Rockets vs. Grizzlies, 3 killers are obvious, the US media has a new recruit to strengthen the point guard

The Rockets are going to play the Grizzlies away from home. This game is a good opportunity for the Rockets to hit a 5-game winning streak, but they have to deal with the small troubles in the lineup first - VanVleet is still recovering from the cruciate ligament injury of his anterior knee, and Finney Smith has sprained his ankle, so these two will definitely not be able to play; Jabari Smith Jr. also has an ankle injury. Although it was marked as "doubtful" before the game, judging from recent news, he has a high probability of being able to play. On the other hand, the Grizzlies are having an even tougher time. Not only is their record poor, but their core is also in conflict. There may have been some signs of the direction of this matchup.

Let’s first talk about the recent status and rankings of the two teams. The difference is really big. The Rockets just defeated the Mavericks 110-102 in their last game. They also beat the Celtics by 27 points before. Now they have 4 consecutive victories in hand and are gaining momentum. As of November 5, their ranking has climbed to seventh in the Western Conference. More importantly, these wins are not based on luck, but on actual strength. They are very stable on both offense and defense.

Looking at the Grizzlies again, it is really a downturn visible to the naked eye. In the last game at their home court, they actually lost to the Pistons 104-114. Now they suffered a three-game losing streak. Their record dropped to 3 wins and 5 losses, and their ranking dropped to 12th in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies originally had a good record at home, but now they are losing consecutive games, and the internal conflicts have not been resolved. It is too difficult to stop the Rockets in this state.

Next, we have to talk about the Rockets' confidence in facing the Grizzlies. They have three "killer weapons" in their hands, each of which can hit the Grizzlies' weaknesses. The first one is the most ruthless three-point firepower in the league. Now the Rockets' three-point shooting percentage is as high as 42.5%, firmly sitting at the top of the league. It is an earth-shaking change from the 21st place last season. Compared with other strong teams, the gap is also widened. The second-place Bucks are 40.9%, the third-place Bulls are 40.7%, the fourth-place 76ers are 40.6%, and the fifth-place Timberwolves are 40.2%. The Rockets are the only ones who are accurate on the outside.

What makes opponents even more troublesome is that the Rockets are not only accurate overall, but also have explosive attacks. Let's just talk about Ethan. This season, his three-point shooting percentage has soared to 57%, which is simply outrageous. Judging from his stability in catching and shooting, if the opponent misses a little bit, he can score one for you. Moreover, the Rockets' three-pointers are not just random throws, but are coordinated with tactics - Shen Jing can provide support in the high post, and Durant can move without the ball to attract defenses. Once the two are restrained, the Grizzlies' defense will easily become chaotic. If Grizzlies insider Adams dares to come up to guard Shen Jing, the ball will immediately pass to Ethan and Okogie who are open on the outside. If the Grizzlies shrink inside to protect the frame, Shen Jing can shoot three-pointers by himself. He has a 52.9% three-point shooting rate this season, which is impossible to guard.

Looking at the Grizzlies, the outside defense is already weak. Now Clark has a knee contusion and can't play, and Edie can't play either. Jerome has a calf strain and Pippen Jr. has a toe contusion. Both the back line and the inside rotation are almost empty. Facing the Rockets' three-point bombing, they will probably be stunned.

The second trump card is the Rockets' dual cores-Shen Jing and Durant. The state of these two people is completely crushing the Grizzlies. Shen Jing has made great progress this season, averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game, which are quasi-All-Star statistics. He shot 47.3% from the field and made more than half of his three-pointers. What's even more rare is that he can also pass. His 7.6 assists ranked 12th in the league. He is simply a "center who can pass." Whether it's feeding his teammates in the pick-and-roll or playing in the low post himself, he can do it.

Although Durant is 37 years old, his condition has not declined at all. He averaged 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He shot 55.1% from the field, 40.9% from three-point range, and his true shooting percentage was as high as 68.6%, setting a career high. Their pick-and-roll cooperation is something that few teams in the league can guard now. The two complement each other so well that the Rockets basically have no weaknesses on offense.

Looking at the Grizzlies' core Morant, he has simply hit rock bottom now. He had conflicts with the management and coaching staff, and his on-field performance plummeted. This season, he averaged only 28.5 minutes per game, the lowest in his career; he scored less than 20 points, shot 40.6% from the field, and only 15.6% from three-point range, all the worst in his career. What's even worse is that when he was on the court, the Grizzlies' offensive efficiency dropped by 3.7 points. Sometimes they played key balls outside of tactics, and there was no trust in the locker room. Compared with the stable output of the Rockets' dual-core, it was far behind.

The third trump card is the Rockets' defense. Their defensive resources are so abundant that they can restrain the Grizzlies' offense. The Grizzlies currently have several people injured on the back line, and their offense basically relies on Morant to break through and score the ball, but the Rockets have a lot of people who can guard him. Amen Thompson has a good body and strong defensive awareness, and can stick to Morant all the time, preventing him from passing to his teammates; Ethan, as a wing defensive leader, can not only prevent Bane's outside shots, but also help guard the Grizzlies' inside line; even Durant, although older, still has defensive experience and height and wingspan, and can still block opponents at critical moments. He averaged 1 block per game last season.

This lineup, which can defend from position 1 to position 4, is exactly the lifeline of the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies originally lost wing defense and rebounding protection due to Clark's injury, and now their offense can only rely on the sluggish Morant. Facing the Rockets' multi-level defense, it is estimated that either the breakthrough will be blocked, or the outside shot will not be made, it will be impossible to organize an effective offense. The Rockets defeated the Celtics by 27 points before, relying on this defensive system to lock down the opponent's offense.

However, the Rockets are not without their shortcomings. After VanVleet was injured, the point guard rotation became a bit tight. That’s why the American media Bleacher Report gave them advice and proposed a three-party trade plan. It suggested that the Rockets bring over Derrick White from the Celtics to complete the last piece of the championship puzzle..

The specific transaction plan is as follows: the Rockets will take out Shepard and Van Jordan, plus two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, and exchange Derrick White from the Celtics, and exchange Highsmith and 5 million from the Nets. The Celtics can get Sheppard, the Nets' Jaylen Wilson, the Rockets' 2029 first-round pick and White's $28.1 million trade exception; the Nets can get Van Jordan and the Rockets' 2027 first-round pick.

This deal is too worthwhile for the Rockets. White is a combo guard with championship experience. He can not only play point guard to sort out the offense, fill VanVleet's vacancy, but also shoot three-pointers. His career shooting rate is 35.9%. His defense is also elite level, which can further strengthen the Rockets' defense. The arrival of Highsmith can supplement the wing depth, and the 5 million trade exception can be reserved to fine-tune the lineup in the future. For the Rockets who want to compete for the championship, exchanging future draft picks for strong players that can be used now is definitely the best solution.

Currently, the Rockets have the league's top three-pointers, dual-core dominance and full-coverage defense. Even if they lose two main players, the probability of defeating the Grizzlies and winning five consecutive games is still very high. After all, the Grizzlies are injured and messy now, and there is no way they can compare with the Rockets. If the deal mentioned by the US media can be completed, the Rockets can completely make up for their shortcomings and truly become the championship favorite with "no weaknesses in offense and defense". For the Rockets, defeating the Grizzlies tomorrow is just the beginning. Once the lineup is further optimized, they may really be able to compete with the Thunder this year.