Only 6+4 in 12 minutes in 2 games! Did the Rockets sign the wrong person? 21.5 million was wasted, and the shortcomings at the 1st position remain unsolved for the time being.

In the Rockets' two regular season games, one lost to the Thunder and the other to the Pistons. It can only be said that the Rockets are not lucky enough. As a brand-new team, they should proceed step by step. They should first meet some weak teams in the regular season, run into the lineup and create a chemical reaction, and then meet those super strong teams.

However, the Rockets are indeed in trouble. The schedule is very tight, and the Rockets will face many top teams and playoff-level teams in the first 20 games at the beginning of the season. In the future, in addition to the Rockets facing off against the Nets in the Eastern Conference, they will also encounter teams such as the Mavericks, Celtics, Grizzlies, and Spurs.

Although these teams are not super strong teams, judging from the Rockets' current strength and VanVleet's retirement during the offseason, it is quite difficult to defeat these opponents. Therefore, we have said before the start of the season that the Rockets' record at the beginning of the new season may not be good enough. They need to accumulate more wins and win more games in the middle and late seasons of the season when the schedule is easier. At that time, the Rockets' running-in will basically be completed, and the schedule will become easier. There will no longer be so many strong teams competing against the Rockets.

Therefore, although the Rockets currently have 0 wins and 2 losses, ranking at the bottom of the Western Conference, and one of the few teams in the league that has not won, this is understandable and acceptable. After all, the Rockets have only played two of the 82 regular season games. It is completely wrong to "slap the Rockets to death" right now.

However, the Rockets also made some disappointing or mistakes during the offseason. For example, the Rockets did not expect that VanVleet would be injured unexpectedly and end the season, so they had very few reserves at the No. 1 position. Even at the No. 2 shooting guard, they did not have much reserves. The only shooting guards the Rockets could use were Okogie and Shepard.

The Rockets have a very strong lineup in the frontcourt and inside. There are three star centers in the inside: Shen Jing, Adams and Capela. In fact, it is enough to have Shen Jing and Adams. After all, players such as Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Tate can serve as center. Even in smaller lineups, players such as Ethan and Finney Smith can also play this position.

Capela seems out of place among the Rockets. In the two games, the Rockets have always used a 9-man rotation. Capela has indeed played as a substitute center, but he has not had many opportunities to perform in the tactical system. In the Rockets' first game against the Thunder, Capela made 1 of 1 shots in 8 minutes, scoring 4 points, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. In the previous game against the Pistons, Capela's playing time dropped from 8 minutes to 4 minutes, but he still made 1 of 1 shots, scored 2 points, and 4 rebounds. After two games, Capela played only 12 minutes, made 2 of 2 shots, scored 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 turnover.

In fact, any player with a minimum salary can produce such statistics. However, Capela and the Rockets signed a three-year contract of 21.5 million, with an average annual salary of 7 million. The Rockets have 7 million. If they can sign a useful point guard, their strength will naturally improve, but the Rockets have not done so. Although Capela is well-known now, he is completely useless in the Rockets lineup. There is no difference with him or without him.

The problem is that the Rockets used their salary space at the 5th position and signed Capela. In that case, the shortcomings at the 1st position will not be solved for the time being, because Capela cannot be traded away now. Many players who have renewed contracts with the Rockets cannot be traded currently. They can only be traded until their contracts are unfrozen in mid-December. Therefore, the Rockets have no salary space. They cannot sign any players at the No. 1 position now unless they trade away some core players, such as KD, Shen Jing, Smith Jr., Amen, etc., but the Rockets cannot do that; only after two months can the Rockets restart transactions to strengthen the No. 1 position.