The Rockets are still waiting for their superstars, but management still believes that there are potential candidates within

(The original article was published on April 30, and the author is Tim MacMahon of ESPN website. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

Jaylen Green admitted that he is not fully prepared to welcome the playoff stage. In the first playoff game against the Warriors, the lights at the Toyota Center at home are more dazzling than ever in Jaylen Green's eyes. The Warriors have several future Hall of Fame members with brilliant playoff record in the Warriors. This is Jaylen Green's playoff debut with several other young core players of the Rockets. This team, which has begun to rebuild painfully since trading James Harden, has just ushered in the dawn of a bumper harvest.

"The court looked ridiculously big," Green recalled one night a few days later, "I couldn't find the rhythm, my legs were even trembling."

The 23-year-old star's nervousness was reflected in his inefficient performance: he scored only 7 points on 3 of 15 shots, and the Rockets eventually lost 85-95. This first playoff game confirms the general view in the league: Although the Rockets entered the playoffs as the second-placed dark horse in the West, they still lack the last key puzzle to become the real champion contender.

"They think too much," Jaylen Green fought back after scoring 38 points in the series G2, "I will get everything done after all. The fourth quarter will be in my hands, and we will create miracles."

But the direction of the series was not as he said. When the battlefield returned to Houston, the Rockets were on the verge of being eliminated. Jaylen Green scored only single digits again in two San Francisco's defeats, and became a spectator in the fourth game: at the last moment of the game, Shin Jing defeated the Dream to Chase Dream Green missed the high-difficulty and accurate final victory, and the Rockets finally failed. The core problem of the offensive is still eye-catching: How can the Rockets obtain the top offensive engine that all strong teams need? The Rockets still hope that this core may really be produced through internal cultivation.

"We never preset the player cap." Rockets general manager Raphael Stone told ESPN.

But the potential Plan B is to use some of the assets that the Rockets have patiently accumulated over the past five years to accelerate this process through heavy trading.

Jaylen Green is the Rockets' scoring champion and one of the "potential stocks" mentioned by General Manager Stone. The team bets that he can grow into the best-ranked star in the league required to strive for the championship. 22-year-old technical center Shin Kyung was selected as the All-Star for the first time in his career this season; although Amen Thompson, the No. 4 pick in 2023, is a dominant defensive player and has just begun to tap the potential of the offensive end; and the Rockets management also believes that Shepherd, who has not yet entered the rotation, may be the most talented offensive player in the lineup.

"Our team has a consensus on the potential of the existing lineup and hopes to witness the growth trajectory of these young people." Rockets head coach Uduka recently told ESPN, "When you have so many young players at high picks, you naturally want to see the upper limit of everyone's development. When I took over the job of Rockets head coach, I understood that we must cultivate them with all our might and see what heights we can reach. This group of players has shown progress and potential. The next step is to see who can become a stable team leader."

"If you rashly introduce instant combat power to accelerate this process, it will violate our original team building philosophy. A high-pressure environment like the playoffs is an excellent touchstone to test players' on-the-spot reaction."

Evaluate the first experience of Rockets' stars in the playoffs will become a key element of internal discussion. Although the Rockets have made it clear to other team management that they regard Amen Thompson as a non-sale product, if they want to make a big deal, the Rockets still have to give up some of their young talents.

"I have no doubt that there are many players in the team's current lineup that have the potential to be the core of the championship-level team, after all, their age is there." Patrick, son of 30-year-old team owner Tillman Fertitta, told ESPN at the end of the regular season that he was involved in basketball operations. "Although players of this age have not yet reached that level, I firmly believe that one or even many of them can grow into players of that level."

"With that being said, no matter when a star of that level enters the trading market, it is a dereliction of duty without doing due diligence."

Rockets have created a team that matches the temperament of the iron-blooded head coach. With the joining of strong players such as Van Vreet and Dillon Brooks, and the growth of young players, the Rockets achieved a transformation from a bottom-skinned team last season, and this season has increased their record to 52 wins and 30 losses.

The Rockets under coach Wuduka won with a tough style, with the league's rebounding rate and the fifth in defensive efficiency, making up for the mediocre performance on the offensive end. But without superstars in charge, this style of playing finally has a limit.

"We all know that the critical moments of the playoffs often depend on whether there is an offensive terminator who cannot be defended in the last five minutes." Van Freet told ESPN, "We have all the other lineup configurations. It's not that we need a savior, but in the life and death moments of the playoffs, there must be a killer weapon that can be finalized, right?"

"If we really have such players, we will be regarded as a stronger favorite to win the championship. Of course, without a super giant, we can succeed in the playoffs, but the difficulty will be much greater and the fault tolerance space will be much smaller."

Although Van Freeting has not proved that he is a player of that level, as a locker room leader, whether the Rockets choose to execute his $44.9 million team option next season or sign a long-term contract with him, he is an important puzzle for the team's future. The veteran also agrees with the views of coach and management of Uduka: the Rockets' existing lineup may already be hidden in the future superstars.

In fact, in the Rockets' brand new training hall, the coaching staff often compares young players in the team with top league stars.. If there is indeed an opportunity to substantially improve the lineup, we will make careful assessments. "

" But under ideal circumstances, we would rather witness this group of young people growing together as the core. As long as you continue to make progress, both individually and teams, the existing lineup is fully capable of competing on stage in May and June (the deep round of the playoffs), the earlier this day, the better. ”

Original text: Tim MacMahon

Compiled by: Li Taibai