The Rockets were not favored by the media in the first game. If they do three things well, they may start the new season strongly.

With one day left, the 25-26 NBA regular season will officially start. As the first game of this year's regular season, the two teams that will play have naturally attracted more attention. They are the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets will challenge last season's championship Thunder on the road in their first regular season game this season.

As the second-ranked team in the Western Conference last year, the Rockets were unfortunately eliminated after 7 games with the Warriors in the first round. This gave the team management a sense of success. Therefore, during the offseason, the Rockets became one of the most active teams in the free agent market. They not only acquired Durant, the league's superstar, through trade, but also completed the contract extensions of original core players such as VanVleet, Smith Jr., and Adams. During the free agent signings, they also gained strong players such as Fannie Smith and Capela.

However, in the predictions of the first game given by many media, the probability of the Rockets losing the first game is more than 70%. This has a certain relationship with VanVleet's injury. The former All-Star player has suffered serious injuries before and is likely to miss this season. Without this core backcourt who averaged 18+4+4 per game in the playoffs, the team's stability will indeed be tested.

At the same time, there is a high probability that players such as Fannie Smith and Tate will be absent due to injuries. Compared with the Thunder with all players playing, the Rockets will indeed be weaker in terms of book strength. However, this does not mean that the Rockets have no chance to get a good start in the new season on the road. In fact, as long as they do the following three aspects, the Rockets will have a good chance of winning.

First of all, the team must provide sufficient firepower support from the outside. The Thunder's two inside generals, Chet and Harten, both have good switching abilities on the defensive end. They are also good at guarding the penalty area. Therefore, the Rockets need to use outside firepower to stretch the opponent's defensive range, so that their own tactics will be easier to open.

This is especially true for Shen Jing. As the core of the team, Shen Jing can only completely mobilize the opponent's defense of Harten or Cut and punish the opponent on the outside in order to create more air-cutting opportunities for Amen, Durant, Ethan, and Xiaojia. However, Shen Jing, who has experienced this year's European Cup, has become more stable and calm based on his preseason performance. He is fully capable of grasping such a situation.

The second point is the basis for the Rockets to win last season, which is rebounding. If the team is to deal with the Thunder Twin Towers in the first game, Uduka is likely to line up a big man lineup of Amen, Shen Jing, Xiao Jia, Durant, and Adams. Except for Amen who is 2.01 meters, other players in this lineup are about 2.11 meters. If they can suppress their opponents in rebounding, the Rockets will get many secondary offensive opportunities.

The third point is that Durant's performance will play a vital role. The Rockets failed to overcome the Warriors last season, largely because the team did not have enough offensive firepower to support them in high-intensity games. As the first official game for the Rockets, and at the same time facing his old club, Durant's performance will inevitably attract the attention of most people.

As a scorer who can shoot over 50% and average 27.2 points per game in his career, the Rockets need Durant to perform at critical moments to improve the team's chances of winning. Although in previous interviews, Durant said that in the new season he will hand over the stage to the young people of the Rockets, but as long as the league's top "killer" shows his sword, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble for the Thunder.

So the Rockets are not at a complete disadvantage in terms of lineup or player matching as the media said, and this Rockets team, which has injected enough fuel in the off-season, may have more fighting spirit in the first game. After all, if they can defeat last season's championship in the first game, it will definitely play a very positive and encouraging role in the team's journey throughout the season. Do you think the Rockets will win their first game against the Thunder? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!