In their most recent NBA regular season game, the Rockets lost to the Pacers on the road, making them a two-game losing streak. After this loss, the Rockets' record improved to 23-27, which puts them in 12th place in the Western Conference. They are two wins behind the Jazz, who are 10th in the West, and 6.5 wins behind the Suns, who are sixth in the West.
With such a tough situation, the Rockets will need to perform better for the rest of the season if they want to make a place in the playoffs. Although the Rockets have exceeded expectations this season, both general manager Stone and head coach Udoka want the team to go further. In order to achieve this goal, the Houston Rockets will undoubtedly need to put in more effort.
The Rockets need to find a way to overcome their repeated defeats on the road and win some games as soon as possible to move up the rankings. This requires them to be more focused on the game, increase their intensity on the defensive end, and ensure that they remain efficient on the offensive end.
At the same time, the Rockets also need to adjust their roster better to better adapt to the needs of the game. In the game against the Pacers, Udoka, who was expected to be high, really failed, and giving Holiday Jr. and Jeff Green too much playing time became the main reason for the team's reversal.
Of course, if the Houston Rockets want to change the status quo, the most important thing is to bring in some strong players. In particular, the defensive problem on the inside line has been very prominent, and Shen Jing and Jeff Green have become the opponent's "cash machine". Stone sees the problem too, and has already made a trade to take Adams from the Memphis Grizzlies. However, since Adams has confirmed the reimbursement for the season, "far water can't save the near fire after all". As a result, Stone is still leading the team to keep busy in the trading market.
According to a report from Kelly Iko of The Athletic, insiders revealed that after acquiring Adams, Stone wants to send Landale and two second-round picks in exchange for Drummond from the Chicago Bulls.
Drummond, who was in his prime, was a natural rebounder, and that's very important. Plus, he's a big guy who can protect the basket and he defends well. At the same time, he can also be on the offensive end, he is good at blocking and pick-and-roll, and he can finish on top of the basket, which is undoubtedly needed by the Houston Rockets, and will also make Udoka's system more perfect.