The Rockets lineup depth becomes a double-edged sword! The salary cut of veteran contract renewal has caused controversy. Will bet on superstars next season or keep grassroots?

Rockets boss Fertitta's words "The 14th person can play rotation even when he goes to other teams" sounds very much like Versailles literature - who will pull the rotation list to 14th? But when you take it apart, it's really not a bragging thing. Coach Uduka's cards are too full: the regular season is rotated by 9 players, and the playoffs are reduced to 8 players, but Shepard and Holidays even have to rely on eye contact to win opportunities even when they are rubbish. You said Whitmore is a pity? The kid's physical fitness exploded, Xia Lian can fly and hide in the sky, and other teams have long been kept as treasures, but in the Rockets, they have to start with the water dispenser administrator.

Thinking of the Spurs' "GDP + a group of engineers" mode back then, but they were carefully selected adaptive puzzles. The Rockets just opened a "player supermarket" - from a pie-type center like Landaile to a space number four position like Geneson Williams, whatever you want. Sometimes when looking at Jeff Green sitting on the bench, he sighed for him: The 38-year-old veteran still has oil in the fuel tank. Other teams should have been the leader of the locker room, but they have to compete for playing time with the young people here.

82 regular season games, everyone will have to lose their skin. How many people have the Rockets injured this season? Smith Jr. and Van Vreet took turns to the injury list. The other teams had long collapsed, but the Rockets were not defeated - why? Shepard can make a three-pointer from the bottom corner from the top, and Landal can carry people in one stop in the inside, and even Jeff Green can play a small forward, using his experience to foul the damage. This "everyone can fight" atmosphere makes the opponent frightened: you will never know who is next to the Rockets.

I remember there was a game of Thunder, and the main players were missing three. Uduka was forced to send the "Development League Team". As a result, these substitutes were like they were hitting blood and dragged the game into overtime. After the post-match data, the substitute scored 10 points more than the main players - this is not an NBA team, it is clearly the "Avengers" reserve team. In-depth brings not only the guarantee of performance, but also a psychological advantage: there are many people anyway, so it takes turns to rest, so the load management of the main players is saved.

When the contract renewal session, the plot suddenly changed from "sweet worries" to "dance at the tip of a knife". US media proposed to keep Tate, Jeff Green and Melton with basic salary. This sounds like letting Michelin chefs go to the roadside stall to take care of their spoils - Tate is only 29 years old and averages 10 points and 5 rebounds per game last season. The weak team should have received a contract of tens of millions long ago. You asked him to reduce his salary from 8 million to basic salary? If I was Tate, I had to wonder in my heart: "Is it bad to play, or is it too good to play?"

Jeff Green is more subtle. A 38-year-old veteran has no speed and no bounce, but he can score a key goal every time he plays the field - in the game against the Mavericks, and scores three three-pointers in the last 5 minutes, which makes Doncic stupid. This "the older you get, the more demon" attribute is indeed suitable for being a locker room leader, but can the basic salary be retained? Let’s see how the Lakers next door coax the veteran. It’s not enough to rely on feelings alone, so you need some real respect.

The most hanging is Melton. This guy was reimbursed after only 6 games last season, but those who have seen him play in the Grizzlies before knowing that he is a tough guy who can defend and shoot. If the Rockets sign back with basic salary, it is equivalent to betting on his recovery from injury - if he wins the bet, he makes a lot of money, and if he loses the bet, he will throw away money in vain. These days, where are there philanthropists in the NBA? Every signing is a business, it depends on whether the Rockets management dares to bet.

The Rockets rely on "human sea tactics" to break through the siege this season, but what about next season? Do you really want to bet on the "14th person"? Some people say that lineup depth is the cornerstone of the championship. Look at the Nuggets, Jordan Jr. and Hylander are sitting on the bench, and they can always be unexpected at critical moments; others say that excessive reliance on rotation will lead to the core being not outstanding. Look at the Thunder back then, a bunch of potential stocks were finally dispersed, and no championship was gained.

The issue of renewal between Tate and Jeff Green is to put it bluntly a collision of "feelings and reality". Leaving veterans can maintain the atmosphere and combat power in the locker room, but may delay the growth of young people; let them go, the lineup will shrink, what if the injury comes again? Not to mention Durant’s introduction plan - if a superstar really comes, how to allocate the ball rights? Can the substitutes still be as willing to be green leaves as they are now?

After all, the NBA has always been a business world. There is no eternal "many people and great power", only an eternal trade-off. The Rockets' management is now like standing at a crossroads: go left and continue to build a "civilian legion", rely on team basketball to compete for the future; go right and bet on a superstar effect, and crush your opponent with talent. But no matter which path you choose, one thing is clear - the basic salary renewal may be the beginning of "sad feelings". If not, the Rockets will have to go from "overwhelming" to "panic".