On December 11, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued. The Rockets played at home against the defending champion Bucks, and the team started with a strong start, suppressing the opponent in the first three quarters. In the key fourth quarter, the Bucks exploded a 15-6 attack wave led by The Alphabet Brother, surpassing the score in one fell swoop, and the Rockets were reduced in offensive efficiency and made a series of mistakes, and finally lost to the Bucks 114-123, and the seven-game winning streak was ended.
Rocket core Wood performed sluggishly, shooting 9 of 19 from the field, contributing only 21 points, 13 rebounds and 1 assist, did not get a single free throw in the whole game, and made 5 turnovers, with a plus-minus of -20 lowest on the team, and several handling of balls in the key fourth quarter were also debatable.
Rocket Walker Trading Scheme
According to US media, the Eastern Pacers announced a rebuild, and the two major interior lines in the team, Sabonis and Turner, were put on the trading shelves, but only one person could be sent away. At the same time, the Indianapolis Star reporter revealed that the Rockets are considering Using Wood and Porter Jr. as chips to try to trade big forward Sabonis Jr. As for how this plan is, let's briefly analyze it.
Looking at the Pacers first, since the team chooses to rebuild, the chips hoped to get are nothing more than young potential players and draft picks, and Wood and Porter Jr. are undoubtedly a good choice. Wood, 26, is 2.06 meters tall and has played in 25 games for the Rockets this season, averaging 16.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. Wood's strengths are in his long arms, good rebounding ability, fast foot movement, and a one-handed outside shot that can open up the field space. Compared to Sabonis, Wood prefers to move on the outside, so that the inside line can be completely entrusted to Turner, and the division of labor between the two is more clear.
Porter Jr., 21, has played in 19 games for the Rockets this season, averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, shooting 35.8 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from three-point range. Although he was only the No. 30 rookie in the first round, Porter Jr. showed good physical fitness and talent, facing the Bucks in the regular season last season, once scoring 50 points in a single game, becoming the youngest Mr. 50 points in one fell swoop, which was enough to prove his strength. Being able to occupy a lot of ball power is not conducive to Green's growth. At the same time, Wood's contract expires at the end of next season, which is the most valuable moment for the transaction, and the backcourt combination of Porter Jr. and Green has also proved a failure, and only one of the two can become the starters. At present, only the leader Green is a non-sale product, so as long as there is the right chip, the team can bear the pain.
Sabonis has played in 28 games for the Pacers this season, averaging 18.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 58.4 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range. Although the scoring and assist stats have dropped significantly from last season, Sabonis remains one of the league's most comprehensive interior players.
Compared with Wood, Sabonis has an advantage in terms of points, rebounds and assists, which can be said to be a strengthened version of Wood, and the Rockets can build a lineup around the combination of Green + Sabonis and complete the rebuild as soon as possible.
Judging from the trade results, the Pacers solved the problem of Sabonis and Turner coexisting, and got two strong players at the same time, Wood and Porter Jr., and the team took the first step on the road to reconstruction. The Rockets completely straightened Green and brought in two-time All-Star Sabonis as a partner, greatly speeding up the rebuilding. Overall, the result is a win-win option for both teams, with the three players expected to play better after changing teams.
What do you think of this transaction plan, welcome to leave a message to communicate.