Average of 23+5, shooting percentage of 36.4%, Shepard ended Summer United early, Rockets marginal defender took the opportunity to take the lead

The Rockets suffered three consecutive defeats in the summer league, against the Hawks. At the last moment, the team had multiple opportunities to win the game, but Samuels sent the ball directly into the basket. Chandler broke through and dunked, and the timeout was invalid because the coach called the timeout. The victory or defeat of the summer league is not important, it mainly depends on the individual performance of the players. Shepard only played in the first two games, and the other players were just green leaves. This game was completely different. A total of 5 players scored in double digits, ushering in a collective outbreak, competing for the quota of staying in the team.

Shepard suffered a calf injury in the first game of the summer league. He played with an injury in the second game. To be on the safe side, he did not play in the third game. He had already ended this year's summer league early. He would not participate in the last game against the Trail Blazers. As the Tanhua Show last season, Shepard was highly anticipated and disappointed. In the two warm-up matches, Shepard averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2 assists and 4.5 turnovers per game. He performed well only based on the data and was the team's offensive and defensive core.

The data is luxurious, mainly because of the unlimited firepower. His shooting percentage is only 36.4%, and his three-point shooting percentage is as low as 31.8%. It is so inefficient in the summer league that it is not realistic to expect him to take the lead in the regular season. Shepard's second season has not made any progress, lacks strong shooting ability, slow movement, fails to control fortunes at the number one position, and lacks height and confrontation at the number two position. In the new season, the Rockets have a lot of forwards, but only Van Vleet can do what they should do on the back line.

This summer, the Rockets were the big winner of the NBA. The deal was Durant, signed Capela, Finney Smith, and renewed the contract with players such as Adams, VanVleet, Jabarri Smith, and everything was ready to wait for the new season to start. But judging from the current situation, Shepard cannot be the sixth man, and it is a question whether he can even score in the regular rotation lineup. The good news is that in the summer league against the Hawks, defender Chandler exploded and showed strong combat power and took the opportunity to get on the position.

Candler was selected as the eighth place in the second round of the 2022 season. He was once a top high school student in the United States. After joining the NBA, his development has not been very smooth. In this game, Chandler made 8 of 20 shots, scored 22 points and 7 assists, and scored three three-pointers. On both offense and defense, he is no worse than Shepard. His hope of staying in the team has increased significantly. The Rockets lack guards and have no salary space. You can consider giving Chandler a two-way contract, which will also add some pressure to Shepard and form a healthy competition.

The Rockets' goal in the new season will be to compete for the championship, and all NBA teams have been strengthened. Durant will become the core of the team, but there are still many hidden dangers, such as Durant's age and whether he can maintain his peak scoring ability. The forward line is full of talents, how to weigh the playing time, and the substitute guards are not strong enough. The Rockets originally expected Shepard to take the lead, so they firmly sent Whitmore away and left the Tanhua Show. At present, whether this 2-choice 1 choice is correct depends on the regular season test.