I'm a crazy basketball fan, especially for the Rockets. Last weekend they faced a big test, but in the end, they got through it with tenacious fighting spirit and excellent on-the-spot adaptability.
Do you want to know what's going on? I'll tell you about it. Originally, VanVleet, the star of the Rockets, was unable to play due to injury, which made head coach Udoka confused. After all, Van Vleet is not only the leader of the team, but also the core of the entire offensive system, and his absence will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the team.
But the game was about to start, and Udoka didn't have much time to delay. He had to temporarily redeploy his lineup and decided to return the "Twin Towers" to the starting lineup while moving rookie Amen Thompson to the point guard position. You must be curious about what the "Twin Towers Combination" is? That's right, it is Alkapski and Shen Jing who are two inside fierce players who start at the same time.
This is quite a bold attempt, because in modern basketball, the interior combination is usually a combination of one tall and one short, and two interior combinations over seven feet are just too cumbersome. However, Udoka apparently had no choice but to gamble. As for Amen Thompson, although he is a rookie, he has already shown excellent ball handling and playmaking skills in college, and Udoka has high expectations for him.
At the beginning of the game, the Rockets' lineup changes seemed to catch opponents off guard. Amen Thompson excelled at the point guard position, not only shooting accurately, but also with a respectable number of assists. Even more surprising was the efficient interior offense of the "Twin Towers", who constantly drew fouls from opponents on the inside, resulting in a large number of free throw opportunities.
The opponent quickly adapted to this lineup of the Rockets and began to defend with a targeted defense. They were heavily staffed on the inside, trying to limit Alkapski and Shin Kyung's scoring, while also defending Amen Thompson on the outside, denying him any chance to organise an attack.
Just when the Rockets' offense was at a stalemate, Udoka once again made a brilliant move to move Amen Thompson forward to the power forward position! Amen Thompson has been able to score up front with his physique, while Alkapski and Shin Kyung have been able to sweep more recklessly on the inside.
The opponent doesn't seem to have fully adapted to this new offensive pattern, and the Rockets have already extended their lead. But at this moment, Alkapski was accidentally injured by the opponent's interior line and had to leave the field early! Seeing that his own center forward suffered an accident, Udoka seemed to be a little helpless.
At this critical moment, Shen Jing stepped forward and filled the vacancy of Alkapski with his hard work! He not only blocked desperately on the defensive end of the inside, but also grabbed points on the offensive end. With Shen Jing's hard work, the morale of the Rocket team was finally completely ignited, and under the brutal internal and external attacks, the opponent was finally defeated and fled.
With excellent on-the-spot adaptability and tenacious fighting spirit, the Rockets defeated their opponents by a narrow margin. After the game, Udoka was full of praise for the players' performances and revealed his plans for Amen Thompson's future. It seems that this rookie is indeed the future star of the Rockets!
Speaking of this victory for the Rockets, we have to mention the excellent performance of Amen Thompson. As a rookie, he played the role of point guard in this crucial game, and also made a temporary cameo appearance as a power forward, which can be described as an all-round performance!
Did you notice that Amen Thompson not only shoots accurately on the offensive end, but also has a decent number of assists? Not only can he score on his own, but more importantly he can create chances for his teammates. I remember that in one of the offenses in the first half, he once sent the ball to the inside several times in a row, allowing Alkapski and Shin Jing to score easily.
Amen Thompson's offensive talent doesn't stop there. When he moved forward to the power forward position, his physical superiority was on full display. He keeps scoring on the inside, and the opponent's inside simply can't stop his offense. What's even more impressive is that he also grabbed the rebound in the front court many times, and then scored directly to the basket, which is simply a walking lore weapon!
Defensively, Amen Thompson was also going all out. As a point guard, he was pretty good on the perimeter, interrupting the opposition's offense many times, and when he moved forward to the power forward position, his defensive responsibilities changed and he became responsible for the interior defense. Although the opponent's interior strength is very strong, Amen Thompson has never backed down, and he has used his height advantage to constantly block the opponent's offense and earn valuable defensive rebounds for the team.
It was Amen Thompson's all-round performance that allowed the Rockets to finally fight back in this game and regain the score from behind. And in the post-game press conference, head coach Udoka bluntly said that Amen Thompson's main position next season will be point guard.
From Udoka's remarks, it can be seen that the Rockets have extremely high expectations for the rookie. And from what I know about Amen Thompson, he is more than qualified to be the future leader of the Rockets.
Do you remember a game last season when the Rockets played against the Bulls, and the Rockets trailed by points at a critical moment. At this juncture, Amen Thompson stepped on the pitch and was placed directly at point guard. For the next period of time, he was like no one, constantly organizing offenses, and his shooting touch was also extremely hot. Under his leadership, the Rockets not only tied the huge point difference, but even overtook the score, and finally defeated the Bulls.
After that game, Amen Thompson was an instant hit and became the focus of the city. Everyone was amazed at the rookie's performance and talent. Amen Thompson himself is not complacent, he still maintains a humble and low-key style, proving himself with actions rather than words.
At the end of the season, Amen Thompson threw himself into training non-stop. He knows that although he has shown great potential, in order to truly become a great player, talent alone is not enough, and it needs to be improved through hard training.
Amen Thompson has never let up on the intensity of his training this summer. He sweats his way through the gym every day, honing his shooting touch, dribbling skills and fitness. Sometimes, he would even stay alone in the stadium and practice various offensive tactics and defensive moves over and over again until practice makes perfect.
Amen Thompson's hard work has also deeply infected other teammates. Soon, the entire Rockets team formed a trend, that is, the whole team, without exception, was working hard for the arrival of the new season. Everyone is determined to win and is looking forward to a great performance in the new season.
At the beginning of the new season, the Rockets were like a wild horse, galloping on the court with their hooves raised. Amen Thompson played a huge role as the team's point guard. Not only does he score ferociously himself, but he also constantly creates opportunities for his teammates to make the whole offensive system work well.
And on the defensive end, Amen Thompson is also going all out. With his height advantage, he has repeatedly played a key role on the interior defensive end and has become the core of the Rockets' defense. With his leadership, the Rockets' defensive end is also tight, making it impossible for opponents to start.
In this way, under the leadership of Amen Thompson, the Rockets made their way all the way to the playoffs. And on the stage of the playoffs, Amen Thompson once again showed his outstanding strength, helping the team all the way to the finals.
The opponent in the finals is not a messy existence, that team has a strong lineup, deep strength, and extremely high morale. In the face of such a strong opponent, Amen Thompson and the rest of the Rockets have gritted their teeth and are determined to compete in this Finals.