The Rockets, Hawks, Okonwu, who is negotiating a 3-for-1 deal and beating Shin Kyo in the NBA opener, is expected to travel to Houston to assist Jaylen Green.
Today the Rockets lost 105-125 to the Bucks. In this game, Rockets guard Jaylen Green played 32 minutes, shooting 6-of-19 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, scoring a team-high 22 points plus 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, with a plus-minus of -5. Green averaged 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games.
Compared to the backcourt, the Rockets' inside players are not stable, Jabari Smith is still looking for his shooting touch, Shin Kyung has been reduced to a good and bad game after being reduced to a bench, and today's Rockets defeat is because the inside line is too weak and no one can limit the alphabet brother. If the Rockets' record is to break through in the new season, supplementing the interior strength is a priority.
The specific plan of the deal is: the Rockets send Matthews + Kenyon Martin Jr. + Oneka Okonwu of the Hawks in the first round in 2023.
At just 21 years old, Okongwu is the No. 6 rookie in the 2020 draft, with a height of 2.06 meters, an arm span of 2.20 meters, a weight of 110 kilograms, and a power forward/center on the court, averaging 20.7 minutes per game last season, contributing 8.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 blocks, while shooting a whopping 69%. He has a strong physique, amazing bouncing power and explosive physical fitness, although the offensive method is single, and the scoring is almost all concentrated in the small penalty area, but he is good at eating cakes, willing to do dirty work on the court, and good at covering his teammates. Okongwu's capital for being able to establish himself in the NBA is that he is an elite-level defender who moves quickly and adapts to an unlimited change of defense system.
Last season's Hawks returned to reality, winning two consecutive play-off games to get a ticket to the playoffs and being simply swept by the Heat. Unwilling to stop there, the Hawks have been moving this offseason, spending a lot of money to bring in All-Star guard Dejantay Murray, who is defensively superior and can also organize offense from the Spurs. If there is one weakness for the Hawks in the new season, it is small forward, and Hunter is very capable but injuries are his worst enemy, and he has only played in 76 games in the past two seasons. Martin Jr. inherited his father's physical qualities, bouncing well and explosive power. He has the potential to grow into a top-tier 3D because he likes to defend and is not weak in three-point play, making him more than a substitute for Hunter.
Finally: The deal was a win-win situation for both sides, with the Hawks reinforcing the front and getting a first-round pick in return, while the Rockets strengthened their interior strength and made the team's roster more reasonable.
