Averaged 23+10+7 per game! Another Jokic, congratulations to the Rockets for getting the Super Giant, he is already stronger than the No. 1 pick

On November 20, the Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-104 in an away game, winning five consecutive games. Their record improved to 10 wins and 3 losses, and they continued to rank third in the Western Conference. Even though VanVleet was out for the season, this young team not only did not collapse, but instead played tougher and smoother basketball. People were originally worried about "whether they would plummet after losing the core player", but they were completely beaten in the face in the past five games. Why do the Rockets get better and better as they play? The answer has three layers.

The first level is Durant. The 35-year-old KD is no longer the scoring maniac who averaged 30+ per game, but the championship aura and locker room prestige he brings can never be replaced. When the news of Van Jordan's collapse came, it was Durant who was the first to stand up and say to the young people: "It's your turn next, I am only responsible for putting in the goals that should be scored." He gave a template with practical actions: In the game against the Cavaliers, although he had a bad touch and only scored 20 points, he could still score when he needed points. And with the veteran's calmness, Durant kept the Rockets, a team with the third-lowest average age in the league, from panic.

The second level is Tanhua Shepard's complete awakening. The No. 3 overall pick in 2024 is no longer a joking label like "Curry, the white man", but a real "Curry-style threat." In the past five games, Sheppard's three-point shooting percentage is as high as 487%, and a large number of them are retreats with the ball and hard shots from the wing. The Cavaliers tried countless ways to restrict him today: close contact, delays, defense changes, and double attacks, but all to no avail. Shepard told everyone with his actual performance: The Rockets did not trade the third overall pick for the veteran, but chose him. This was one of the most correct decisions in the past two years.

The third and most important layer is Alperen Shenjing. He has taken the hat of "Best Player of the Class of 2021" from Cunningham's head. In this game, he faced Mobley, the No. 3 pick in the same class, and almost played a dimensionality-reducing game:

Shen Jing: 28 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, with a true shooting percentage of 65.3%.

Mobley: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, plus-minus value of -10

As long as Mobley defended Shen Jing alone in the game, the Turks would either use fantasy footsteps to shoot in the face, or turn around and retreat to the mid-range; as long as the Cavaliers flanked, Shen Jing could immediately find Shepard on the outside or the shooter in the corner. Mobley was led by Shen Jing all night and completely lost his former agility.

After the game, Rockets reporter Bradeaux directly posted a set of comparisons between Cunningham and Shen Jing's average game data this season, and said it bluntly: the two best players in the 2021 class. There is no doubt that Shen Jing and Cunningham are the two strongest internal and external cores.

•Shen Jing (16th pick): 23.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, a total of 2.2 steals + blocks, TS% 58.0%, net efficiency +10.9, team record 10-3.

• Cade Cunningham (No. 1 pick): 27.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 9.9 assists, a total of 2.4 steals + blocks, TS% 53.5%, net efficiency +6.8, team record 13-2.

Cunningham is indeed better in scoring and assists, but in terms of efficiency, rebounds, plus-minus, team winning percentage, true shooting percentage... Shen Jing wins almost all advanced data. Cunningham is like a combination of Harden + Doncic, gorgeous, but with a ceiling; because Harden and Doncic's playing style will make teammates dependent, and they won't know how to play without them. It is easy for teammates to become tool men, but Shen Jing is the scarcer Jokic. He will not always have the ball in his hands, allowing his teammates to perform better. Moreover, the defensive end and size advantages were realized earlier than Jokic's rookie period.

If you focus on "who looks more like a champion", the answer is almost no suspense. In the past 20 years, there have been many championships with teams whose core is the inside. The Lakers in 2020 had thick eyebrows, the Bucks in 2021 had letters, Jokic in 23, and even the Celtics in 2024 had Porpo and Horford. Then there is the Thunder in 25 years, with Chet and Harten. Any team with a center as its core has a much higher fault tolerance rate in the playoffs than a pure defender core. The reason is simple: what the league lacks most today is big men who can control everything in the interior. This is hard currency. Others can be filled in, but the height is there.