In a previous deal, the Rockets used Oladipo + 3 second-round picks to get Adams from the Grizzlies, and many fans believe that the Rockets also know that they have little hope of reaching the play-offs, so they have the meaning of giving up, and it is better to exercise their youth and prepare for the new season. We say that it is also a talented team, why the Rockets can't compare to the Thunder, the reason is that the young people in Houston basically have shortcomings, like Jalen Green is unstable, God has five games in a ghost, Amen didn't shoot, Whitmore's defense needs to be improved, Jabari is also unstable, the biggest shortcoming of the Rockets is still the inside, Shen Jing's data seems to be good, but in fact, he has no ability to protect the frame at all.
Basically, the center forward who is opposite Shen Jing can play good data, in other words, Shen Jing belongs to killing 800 enemies and losing 1,000. Look at the Thunder again, Alexander was originally obtained from the Clippers through a trade, and Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Keady were all selected by themselves, the Thunder These 4 young people are all very powerful, which really makes the Rockets feel envious, when will the young people of the Rockets reach the height of the Thunder? What is certain is that if the Rockets continue to maintain their current roster, then the possibility of rising is almost none, so changes must be sought, and the center bears the brunt, and the Rockets are in dire need of a center with strong rim protection ability, so Adams is here.
Adams, known as the man "Aquaman", may have many fans' impression of him still in the Thunder period, when Adams and Wei Shao partnered, the effect was very good, Adams could help Wei Shao block people on the defensive end, and then Wei Shao took the opportunity to snatch the rebound. In fact, Adams also has top-level rim protection ability, he has a height of 2.11m and an arm span of 2.25m, and is currently only 30 years old, and he is in his prime. However, Adams is reimbursed this season, his contract will expire in 26, and the salary this season and next season is $12.6 million, the reason why the Rockets want to sign Adams is because he likes his defense, and according to statistics, Adams is also the best defensive player in the league.
Let's talk directly about the data, looking back at the 22-23 season, in the first battle between the Grizzlies and the Bucks, the final score was 142-101, and the Grizzlies beat the Bucks by a wide margin. In the whole game, Brother Alphabet 5 of 13, 1 of 3 three-pointers, 8 of 13 free throws only got 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and played seriously abnormally, when Adams made a great contribution on the defensive end, his data was 10 points, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks, and 4 of the 5 blocks were given to Brother Alphabet, we often see this kind of picture during the game, as long as Adams is guarding under the basket, Brother Alphabet is quite hesitant to play, and he does not dare to rush in at all, otherwise what awaits him is a ruthless block, and Adams is guarded by Adams to doubt his life.
You know, Brother Alphabet's best thing is to impact the inside, the league can prevent his center is difficult to find, and Adams can do it, after the game, Brother Alphabet said during the interview: "Adams is full of muscles, he seems to push everyone away, he is one of the best players in the league in terms of interior positioning, defense, he makes us lose our rhythm, he can help the team in this regard, and use his strength to affect the game," these words are easy to understand, Brother Alphabet was convinced by Adams. A round is of little significance, the second meeting in the 22-23 season, Adams has been reimbursed, so let's look at the second meeting between the two sides in the 21-22 season, the Grizzlies beat the Bucks 127-102 again.
In this game, Brother Alphabet shot only 7 of 20, and Adams data was 4 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks, including 6 frontcourt boards. In addition to his ability to protect the rim, Adams also has top-level rebounding ability, statistically averaging 51 frontcourt board, ranked first in the league, and there are many games in which Adams can play dazzling statistics, such as 16 points and 17 rebounds against the Lakers, 13 points, 19 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Hornets, 11 points, 23 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Kings and so on. Adams has a tough style of play, and his addition will undoubtedly greatly improve the Rockets' interior defense, just imagine, if Adams was not reimbursed in the playoffs last year, the Lakers may not have thought about the Grizzlies may not be so easy.
According to the Rocket's plan, it is not surprising that Shen Jing will be the starter in the new season, and Adams will be on the bench, in fact, the Rockets can be bold, and it doesn't matter if Shen Jing is traded, the effect of Adams partnering Jabari should be very good. It's no exaggeration to say that a healthy Adams is top-notch in terms of defense, rebounding ability, and screen quality, and the Rockets are definitely earning it to sign him. Udoka also said of Adams not long ago, saying, "I think we've got a very high-level player, Adams has been the rebounding leader in the league for the last five or six years, he's one of the best defenders in the league, and I think he's going to be a great addition to us on and off the court." ”