The Rockets have a good start before their game against the Thunder. Five of the defending champions are absent, and their second striker leads the way.

After a long wait, fans are finally looking forward to the new NBA season. On the first day, the defending champion Thunder will face the Rockets at their home court. It's just that neither team's lineup is in the strongest shape. The Rockets are slightly better. Except for starting point guard VanVleet, the others who are absent are substitute rotations. The Thunder's losses are greater, and they are facing various attrition before the start of the season.

Judging from the injury report, the Rockets had a good time before the game against the Thunder. Five of the defending champions were absent, led by the second striker Jaylen Williams. In addition to him, the Thunder, including Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sauber, will also miss this game.

Among them, Jaylen Williams is unable to play, which has a great impact on the Thunder. He is extremely valuable on both offense and defense, and is the second leader of the Thunder. In addition to averaging 20+ points per game, Jaylen Williams is very versatile and can play multiple positions on the court. He is a key part of the Thunder's tactical system. You must know that the Thunder's insiders also encountered a wave of injuries last season. Not to mention Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein, even the third center Jaylin Williams was exempted from the game. During that time, the Thunder coaching staff asked Jaylen Williams to serve as the fifth position in the small-ball lineup, and he received very good results. It can be seen that if Jaylen Williams cannot play, the Thunder's tactical level will be greatly compromised.

Isaiah Joe is an outside shooter. Although his performance in the playoffs was poor and he was obviously studied thoroughly by his opponents, at least during the regular season, Isaiah Joe is still relatively easy to use. You must know that today's league pays more and more attention to the sense of space and outside shooting ability, and Isaiah Joe's three-point shooting percentage can reach about 40% at his peak. This can not only cause blows and threats to opponents, but also effectively open up space, allowing teammates around you, especially the core, to play more comfortably.

Although Kenrich Williams is not that old, he is already the oldest member of the Thunder team. However, due to knee surgery, Kenrich Williams was also unable to play. Originally, he was a very good substitute forward rotation. In addition to having accurate shooting, he also had good defensive and passing abilities. Nikola Topic was reimbursed last season. After a long wait, the Thunder expected him to return in the preseason. As a result, Nikola Topic unexpectedly underwent surgery and was determined to miss the start of the season. As for Thomas Sorbo, he became the Thunder's third consecutive rookie to be reimbursed due to injury in his first season. Fans can only comfort themselves, thinking that they sacrifice young people in exchange for the team's good results.