Trades, injuries, contract extensions!The team notes the 3 major problems of the Rockets: 4 first round + massive second round can be traded
On January 19, Beijing time, when the regular season was more than halfway through, Rockets reporter Adam Spolane wrote an article to take stock of the three major problems that Houston will face in the second half of the season, covering three aspects: trade, injury and contract extension, and pointed out that the Rockets have 4 first-round + massive second-round available for trade.
Problem 1: Jalen Green renews his contract
During Jalen Green's rookie season media day, two Rockets executives publicly called him a "superstar" during his hug, which is obviously the Rockets' positioning and expectation of him, but in his third year as a rookie, Jalen Green's decline was visible to the naked eye.
The decline in stats is not surprising given that the Rockets are getting better overall, and Jalen Green is getting less balls and shots, but he's in the midst of one of his worst shooting seasons since entering the NBA.
In the first 40 games, Jalen Green shot 40.1 percent overall and 33.1 percent three-point shooting, ranking third from the bottom in the league overall, just better than Strus (39.6 percent) and Dinwiddie (38.7 percent).
VanVleet, the Rockets' other backcourt core, is fourth from bottom at 40.5%.
If you narrow it down to the last 24 games, Jalen Green's shooting percentage drops further to 38 percent and 31 percent.
To make matters worse, Jalen Green has also dropped from 6.1 last season to 4.6 this season, and has slipped to four per game in the last 24 games.
Considering that Jalen Green will be eligible for an early contract extension this summer, there will be a lot of pressure on Jalen Green to improve his offensive performance quickly in the remaining 42 games, and he will need to improve his offensive performance quickly to have any hope of getting a big contract.
For the Rockets, who ranked 21st in offensive efficiency, Jalen Green's rebound is also the most direct and easiest way for the team to solve offensive problems.
Problem 2: When will Ethan recover?
Ethan has missed nine games in a row due to a leg injury, including six games at the start of the season, leaving him to just 22 of his first 40 games, while being limited by time for most of the games.
In Ethan's game, the Rockets scored 9.4 more points per 100 possessions, ranking first among all rotation players on the team, followed by Tate +3.7 in second and VanVleet in third with +3.3.
When Eason wasn't on the floor, the Rockets lost by 2.5 points per 100 possessions, and their defensive efficiency plummeted from 103.1 to 114.6, and his nine missed games caused the Rockets to drop from No. 2 to No. 8 in defensive efficiency.
The Rockets are cautious about Ethan's injury, and Udoka said in the interview that Eason is suffering more than he has shown, and the team hopes that he can patiently recover to 100% before returning.
Considering Ethan's huge impact on the team's offensive and defensive ends, the Rockets need Eason to stay on the court for a long time without time constraints in the second half.
Problem 3: Rotten or Deal?
The Rockets are currently in 11th place in the West, and Stone has been a seller since taking the helm of the Rockets.
Adam Spolane made it clear that he wouldn't, writing: "There's no way the Rockets can mess up, because the Rockets' '24 first-round pick belongs to the Thunder, and there's only a 7% chance that the team will get this first-round pick back." ”
He then pointed out that the Rockets are aiming to strengthen the roster before the trade deadline and even bring in an All-Star-caliber player.
Rockets draft picks include: 2028 and 2030 first-round picks, 2024 and 2026 Nets first-round picks, 2027 and 2029 swap rights, and a large number of second-round picks.
Players: Oladipo ($9.4 million expiring contract) + Landale ($8 million).
According to previous reports from The Athletic's Kelly Iko and Stein, the Rockets' reinforcement targets are mainly focused on the interior and want to increase their shooting ability.
Gafford Carple, Capela, Holmes, Richards and Biyombo are the main targets for reinforcements on the inside, and Barnes is seen as a major target for improving his shooting ability.
The chips sell Jalen Green, Shin Jing, Jabari Smith Jr., and Eason for non-sale, and as for Tate, who is caught in trade rumors, the Rockets will not easily trade him unless they receive an offer that they have to consider.