Rejecting the era of small balls? The NBA Rockets will launch five major teams in the new season

Reject the small ball era? The Rockets have launched the "Five Death" lineup in the new season, and Amen has become the key

In the NBA league where small ball tactics are now popular, the Houston Rockets have taken the lead and are preparing to launch the "Five Death" lineup in the new season. This move undoubtedly caused a stir in the league.

With the strong joining of Kevin Durant, the Rockets' lineup depth and strength have made a qualitative leap, which also provides the possibility for the construction of the "Five Death" lineup. The expected starting lineup for the new season is: point guard Fred van Van Vleet, shooting guard Amen Thompson, small forward Kevin Durant, power forward Jabbarry Smith Jr., and center Alperen Shinkin. The average height of this lineup reaches 2.04 meters, which has an absolute advantage in height, which is extremely rare in the entire league.

First look at the inside, Shen Jing averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season. As an All-Star center, he has rich offensive methods in the inside. He not only has solid back-to-door singles skills, but also has excellent support skills, and can connect the team's internal and external offenses well. Jabarri Smith Jr. returns to the starting power forward position. He is 2.11 meters tall, has excellent shooting ability, and has a three-point shooting percentage of 35.4%, which can open up enough space for the inside. At the same time, his solid defensive skills can also build a defense line for the team's inside. The cooperation with Shin Kyung is worth looking forward to. On the

, Durant's joining made the Rockets feel like a big wing. At the age of 36, he still maintained a very high competitive level last season, averaging 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, shooting percentage as high as 52.7%, and three-point shooting percentage was 43%. As a historical scorer, his threat on the offensive end is self-evident, and the team's most trustworthy end point is the team's most trustworthy end point. Although Amen Thompson may have a little immature offensive skills in the shooting guard position, he is 2.01 meters tall and was selected for the best defensive team last season. His elite-level defensive ability can effectively limit the opponent's core outside players, and he can average 14.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and has good rebound protection and fast break propulsion ability.

And in this lineup, Amen Thompson will be the key figure. On the one hand, he needs to grow rapidly on the offensive end and improve his shooting ability, especially his three-point shooting percentage. Currently, his three-point shooting percentage of 27.5% still has a lot of room for improvement. This will better echo Shin Kyung, Smith, and Durant, the forward, so that the opponent's defense will lose sight of the other. On the other hand, on the defensive end, he must continue to play his defensive advantages, use his height and wingspan to perform oppressive defense against the opponent's outside ball holder, cut off the opponent's passing route, and drive the team's defensive enthusiasm. At the same time, he also needs to take on the heavy responsibility of organizing the team's offense when VanVleet rests and sort out the team's offensive rhythm.

Overall, the Rockets' "Five Deaths" lineup is expected to have a great advantage in rebounding competition. Shin Kyung, Smith and Durant all have excellent rebounding abilities, which will ensure the team's second offensive opportunity on offensive rebounds and protection on defensive rebounds. On the defensive end, they can interfere with their opponent's shooting with their height and wingspan, and even implement joint defense tactics to put their opponent's offense in trouble. However, this lineup is not perfect. For example, the chemical reaction between players takes time to run in. When facing some teams that focus on small ball tactics and have extremely fast offensive rhythms, they may face the problem of the defensive rotation speed not keeping up.

But in any case, the Rockets' launch of the "Five Deaths" lineup in the new season is undoubtedly a bold and imaginative attempt. They rejected the popular small ball era style in their own way and were preparing to prove with their strength in the new season that the big lineup can also play in the league, and Amen Thompson's performance will also become one of the key factors in whether this lineup can succeed. Let's wait and see.