In addition to Durant, the Rockets have two sharpshooters hidden? Whether they can win the championship is closely related to two-player shooting

Last season, the Rockets suffered losses in offense. Jaylen Green did not perform well in the playoffs, and even other players did not perform as well in the offensive end in the playoffs. Even Alperen Shin-kyung, the Rockets' scoring champion in the playoffs, has averaging 21 points per game, but it is difficult for him to beat the Warriors' starting lineup in a one-on-one situation on the offensive end. There are many times when he chases the dream of Shin-kyung and has been able to defend against Shin-kyung's singles. Therefore, there should be no problem with the Rockets' defense, both team defense of the entire team and the Rockets' internal double towers to protect the rim.

After getting three defensive experts, Finney Smith, Capela and Okogi next season, the Rockets' defensive ability will be greatly improved, and Durant's arrival will be even more important. The 37-year-old super shooter shot more than 53% from the field and shot more than 42% from three-pointers last season. Some US media pointed out that Durant is the top scorer and super shooter in the league, after all, the data will not lie. Durant, 37, still has strong state and personal abilities, and has not become mediocre because of his age.

However, some analysts pointed out that although the Rockets will have super shooters like Durant next season, Kevin Durant is probably the only one who can be called a super shooter among the Rockets, because players such as Shin Kyung, Ethan, and Amen Thompson need to polish their outside shooting ability. If they can practice shooting, the Rockets are likely to win the championship. More importantly, it seems that it is difficult for these players to become super shooters in just a few months. Even if they have been practicing shooting this summer, it will be difficult for them to show immediate projection effects in the regular season and playoffs next season.

In fact, media analysis shows that in addition to Durant, they also have two sharpshooters hidden in the Rockets. If these two young shooters can perform more normally, the Rockets have a chance to win the NBA championship. The two shooters are Shepard, 21, and Jabbarry Smith, 22. When he was at Auburn University, Smith Jr. was the high-speed turret at Auburn University. He had super three-pointers and could shoot at any position on the court.

But among the Rockets, Smith Jr. is now used more as a rim protector in the inside, especially in the playoffs last season. Although Smith Jr. hits more than 40% of his three-point shooting percentage, Uduka does not give him too many opportunities and playing time. Shepard is a famous sharpshooter at the University of Kentucky. He can hold the ball and play in the role of off-ball. Three-point shooting has always been his main scoring method. His three-point shooting percentage was not high last season. Even in the summer league not long ago, Shepard's three-point shooting percentage was only 31%, which was completely inconsistent with the super shooter.

U.S. media believes that in the face of Van Vreet's uncertainty, the Rockets need to let Smith Jr. and Shepard stand up to take on the shooting task. Although Smith Jr. may not be asked to create many shots as a striker, he must hit more shots. Shepard will have a significant increase in playing time next season. In addition to Smith Jr. and Durant, he is also the only pure shooter among the Rockets.

So in addition to Durant, as long as the two young shooters Smith and Shepard can perform at a normal level, the Rockets have a chance to compete for the championship; but if the two perform abnormally in shooting, or perform as unstable as last season, the Rockets rely solely on Durant's shooting, it will be difficult for the Rockets to compete with those super strong teams.