Are the Rockets really only one superstar away from competing for the championship? Is it really worth it to pay all the chips for this?

Translator's Note: This article was originally published from "The Ringer", and the author is Michael Pina. The data in the article are as of the time of publication (May 6 local time). The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform. The summer of the Rockets full of possibilities has arrived. Do they need Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, or other stars to achieve a qualitative leap? Or is there another way for their best way to win the championship?

Last November, in order to write a report on how Ime Uduka created one of the most fierce defensive systems in the NBA, I had a conversation with Houston Rockets head coach Uduka. Before the start of this season, the Rockets became a "potential stock" full of suspense with low external expectations, some expected young talented players and various trading chips. However, the defensive strength they showed was solid enough, which made their record far exceed almost everyone's expectations.

At the end of our conversation, I asked Uduka if there was anything else I wanted to add. He once again stressed that having the league's top five defense is an "inclusive" element if the team wants to have ambitions to win the championship. Then, Uduka almost casually changed the topic, which did not appear in my report in the end, but whenever I pondered how much attention the Houston Rockets' situation was and what they needed to go further in the playoffs in the future, what he said would come to my mind.

He said: "We did want to consolidate the defensive system last year, and I think we have laid a solid foundation. But now, we are working hard to improve our offense so that it can match our defense. So, part of the challenge we face is to change the data on offense and how people think of us last year. We want to be a team with a balanced offense and defense. Although defense is like an instinct to me, the offense is also fun. We hope to continue to grow on the offense and ultimately achieve a comprehensive deterrence on both ends of the offense."

Almost all of what he said has become a reality, but the Houston Rockets' offense has not yet fully kept up with the defense. The Rockets ranked fifth in the NBA regular season defense and one of the teams with the least points lost in defense, but it is difficult to score easily on the offensive end. This issue was exposed in a seven-game series with the Golden State Warriors. This first round of the series is like a microcosm of their entire season's characteristics, and it also highlights Uduka's desire to make the team more balanced on both offense and defense.

This also brings up the most important question the Rockets face as they are about to enter an offseason that may change the team's development trajectory: How do they become a team that is extremely threatening on the offensive end? More specifically, who will be the core force driving them forward? Is this guy already in the team lineup? Or does it need to be obtained through transactions? If it is the latter, what price does it cost to get him? Is it worth breaking up a core lineup with unlimited potential but still to be discovered? The Rockets ranked 12th in the regular season offensive efficiency, but this ranking is largely due to the chances of secondary offensive, low turnover rate, and the advantage gained on the offensive end by creating chaos for opponents by defense. When the pace of the game slows down, their offense will stagnate—their half-time offense is only ranked 22nd. According to Bball Index, the Houston Rockets ranked 18th in overall shooting quality, with only the Orlando Magic shooting lower from the real field goal percentage than them among the teams entering the playoffs.

These issues are further amplified in the playoffs. In the playoffs, the Rockets' half-time offensive efficiency is lower, and their effective shooting percentage is only higher than that of the Magic and the Grizzlies - considering that Van Vreett was in a hot state midway through the series, this data seems unsatisfactory. The space problem still exists, which is particularly evident in the first and final matches of the series. The Rockets failed to break through the 90-point mark in both games. Alperen Shinkyung's efficiency has declined significantly and has failed to continue his strong performance in the regular season. Jaylen Green's struggle was expected.

For the entire team, every attack seems like a Sisyphus-like sprint-the Houston Rockets' offensive mode is not so much a shot in, but a rebound and a second offensive opportunity. This sounds bad, but it doesn't necessarily mean their performance is a disaster. Losing to the Warriors led by Stephen Curry in seven games was not so much a frustrating defeat as a valuable learning experience. In the first four games, the Rockets lost only 9 more points than the Warriors, and their free throw percentage was only 63.2%, which is a very bad number in the playoffs. Every game is suspenseful. Faced with the Warriors, which have the first two stars in the series, the gap shown by the young Rockets is not insurmountable - including the seventh home game, there is a possibility of winning every game.

Now that the series is over, all eyes are focused on Rockets general manager Raphael Stone, who has too many trading chips available on hand. It should be noted that the Houston Rockets have the first-round picks for the Phoenix Suns in 2025, 2027 and 2029, as well as the first-round picks for the Dallas Mavericks in 2029, and the first-round picks exchanged with the Brooklyn Nets in 2027. Stone can not only wait for the young players trained by the team to grow up, but also introduce mature stars from other teams. Whether to maintain restraint or take action is not absolutely right or wrong, but being cautious may have a lower risk. The Houston Rockets have grown more than expected and they have enough time. Let’s first discuss the path of steady development.

The first thing to solve is Van Vritte's contract problem. Since these young players have either signed high-value contract renewals or are about to obtain such contracts, the team needs to carefully consider long-term financial planning. Although the Houston Rockets have enough assets to bring in an already famous superstar and not bet on the team's entire future, the situation is not urgent enough to make the team have to take action. They can stay patient, think about it before the trade deadline, or keep holding on until the existing squad is forcing them to make changes. For now, perhaps the wisest choice is to create the best environment and carefully cultivate the amazing talents contained in the existing lineup.