Confused! Adu made 8% of the turnovers and the team made 23 turnovers. The point guard problem restricted the Rockets from being able to play high-end games?

NBA Cup Western Conference Group C. The Rockets lost to the Spurs 110-121.

In fact, we have already seen the dilemma the Rockets encountered in this game in the opening game: against the Thunder, the Rockets made 24 turnovers, had no pure point guard, and had difficulty passing and receiving; in this campaign, the Rockets made 23 turnovers and lost as many as 33 points due to mistakes!

Durant made 8 turnovers, Amen had 3 turnovers, Okogie had 3 turnovers, and Ethan had 4 turnovers. Once the Spurs increased their defensive intensity, all of these "part-time point guards" of the Rockets were exposed.

If the point guard problem is not solved, the Rockets' difficulties in high-end games will become inevitable.

In addition to numerous mistakes, the Rockets' defense also encountered a major test.

It is no exaggeration to say that Barnes, Champany, Vassell, Castle, and Kelden teamed up to overwhelm the Rockets. While Wenbanyama only had 1 offensive rebound, these five swingmen grabbed 11 offensive rebounds! The 198cm Kelden grabbed 5 offensive rebounds. In the decisive moment of the fourth quarter, the 198cm Castle grabbed offensive rebounds in two consecutive rounds, which was even more outrageous.

It must be admitted that the Spurs are on a strong rise, and the offensive and defensive balance, shooting ability, and vitality contribution of the outside swingman are the key to their victory over the Rockets.

The 224-centimeter Wenban Yama has increased his goals after hard training during the offseason this year. How to limit him is also a common problem across the league.

Wenbanyama was limited to 4 of 14 shots against the Suns, and only 5 of 14 against the Lakers. Both teams used mismatched defense against Wenbanyama - the smaller one supported the bottom plate. The Lakers used Smart to match Wenbanyama, and others helped in the rotation.

The same goes for the Rockets. Uduka sent Okogie to defend Bunyama as the first line of defense in the opening game. The small man guarded Bunyama at the bottom of the plate to limit his speed to break through with the ball from the outside. Once Bunyama entered the hinterland of the penalty area, he would attack from a nearby flank and take turns to save three-pointers.

The small man defended Bunyama from the outside, double-teamed him to take away Bunyama's low-post offense, and then rotated the entire line to fill in. This has become a formulaic method for restricting Bunyama across the league.

The Rockets' defensive idea is very clear. Okogie/Amen will face Vunbanyama, Shenjing will misplace the defense against Champany/Vassell, double-team Vumbanyama, and accept the open three-point draw from Champany and Vassell. That is to say, don't let Wenbanyama swing and encourage others to digest the ball.

Champany and Vassell made 1 of 5 three-pointers in the first quarter. The Rockets tested the Spurs shooters by flanking Wenban Yama and achieved the desired defensive effect in some periods. In other words, whether the Spurs can make good use of Bunyama's gravitational pull is a barometer of their offensive end.

Wenban Yama had 0 blocks in the first half. The Rockets played the desired offensive mode when they could control mistakes.

The Rockets continue to use the two main starting moves commonly used in the past: Durant + Shen Jing pick-and-roll, the two can play a wonderful two-man turn through short passes; Durant/Shen Jing open a one-on-one, Durant has absolute height advantage against Barnes or Castle. If the Spurs invest too much defensive resources on Durant/Shen Jing, the open fixed-point three-pointers of Amen, Okogie, and Ethan are enough to punish the defense.

Durant and Shen Jing’s two strong points acted as pivots to attract flank attacks. Others were left open to shoot three-pointers. The Rockets played a complete and clear offensive logic.

The Rockets' intelligence is reflected in positional warfare, and their defensive counterattacks demonstrate their efforts. Okogie and Ethan both completed a break on Wembanyama at the top of the arc. They set the defensive tone by putting pressure on the line and expanding their defense to block the ball.

The offense handed the ball to Durant and Shen Jing, and the whole team worked hard on defense. This was the key to their lead of up to 11 points at one time. The premise is that there is a failure in control.

The Spurs adhered to their offensive and defensive philosophy, and the Rockets paid a heavy price for their mistakes.

Whether the literary class is present or not, the Spurs play two systems.

When Bunyama is on the court, the Spurs use delayed returns to defend against pick-and-rolls. The tall and long-armed Wenbanyama not only has top-notch rim protection ability, but also has the mobility to switch defenses and sweep. He supports the Spurs' defensive system and can take care of both Durant and Shen Jing in the pick-and-roll.

The Spurs' offense has also become simpler because of Wenbanyama, who attracts flankers and allows others to get open three-point opportunities and take decisive shots.

When Bunyama is not on the court, Sohan, who is 203 centimeters tall, can assume the center position. The Spurs changed into a five-small lineup with unlimited defense changes, speeding up the chaos. Keldon, Sohan, Vassell, and Castle successively played an influential role in the transition period.

The Spurs also increased the defensive intensity of the Rockets, consuming Durant and Shen Jing in hand-to-hand combat. The two teams played a playoff-level Rockets style. Under high-pressure defense, the Rockets made 10 mistakes in the first half, including 4 consecutive mistakes in the last 1 minute and 41 seconds of the second quarter. The Spurs launched a 12-0 attack wave through defensive counterattack!

In terms of high-end game intensity, the Spurs took advantage of the fact that the Rockets did not have a pure point guard.

Wenbanyama's five fouls once became a turning point in the game. The Spurs finally defeated the Rockets with team basketball.

The round that best embodies the Spurs' current offensive philosophy: Shen Jing just scored 2 points on a tip-in, and Vassell chased a three-pointer to complete a 3-second fast break!

The Spurs play a new style of basketball with no clear position definition. Barnes, Keldon, Vassell, Champany, Castle, and Keldon can swing offensively and defensively in multiple positions - especially after Vonbanyama committed five fouls, the Spurs directly put out a five-small lineup of Barnes + Keldon + Vassell + Champany + Castle. They still maintained a 3-point lead against the Rockets until Vonbanyama returned..

During Bunyama's free throws, Bunyama held the ball one-on-one against Shen Jing. The Rockets obviously lost their temper: Shen Jing could not defend Bunyama's breakthrough alone, and was directly penetrated by Champany's two open three-pointers and Castle's inward attack. Once the defense was switched, Bunyama's fadeaway jumper directly ignored Amen - Bunyama attracted all the defensive attention, and Castle even rushed for two consecutive offensive rebounds.

In short, the Spurs won because of the "Wenban gravity". The quality of the Jigsaw players who defended Wenban Yama can support them in the high-end hand-to-hand combat.

The Rockets' position battle relied on Shen Jing's 8 assists to instigate. Sheppard performed well with 4 three-pointers, 6 assists and 1 turnover. However, his defense was continuously targeted by the Spurs in the fourth quarter, and it will take a lot of time to polish the offense and defense to match such a high-end game.

The Rockets cannot solve the point guard problem in a short time. High turnovers and difficulties in passing and receiving are inevitable scenes for them in high-end games. In this situation, you must make decisive decisions and play the ball quickly when facing double teams. Durant, who made 8 turnovers in this campaign, has become a negative example for the whole team. He was double-teamed and refused to play the ball honestly and quickly. He is undoubtedly the first war criminal in this campaign.

The Rockets do not have a pure point guard, which means there is no fault tolerance in high-end games. If you are not rigorous, you will pay a heavy price.