Rockets release smokescreen? Cultivate newcomers openly and chase superstars secretly? I m afraid that the opponent will ask for a price everywhere

7 playoff games, the Rockets' role players did perform well. However, several core players, such as Van Vreet and Jaylen Green, performed a bit unsatisfactory. VanVleet did play three good goals throughout the series, but if he could perform better in Game 1 and Game 2, the Rockets might have eliminated the Warriors. Not to mention Jaylen Green, the scorer in three playoffs was not double-digit and averaged only 13 points per game, which was simply unacceptable for a Rockets scoring champion. However, the Rockets still said very generously that they would give Jaylen Green some chances and would not trade him casually. Rockets management believes that Jaylen Green still has strong talent and is expected to become a top scorer in the league in the future.

Even at the season summary meeting, Rockets general manager Raphael Stone also vowed that the Rockets seem to value the continuity of the lineup more than chasing superstars. In other words, the Rockets may not easily break up this lineup. After all, this lineup has won the second place in the Western Conference this season. As long as the lineup is maintained next season and then conducts some targeted trading operations, the Rockets may go further in the playoffs. After all, the second in the Western Conference in the regular season is not a joke. The Rockets won 53 games before they achieved this record.

When talking about the playoffs, it can only be said that the Rockets lack experience on the one hand and have bad luck on the other hand, but more of it is lacking superstars with hard-solving skills. There are not many players that can handle the ball now, so getting a superstar seems to be the only goal for the Rockets this summer.

But Rockets general manager Raphael Stone has continuously emphasized the need to cultivate continuity of the lineup, and will give young players such as Shepard and Whitmore more opportunities next season. In fact, from the surface, the Rockets want to vigorously train new players and let new players take the lead next season, but this is more like a smoke bomb released by the Rockets.

Because even if the Rockets want to chase superstars, they cannot keep this matter all day long. Opponents have been paying attention to the Rockets' every move, and they also know what the Rockets need. Whether it is the Suns or the Bucks, both teams have the Rockets' favorite superstars: one is Durant and the other is Antetokounmpo. If the Rockets talk about "need superstars" all day long, it is not ruled out that the Bucks and Suns will ask for a lot of price on the Rockets.

After all, the Rockets now have extremely rich chips: multiple first-round picks are valuable, the young players on the team are also envied by other teams, and some chips such as expiration contracts. As long as the Rockets are willing, they can take out enough chips to chase superstars.

But the Rockets did not make any public statement. They said they wanted to train newcomers on the surface, but in fact, there seemed to be actions of chasing superstars in secret. After all, there was news that the Rockets planned to exchange Shen Jing for Antetokounmpo, which is the best evidence. So the Rockets do not mention the need to chase superstars in public, but they are not idle in secret.

It can be said that this is the smoke bomb released by the Rockets. Even if they chase superstars, they have to operate behind the scenes, for fear that the opponent's team will ask for a sky-high price. After all, the Rockets cannot split most of the lineups to get superstars. In that case, even if they get superstars, the Rockets' record next season may not be as good as this season.