Did the Rockets "steal" the Nuggets tactical board? The backbone of the Rockets is in place. Has Durant really figured it out?

In the NBA preseason, the Rockets defeated the Jazz 140-127. Although this was just a preseason game, it still attracted a lot of attention. Everyone wanted to see what the Rockets, who had traded Durant in the offseason and formed a luxurious lineup, could do.

Obviously, Durant and the Rockets did not disappoint. Judging from this game alone, both parties showed strong adaptability and high fitness.

Durant played 23 minutes in the game, making 7 of 10 three-pointers, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 5 of 5 free throws, and scored 20 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.

From this game, we can see that Durant's offensive skills are indeed full of firepower.

Although Durant only played 23 minutes and had a small taste of his skills, from his offensive performance and offensive choices, we know that he has begun to adjust his style of play to adapt to the Rockets, and the effect of this adjustment is remarkable.

Durant joining the Rockets is the finishing touch. The Rockets will no longer worry about key balls.

In the first quarter of the game, Durant lost three offensive opportunities in succession, and these three attacks all contained Durant's own hesitation about offensive choices. Obviously, the unfamiliarity of joining a powerful new team made the aging Durant a little afraid. He wanted to cooperate as a team, but his offensive attempts were not resolute.

But the subsequent consecutive plays by his teammates made him understand everyone's expectations for his offensive firepower, and then he began to attack resolutely.

In the first quarter of the game, Durant defied the defense and hit his signature mid-range shot, scoring the first point of his Rockets career.

In the first quarter of the game, Durant hung on the defender and turned over and hit a mid-range shot.

In the second quarter of the game, Durant held the ball and went straight to the basket, took off and completed a dunk with both hands on the frame.

In the third quarter of the game, Durant broke into the paint and pushed away the defensive player to make a throw and score 2+1.

In the three quarters, excluding the first three goals, Durant made 7 of 7 shots, almost perfectly demonstrating his offensive skills.

He is accurate in the mid-range and three-point range. He is efficient in singles with the ball. He can fire without the ball at fixed points. He can even catch the ball and break through to the basket and dunk like a young man.

The most frightening thing is that Durant is not afraid of the opponent's targeted defense at all. The more critical the ball, the more excited he becomes. This makes the Rockets, who have been "constipated" in offense, feel the pleasure of a long drought.

Even head coach Uduka was even more satisfied with Durant. In the third quarter of the game, Durant was replaced and had a rest, and he smiled and talked with Uduka.

Talking about his Rockets debut, Durant said: "Since I came here 3 or 4 weeks ago, I immediately felt like home, so it feels normal. Everyone is very welcome to me, as well as the coaching staff, so it just feels normal, there is no feeling that there is anything different."

The Rockets brought back Durant, liberated Shen Jing and Amen, and the Rockets can learn the Nuggets tactics.

In fact, this preseason game allowed the Rockets, Shen Jing, and Amen to experience the vitality that Green could not bring when he led the team.

Durant's firepower not only released Shen Jing's offensive pressure, allowing him to try more organizational methods to help the team, but also allowed Amen to not only be satisfied with being a 3D player, but also got more breakthrough opportunities that he had never had before.

The Rockets' tactical board is very clear, "stealing" the Nuggets' tactical board - Durant's offense + Shen Jing's organization + Amen's air-cut breakthrough.

Jokic's tactical standards as a center who can shoot, pass suddenly and make everyone see the standard template for winning the championship. However, due to the gap in the strength of the center, most teams cannot copy this path, but the Rockets are different. They have the foundation and possibility to learn the Nuggets' tactical play.

The Rockets have "Little Jokic" Shen Jing.

"Our center can control the ball in the high post, and with our kind of space on the court, Shen Jing can play in isolation, cover, and pull out, so when he holds the ball in the high post, it will disrupt the opponent's defense." Durant said about Shen Jing.

Shen Jing used precise passes over the defender's head during the game, sent quarterback-style long passes during the transition between offense and defense, and also diverted offensive rebounds to create second offensive opportunities for his teammates, showing a very versatile state.

In the whole game, Shen Jing played 28 minutes, made 5 of 8 shots, scored 13 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists and 4 steals.

Previously, due to Green's weak firepower, Shen Jing could not focus all his attention on high-level organization. He needed some singles to provide firepower for the team. The addition of Durant gave the Rockets a support point for all firepower. Shen Jing's high-level organization began to have a chemical reaction with Durant.

One goal in the game perfectly demonstrated all this. Shen Jing passed the ball to Durant at the top of the free throw line while blocking Durant's defender. Durant bypassed the screen, dribbled between the two defenders, and finally rushed inside to complete a two-handed dunk.

Durant’s three sports goals in the first half were all completed through Shen Jing’s cover. Shen Jing’s 13 assists perfectly illustrate everything.

In addition to Shen Jing's containment and Durant's outside attack, Amen will also become the "most important part" of the team.

Amen’s path to evolution.

Durant's offensive containment has enhanced the team's scoring ability, and Shen Jing has also begun to try to direct the offense at the top of the key. However, the Rockets' overall game style basically replicates the pattern of last season: attacking the inside, competing for offensive rebounds, and promoting the rhythm of offense and defense.

This is Team Rocket's best and most prominent way of fighting.

In fact, this is still similar to the Nuggets' tactics, which rely on the physical strength of the players to strengthen rebound protection. Outside of positional battles, they also attach great importance to the advancement of fast breaks.

And Amen is the player selected by the Rockets to cut, break through, and advance..

Amen Thompson played 25 minutes in the game, making 9 of 15 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointers, and scored 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.

Amen served more as a 3D image last season, because breakthroughs used to be Green's job, but now, Amen obviously has to take on more tasks.

"He's going to guard the opponent's best player every night, whether it's the opponent's point guard or power forward or even sometimes the center, and we're still going to rely on him to play his best game and then expand his role on the other end of the floor," Uduka said.

In this game, Amen served as a position attacker. When the opponent's defense began to expand outwards, his air cuts and breakthroughs were implemented very resolutely, destroying the opponent's formation many times and putting the opponent in a dilemma.

Punishing the opponent's outward defense is generally Gordon's role on the Nuggets.

There is no doubt that as a player who makes connections near the penalty area, he is so important to the team that Jazz coach Will Hardy praised Thompson's performance.

"We've seen guys that can put pressure on the opponent's rim early in a possession. I'm not comparing Amen to Antetokounmpo, but you have to double-team him early, but it's not a decision that comes lightly. Because the defender guarding Durant is closest to Amen, how should you choose? "

This is enough to show that Amen Thompson has the potential to complete this kind of task. With Durant, he will not only be a defensive leader, but he will also take on more offensive tasks.

In general, Durant's cooperation with Shen Jing and Amen this season will be the Rockets' most promising year.

Both parties are satisfied, and Durant's renewal has been finalized.

According to reporter Shams' report, sources revealed that Kevin Durant and the Rockets are hopeful of reaching an early contract extension before the start of the regular season. "I was told that Durant and the Rockets are hopeful of reaching an early contract extension before the start of the regular season."

This season, the Rockets are not the only strong team in the Western Conference, but their strength must not be underestimated.