0 of 4 three-pointers, Shepard is not as good as a basic-salary guard. The Rockets substitute is outstanding. Adams supports the inside with 12+12.

Nine-man rotation + five major twin-tower lineups have become the standard configuration of Uduka's tactics. The Rockets lack the No. 1 position, which does not allow the head coach to let go of lineup rotation. The starting five major lineups, the rotation lineup is better than the twin towers. This brought about two problems. The first was that he could not keep up with his opponents. The game against the Raptors was a good proof. Barnes, who was not good at three-pointers, scored continuously from the outside. Neither Adams nor Shen Jing could defend him. The game against the Raptors was back and forth.

The second problem is that his outside shooting is average. Durant still hasn't found the touch. Shepard is very brave to shoot, and he is also brave not to score. The Rockets' bench lineup lacked a stable three-point shooter. Ethan's only three-pointer in the first half was a casual throw from the backcourt at the buzzer. Among the nine players in the rotation, two were centers. Uduka took the initiative to limit the changes in the team. Except for the first two-tower starting game, there have been no adjustments to the main lineup and lineup mix in recent games.

Due to Shepard's unstable condition, unable to make three-pointers, and having no effect on the court, the Rockets can only let Amen Thompson control the ball and organize for a long time, and do things he is not good at. Last season, the Rockets had VanVleet on the back line. Amen only needed to make air cuts and fast breaks to finish. The defensive end was everywhere, and he could make up for the position from the first to the fifth position. This year is very different. He can't control his movement as a point guard, and mistakes have become a common occurrence, which magnifies his shortcomings infinitely. In the second half of the third quarter, he made many unreasonable handlings and was beaten 10-0 by the Raptors.

The Rockets do not have the No. 1 position. The 1st and 5th pick-and-rolls rarely appear this season. Without Shen Jing running the pick-and-roll to attract defenses, in positional battles, not only does Amen Thompson rarely get a lot of cake, but there are also very few open three-pointers. In this game, Amen scored 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. His statistics are still very versatile. As long as he is not playing guard, he has a strong presence on the court. The season has just begun, and the Rockets still have room for trades.

Minimum salary guard Okogie has become a surprise player for the Rockets. He has become the main force for two consecutive games. Not only can he contribute to defense, he has scored three points in each of the 4 games since the start of the season. Neither Thompson nor Shepard took advantage of the opportunity after VanVleet's injury. Instead, Okogie, who was considered a member of the third team, suddenly emerged. He scored 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in this game. The Rockets' role players determine the team's upper limit. Substitute center Adams scored 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in this game, supporting the inside line and the five major lineups on both offense and defense.

The Rockets' two major role players performed well in this game. Shepard, as last year's No. 3 draft pick, seemed to be making slow progress. He only scored 7 points and 5 rebounds in this game. Basic salary guard Okogie defeated him on both ends of the offense and defense. If he continues like this, Shepard's future may be traded like Jaylen Green. The Rockets have won two consecutive games. The two substitutes of Ethan and Adams are outstanding. However, with a big lead, Uduka still rotates 9 people. The overly conservative strategy makes it difficult for the Rockets to find available players.