36 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists in two games! The Rockets have become a perfect match for Durant. Is it difficult for the old shooter to match him when he returns?

Although the Rockets currently only have 9 players in the rotation, there are actually many capable players in the Rockets' third team. For example, shooter Aaron Holiday and the newly developed fourth point guard Davidson, and the Rockets' two forwards, Tate and Jeff Green, are also versatile, and they can also contribute on both offense and defense.

In fact, the biggest headache for the Rockets now is not that VanVleet is out for the season due to injury, but that new aid and 32-year-old veteran shooter Finney Smith is far from returning to the team. We know that Finney Smith underwent ankle surgery during the offseason. So far, he has been affected by the surgery and has not fully recovered. Although he has started shooting training on the court not long ago, according to reports, Finney Smith cannot participate in confrontations or full training.

So it is still unknown when Finney Smith will come back to compete for the Rockets. Even the Rockets head coach Uduka himself does not know when Finney Smith will come back. Previous news stated that Finney Smith may miss some games at the beginning of the regular season, but now we see that so far, Finney Smith has shown no signs of starting systematic training. Although he only made some simple shots, if he wants to play, he must complete full-court confrontation training before he has a chance to play, just like Tate did before.

However, although Finney Smith cannot play now, the Rockets don't have to worry at all, because their 24-year-old wing forward Tali Eason has performed at an All-Star level. Against the Nets, Ethan played his best game of the season. In 26 minutes, he made 8 of 12 shots and 5 of 7 three-pointers. He scored a team-high 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks, and did not make a single mistake in the game.

The Rockets defeated the Raptors the day before, and Ethan continued to play. In 23 minutes, as a substitute forward, he made 6 of 11 shots and 2 of 3 three-pointers. He scored 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the game. Although 5 turnovers is indeed a bit too much, Ethan has more possessions of the ball and his tactical position is clearer. It is understandable that he makes many mistakes.

We have seen that in the last two games where the Rockets have won two consecutive games, Ethan has produced quite good statistics. In the two games, he scored a total of 36 points, plus 10 rebounds, and provided 9 assists to his teammates. You know, in the past, Ethan was a defensive warrior who could also shoot three-pointers and was a master rebounder, but his passing and assisting abilities were not good, and he even lacked the ability to hold the ball. Now, Ethan has sent out 9 assists in two games, averaging 4.5 assists per game. When VanVleet was absent, Ethan developed his passing ability and helped other Rockets teammates score easily. The multiple assists are a good proof.

The Rockets' defensive backbone has finally become Durant's perfect match. When Durant is on the court, Ethan can become a pure defender, helping Durant to assist and supplement defense; once Durant comes off the court, Ethan will become the main offensive point at the 3rd position. Although Ethan's performance has been ups and downs in recent games, he did score high points in the Rockets' two-game winning streak, averaging 18 points per game in the two games and scoring multiple three-pointers.

The Rockets are looking forward to Finney Smith playing to provide defense and stable three-pointers. However, even if the veteran shooter Finney Smith returns, it is estimated that it will be difficult to compete with Ethan. Ethan is taller and stronger, and his three-point shooting percentage has also been rising all the way, and his defensive ability and confrontation ability are not inferior to Finney Smith. Therefore, even if Finney Smith comes back, he needs to pass Ethan first, otherwise, he will not play more than Ethan.