The Rockets' No. 3 center performed well, and Shin Kyung became the first substitute
The Rockets have lost four in a row, but the days ahead will be better, with two more home and one away game before the All-Star break. Tomorrow morning, the Rockets will take on the New York Knicks on their home court, who are the strongest team in the East. After signing Anunoby, the Knicks also traded from the Pistons for two big men, Bojan and Burks. Even without those superstars, under the leadership of Brunson and Randle, the overall level of the Knicks is not inferior to any top team.
It's unclear if Rockets center Shin Kyung will be able to play in the next round against the Knicks, but even if Shin Kyung still can't play, the Rockets have plenty of time to prepare. In addition to Jalen Green and Smith, the Rockets' two backup centers Longdell and Jeff Green, they still have to continue to play and show their real skills. Jeff Green came on as the Rockets' starting center, and he once scored 16 points in a game. Longdell, the Rockets' No. 3 forward,"A blessing in disguise"Because of Shen Jing's absence, he will most likely appear on the team's bench list.
The Rockets were beaten by the Hawks, ending a four-game losing streak, but Randle played well in limited games, especially on the defensive end. Randle had two points, nine rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes. Nine rebounds, which is also Randle's season high. Landell used to play for the Suns and had no problem taking nine rebounds in a game. But in Houston, Landale wasn't in the loop, so his performance wasn't great.
However, in the absence of new Kim, Longday was once again off the bench, and he grabbed nine rebounds in 13 minutes, which was also his best defense of the season. Without Xinjing's absence and Udoka trusting Lang Dale again, Lang Dale would have been a free agent at the end of the season, and the Rockets would not have continued to fulfill his contract.
Longdell is famous, he signed a four-year, $32 million contract with the Rockets last summer, and although Longdell had eight million dollars a year, it was only for one year, so the Rockets kept Longdell. Originally, Landale should have been replaced by the Rockets, but because Landel was not in good shape during this time, many teams didn't want him. In the end, Landale chose to stay with the Rockets.
However, Landell's 2+9+2 performance in just 13 minutes made the Rockets very happy with his performance, especially on his defensive line. So, the Rockets' No. 3 forward, or rebounding center, still looks like they will be able to continue playing for the Rockets and play the remaining 30 games, and they will also try to get Udoka Landale on the court.
Given that Jeff Green is 37 years old, new center Adams won't play with the Rockets until next season, so no one knows what he'll be like when he returns. It looks like Landale is still a strong contender for the Rockets. If he can play the remaining 30 games like he did last time, then the Rockets have a good chance of using the player option to keep Landell.
Houston will provide equal opportunities for every player. If Longday can show where he was last season with the Suns, there's a good chance that Longday will stay, even if it's Adams in the summer. Therefore, the remaining game is not only about whether the Rockets can enter the playoffs, but also about whether Randle will stay.