The Rockets missed out on a 3-year, 39 million contract? The 32-year-old tower became Jokic’s nemesis! He only scored 6 points in 15 minutes

Today the Rockets’ opponent is the Suns. In the previous game, the Rockets lost to the Nuggets. Although Shen Jing still had a chance to hit a three-pointer to tie the score at the last minute, his long shot was just a hair away, and the Rockets ultimately lost. Shen Jing and Durant performed poorly in this game. As a superstar, Durant is 37 years old, so it is understandable that he occasionally performs poorly. And Shen Jing, a 23-year-old super center, can be full of energy when meeting other centers, produce first-class statistics and performance, and lead the team to win. However, when meeting the real super center Jokic, Alperon Shen Jing obviously becomes a rookie.

In this game, Shen Jing made only 6 of 14 shots in 36 minutes, with a shooting percentage of less than 50%, 2 of 3 free throws, and 0 of 1 three-pointers. In this game, he only scored 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 1 steal. He also had 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. His plus-minus value was also the lowest in the game at -16. When Shen Jing comes off the court, the Rockets can always take the lead, or even widen the score gap. But when Shen Jing comes on, he really can't attack and defend against Jokic.

Facing the Nuggets' two tall centers Jokic and Valanciunas, Shen Jing had no choice. On the offensive end, he repeatedly failed to score. Whether in the mid-range or at the basket, Shen Jing failed to score more goals. This was completely different from his previous performance. When Shen Jing came off the field, we were pleasantly surprised to find that veteran Adams performed very well against Jokic. The 32-year-old Adams serves as the Rockets' starting center in this game. He has been the Rockets' backup center before and is Shen Jing's first substitute.

In this game against the Nuggets, Adams made 2 of 2 shots in 23 minutes, scored 5 points, 8 rebounds, and two assists. His plus-minus reached +14, the highest of the Rockets. In other words, this plus-minus value also means that when Adams stays on the court, the Rockets can beat the Nuggets by 14 points. In other words, if Adams is on the court and Shen Jing is not, the Rockets may be able to win the game and will not fall short at the last minute.

There is even a set of data showing that Jokic did not perform well when facing Adams' defense in this game. Adams defended Jokic for a total of 15 minutes in this game. In these 15 minutes, Jokic only hit one goal in three shots and scored 6 points, plus 3 assists, with a plus-minus value of -13. It can be said that from this game alone, Adams has really become Jokic's nemesis. Without him, this game may have been spent long ago.

So, Shen Jing's performance in this game was far inferior to that of veteran Adams. The 32-year-old Adams was the Rockets' main target for contract renewal this summer. In the end, the Rockets persuaded Adams to sign a three-year, 39 million contract. It seemed that this contract was simply a bargain. After seeing Jokic's performance against the strong and tall Adams in this game, we know the value of Adams.

In this kind of high-level duel and high-end competition, Adams is obviously more reliable than Shen Jing. Shen Jing may be able to perform first-rate when playing first-rate, second-rate, or third-rate centers, but against a super center like Jokic, he obviously lacks strength. Therefore, it is beneficial for Coach Uduka to occasionally use the twin tower tactics. After all, when facing a super center, Shen Jing will definitely be unable to support himself as a single center. And with Adams as a bodyguard by his side, Shen Jing may perform better. From this point of view, the Rockets signed Adams for 39 million in three years during the offseason, which was indeed a miss.