Why did the Rockets’ planned signings during the offseason become the most embarrassing thing now?

Who are the Rockets’ second players this season?

Currently, there are only two players, Jeff Green and Capela, and these two players have played for the Rockets for different periods of time.

The first time Jeff Green played for the Rockets was in the 19-20 season. In the middle and late seasons of the season, the Rockets signed Jeff Green with a veteran's minimum salary. Jeff Green only played 18 games for the Rockets in the regular season, but the results were good. In the playoffs, Jeff Green got more opportunities, both in terms of data and offensive efficiency.

After Jeff Green finished this season, the Rockets had no intention of renewing Jeff Green's contract. After this season, Westbrook was traded by the Rockets, D'Antoni's contract expired, and the Rockets had no intention of renewing. Many Rockets players Conflicts within the team broke out. Although Harden did not leave the team directly, he was traded away from the Rockets at the beginning of the next season. At this stage of the Rockets, from the era of Harden as the core to the era of reconstruction, Jeff Green experienced the final glory of the era of Harden as the core of the Rockets.

The period when the Rockets signed Jeff Green again was in the summer of 2023. During this period, former Rockets coach Silas left the team and the Rockets entered the second cycle of reconstruction. As Udoka is the head coach of the Rockets, the Rockets urgently need veterans to help young players. Jeff Green is the mentor for the Rockets to sign inside players.

Compared to Jeff Green, Capela left a deeper impression during his time with the Rockets.

The Rockets were the 25th pick in the first round of 2014, and Capela is the only player who has passed the draft at this stage of the Rockets and stayed with the team for a relatively long time.

Capela's

was Dwight Howard's substitute in his rookie season. After Howard left the team, he became the Rockets' starting center and an important part of Harden's offensive system. Capela and Harden played pick-and-rolls, and Capela dropped the alley to catch the cake. He was known as the "Cake King". Capela's mobility and vitality were maximized when Harden was the core.

After Capela was selected by the Rockets, he played for the Rockets for 6 seasons, basically witnessing Harden's most glorious career peak. Capela's departure was due to the Rockets' rash introduction of Westbrook. The Rockets' starting lineup could not tolerate two non-space points. Capela was eventually traded in exchange for Covington, but the Rockets did not have a center lineup, and their problems in the playoffs were fully exposed.

This time, the Rockets signed Capela back and used Capela as a spare tire.

Judging from the first two preseason games, Capela has long lost his courage as before, and even showed a cliff-like decline from his peak season performance.

Judging from Capela's current body shape, compared to the last time he was with the Rockets, Capela's body is significantly larger and he has gained weight. As a mobile center, such a body shape obviously has a significant impact on movement speed and mobility. As a mobile center, the decrease in mobility will bring about a decrease in athletic ability. For a center who relies on athletic ability to make a living, his combat effectiveness will be greatly affected.

From an offensive point of view, Capela's positioning is originally a functional player. He mainly focuses on eating cakes and lacks the ability to attack independently. Capela's value is maximized by playing pick-and-roll with a defender with a core of ball holding. Harden and Trae Young have been paired with this type of player in his career.

However, at this stage, after VanVleet was reimbursed for the season, the Rockets lack a serious point guard. At present, both Shepard and Amen Thompson are far from being qualified starting point guards. The team's serious organizational responsibility is Shen Jing, but Shen Jing and Capela have important positions. Stacked, Shen Jing and Capela are not strong in shooting ability. When these two people are on the court at the same time, Shen Jing will basically sacrifice himself to stand high and Capela will occupy the low position. In the preseason, the two have a tacit cooperation. Shen Jing feeds Capela cakes. The two have a tacit understanding and cooperation, which is more due to Shen Jing's tactical role on the offensive end and Shen Jing's deterrence on the offensive end.

The Rockets' first substitute center in the regular season must be Adams, and Adams basically won't play in back-to-back games. Therefore, the Rockets' signing of Capela is more of a rainy day plan to provide Uduka with the configuration needs to play in the twin towers when Adams is not playing.

Capela's mobility is better than that of Adams and Shen Jing. Capela's pick-and-roll awareness is good. Capela's pick-and-roll awareness is the best among Rockets centers. The Rockets signed Capela. Basically, they mainly considered the need to enrich their playing styles. Especially last season, the twin towers of Adams and Shen Jing showed great power. The Rockets realized the high-level basketball and the return of traditional basketball, so signing Capela became a spare tire and a trend and fashion leader.

So, when Adams can play, will Capela get playing time?

From the current point of view, it seems difficult. Capela's role on the defensive end highly overlaps with Adams's, especially backcourt rebound protection, frontcourt rebounding, and frame protection. However, Capela's defensive switching ability is obviously stronger than Adams. When encountering a team that relies on pick-and-roll tactics, Capela's chance of playing is significantly greater than Adams, but In the league, there are not many ball-handling cores in their prime. Both Curry and Harden have entered the twilight years of their careers. However, the Rockets only encounter ball-holding cores like Trae Young twice a year, and it is difficult to encounter them in the playoffs. Lillard will most likely not play this season. This environment provides conditions for Adams to serve as the chief backup center.

Will Uduka implement egalitarianism in player appearances?

The striker is possible, but the possibility of the center is not high. With Shen Jing and Adams both able to play, there is a high probability that the rotation will be based on these two players. Shen Jing's playing time will definitely not be short..

Then, the Rockets signed Capela. In addition to feelings and as a backup tire to enrich the team's play style and enrich the player configuration, the demand for Capela is actually not as big as imagined. Capela's competitive state does not support too much playing time. What's more, the Rockets don't have a ball-handling core and lack qualified point guards, so Capela's role will be greatly reduced. Of course, the Rockets introduced Capela before VanVleet was retired for the season. The one who was most affected by VanVleet's injury was Shen Jing, but the one who had the biggest impact on the players' playing time was none other than Capela.