets are particularly suitable now. Last season, Uduka had armed the Rockets into a strong defensive team. In the words of Rockets reporter Adam Spolane, signing Okogi once again proves how much Uduka favors defensive players. He values defense and rebounds more than shooting ability - that's why they value offensive rebounds so much. In the regular season and playoffs last season, the Rockets averaged the highest rebounding average in the league.

And Okoji, his defensive ability is top among defenders. In terms of high-level data, his counterpart diversity and difficulty rank 6th in the league (Fenney Smith 2nd and Dillon 5th), his defensive aggressiveness (broken hat-making) ranks 4th in the league. Ethan, the Rockets' second highest data, is only ranked 15th in the league, and Amen Thompson ranks 44th in the league, both of which are far from Okoji. The strong defensive skills have made Okogi always find a job although he has been wandering in recent years. The Rockets may be the most compatible team with him. This place not only has a culture with defense as the core, but also lacks a defensive bench backcourt. The Rockets are mostly forward players and have relatively few defenders. Okogi will definitely be able to rotate in specific lineups and get more playing time than in previous seasons.

There are some other reasons. Okogi was a teammate with Durant during the Suns. Now the two brothers are reunited and are expected to play some cooperation and contact. In addition, Okogi sounds like a veteran, but in fact he is only 26 years old now. The peak age of ordinary athletes has not yet reached. He has a chance to prove himself again in the trough period. Taking advantage of the top-level team like the Rockets to regain his value. The most important thing is to maintain the top defensive ability while practicing a stable basket. If he practices 3D attributes, his value may be more than five or six times. In fact, the most important thing about him being cut by the Hornets before was the contract, not the ability. His previous contract had an annual salary of more than $8 million, which was a bit premium compared to his on-field status and contribution, and it was not suitable for a reconstruction team like the Hornets, so he was cut.

With the arrival of Okogie, the Rockets' important reinforcement for the offseason this summer has been successfully concluded. Their total salary has reached US$194.7 million, only US$1.2 million from the hard salary cap. The team has 14 players with formal contracts, and the players with two-way contracts have Kevin Harris, and there are 2 two-way places left. Previously, the Rockets received Durant through a transaction, renewed Van Jordan for 50 million in two years, renewed Smith Jordan for 122 million in five years, renewed Adams for 3 years, signed 3D player Finney Smith for 53 million in four years, and signed Capela for 21.5 million in three years. No contract is not a bargain price! Even in Durant's trade, the Rockets didn't even pay much chips. They only gave out one first-round pick and even handled Jaylen Green - Green was previously considered a negative asset because of his inefficient and cancer-like play. Next season, the Rockets will undoubtedly be one of the biggest favorites in the league, and their odds of winning have risen to second in the league, second only to this year's championship Thunder. This time, Durant really has the chance to lead the team to win the championship after leaving the Warriors. Can he break the Green formula? Previously, KD was generally believed to be unsuitable for the boss to lead the team, and he could only win the championship as the second. Next season will be the moment for him to prove himself. In fact, after leaving the Warriors, Durant went to the Nets to join the Nets, and the three Nets' giants broke up in disagreement. Irving was the initiator, and KD's Nets career was considered to be conscientious. Later, they joined the Suns, but unfortunately the Suns' lineup structure was too poor, the core lineup was flashy, and the final failure was expected. Now this Rockets are different. They are second in the West and have received so many reinforcements, both offense and defense. What kind of results do you think the Rockets can achieve next year?