29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks, Shepard exploded! 4 consecutive wins, Rockets two-way + basic salary Taobao two strange players

Scored 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks with all-round statistics. Shepard, the main player, took a break and seized the opportunity to explode! The Rockets ended the preseason with 4 consecutive victories, and the two-way + basic salary contract successfully obtained two amazing players.

The Rockets' 4-game winning streak ended

With Durant, Amen, Shen Jing and other core players taking extensive rest, the Rockets ushered in a second preseason match with the Hawks. This was also the Rockets' last preseason game. In the end, under the leadership of Shepard, the Rockets defeated the Hawks 133-115 and won 4 consecutive victories to end the preseason competition.

Since the outcome of the preseason is irrelevant, while the Rockets won a winning streak, they also completed their core goals and inspected some role players and players on the fringes of the rotation.

Among them, the much-anticipated Shepard seized the opportunity to explode and play the best game in the final game. At the same time, the Rockets also continuously acquired two rare players through two-way and basic salary.

Shepard's explosion

As last year's No. 3 pick, Shepard was unable to get enough opportunities to play and practice due to fierce competition within the Rockets during his rookie season. As a result, Van Jordan was seriously injured in the new season, and Shepard suddenly faced huge pressure and expectations.

Unfortunately, Shepard's performance in the summer league was lower than expected. Fortunately, entering the preseason competition, Shepard gradually recovered and began to produce stable output next to the main players, but there is still a big gap between the expectations of the outside world.

As a result, in the last game of the preseason, with all the core rotation members absent, Sheppard led the Rockets in three games against the Hawks with a complete lineup, but they had a huge explosion and played the best game of their career so far.

Playing only 29 minutes in the game, Shepard made 12 of 22 shots, efficiently scoring 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. With a plus-minus value of +11, he was one of the biggest contributors to the Rockets' victory over the Hawks.

In this game, Shepard perfectly demonstrated what the Rockets expected of him on both ends of the offense and defense. On the offensive end, Shepard made 5 of 13 three-pointers, including many unreasonable and difficult three-pointers. He scored and organized at the same time, and he had the style of a core point guard.

On the defensive end, which has been criticized a lot, Sheppard also made up for his disadvantages in size and confrontation with his excellent defensive sense and awareness, completing many steals and blocks.

The most important thing is that Sheppard, who was the No. 3 draft pick, finally showed his confidence in the NBA. This is the most important basic condition for him to realize his talents on both offense and defense.

I believe that as the season progresses, Shepard, who is given a greater role and expectations, will perform better, thereby filling the huge personnel rotation vacancy on the Rockets' back line.

Two-way + Basic Salary Taobao Two Wizards

In addition to the much-anticipated Shepard who seized the opportunity to play his best game, the other two fringe players with two-way and basic-salary contracts also seized the opportunity to prove themselves.

Among them, blue-collar striker Okogie, signed with a basic salary of 3.08 million a year, started 32 minutes in this game. He scored 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks on 8-of-15 shooting. He was everywhere on both offense and defense.

For the Rockets, Okogie's performance allows the team to add new options in the already rich wing rotation in the new season, and also allows the Rockets to better deal with potential injury risks.

Another surprise player is JD Davison, who has a two-way contract. As a fringe player with a two-way contract, JD Davison continued to perform magically in 4 preseason games.

This game came off the bench and made 5 of 11 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and efficiently scored 14 points, 5 rebounds (3 offensive rebounds), 6 assists, and 4 steals.

Not only has he achieved scoring, organization, and connection on the offensive end, but he also plays the role of a chaotic arrow on the defensive end. He will be one of the options for the Rockets to relieve the pressure of the backcourt rotation, and will also provide pressure and healthy competition for Sheppard's continued transformation.