Ethan is injured and retired! The Rockets shooters are filling in. Two veterans can be alternatives. It doesn t matter if the core of the second team is absent.

In the game between the Rockets and the Trail Blazers, Tali Eason, the core of the Rockets' second team, was hit in the leg and was later helped off the court by two teammates. It looked like the situation was very bad. Ethan's style of play destined him to suffer a lot of injuries. Although he was very motivated, he fought too hard and rushed too fast in the game. In the previous seasons, Ethan's attendance rate was not high. In the second season of his career, he only played less than 20 games for the Rockets. The Rockets' failure to enter the playoffs at that time had something to do with Ethan's long-term recovery from injury.

Now that Ethan is injured, the Rockets have not given a specific time for his absence. Although it seems that he was just hit in the leg, we don't know the extent of his injury and whether he will be sidelined for too long. In fact, for the Rockets, every important rotation player is very critical now, and they can no longer afford to be injured - core point guard VanVleet was reimbursed for the season due to a torn cruciate ligament in his knee. Even if the surgery is successful, VanVleet will have to sit out for at least a year before returning to the game.

In addition, veteran Finney Smith underwent ankle surgery after joining the Rockets. This surgery was performed in the offseason, and he is still recovering and has not played a single game for the Rockets. The latest news shows that Finney Smith may be sidelined for nearly two weeks before he can evaluate whether he can return. Because Finney Smith is older, his recovery from injuries is relatively slow. Uduka said that Finney Smith has resumed some training, such as shooting training, but Uduka himself does not know when he will return.

Ethan is now injured in his leg and the length of his absence is unknown. I hope he will be fine. Fortunately, the Rockets have enough substitute players to deploy. In addition to the 23-year-old backup point guard Davidson, veteran shooter Aaron Holiday is the most suitable candidate to take over. After Ethan retired due to injury in this game, Holiday directly replaced him and scored.

In addition, the Rockets also have two veterans available on the front line, Tate and Jeff Green. Although their abilities are not as good as Ethan's, they each have their own characteristics: Jeff Green is tall, good at protecting the basket, and is an all-rounder inside. He can serve as a center in a small lineup, a power forward or a small forward in a regular lineup, and he also has the ability to shoot three-pointers. Although he is older, he assisted Jokic to win the NBA championship with the Nuggets and has rich experience on the court. Tate is one of the oldest players on the Rockets. He has been playing for the team since 2020. He has comprehensive abilities. He can attack with the ball, focus on defense, and also has certain shooting ability.

After Ethan is absent, there are so many substitutes to choose from, so the pressure on Uduka is not too great. Although Ethan can average 12 points and 5 rebounds per game, and his three-point shooting percentage is over 50%. He plays an outstanding role as the top core of the second team, but even if he is temporarily absent, other Rockets players can fill in the gaps. Ethan is still very young, and I believe his recovery from injury will be relatively smooth, and he may be able to return to the team in just a few games.