10 wins and 1 loss! 4 firsts in the league, the most surprising team in the NBA, the championship may not be in doubt

On November 20, the Rockets defeated the Cavaliers 114-104 in an away game. They celebrated their fifth consecutive victory, with a record of 10 wins and 3 losses, and continued to sit third in the Western Conference. The Nuggets defeated the Pelicans on the same day, and the Rockets' win gap with second place in the Western Conference remained at 0.5 games. Coincidentally, the Rockets will directly face off against the Nuggets in the next game. Whoever wins can temporarily secure the second place in the Western Conference. This victory not only allowed the Rockets to continue their terrifying upward momentum, but also completely put the doubts of "abuse of food" and "insufficient gold content" to death in the cradle. Because when the second-best team in the Eastern Conference like the Cavaliers has been overthrown, who dares to say that the Rockets can only beat weak teams?

In the past 11 games, the Rockets have 10 wins and 1 loss, with a total record of 10 wins and 3 losses. The only loss in 11 games was to the Spurs, who had a strong start. The other two losses came from the Pistons (first in the Eastern Conference) and the Thunder (first in the Western Conference), both of which failed to adjust well at the start. The outside world has always used "abuse" to belittle the value of the Rockets, but in tonight's game, the Rockets held the Cavaliers' core Mitchell to 21 points. In terms of total points, the Rockets also held the Cavaliers to 104 points. Their defense was still better than last season. In the final quarter, the Cavaliers once caught up with only 1 point, but were eventually held back by the Rockets, which can be regarded as showing fault tolerance.

This victory is enough to silence all doubts. Team reporter Lachard Binkley tweeted directly after the game: "Are the Cavaliers a strong team?"

US media NBACentral was even more straightforward: "The Rockets are dominating the league, winning 10 of the past 11 games!"

The data doesn't lie. So far this season, the Rockets rank first in the league in offensive efficiency, fifth in defensive efficiency, first in points differential per game, first in rebounds, and first in three-point shooting percentage. Almost all key indicators rank at the top of the league. This Rockets is no longer the "championship favorite" on paper during the offseason, but the top team in the Western Conference with real guns and real guns.

Looking back on the offseason, no one dared to think that the Rockets could be so strong. At that time, the Rockets' operations were violent: they first traded for Durant, then acquired Fan, Okogie, and Capela to strengthen the wing depth and interior frame protection; then they renewed the contracts of Jabari Smith Jr. and VanVleet at a low price, and finally offered Durant a two-year contract extension with a salary reduction of 90 million. On paper, this lineup directly ranks in the first echelon of championship competition. But not long after the season started, VanVleet suffered a season reimbursement, and public opinion instantly turned 180 degrees: from "favorite for the championship" to "may not even make the playoffs." After all, Durant failed to lead the team to the playoffs with the Suns last season.

However, the Rockets slapped all naysayers in the face with practical actions. The absence of Van Jordan makes the Rockets' offense even more terrifying. Because organization is no longer the task of one person, but has become "all people are soldiers." Shen Jing's ability to support the ball has been further improved, Amen Thompson's fast break advancement is like a gust of wind, Sheppard's outside shooting and running without the ball are becoming more and more deadly, and Durant has become an unsolvable terminator at critical moments. Without VanVleet's traditional point guard connection, the Rockets instead played a faster pace, higher three-point shots and a more ferocious transition attack. This style of play without a traditional playmaker has become the Rockets' biggest surprise this season.

Durant integrated faster than expected. Many people worried that the 37-year-old would be acclimated, but after coming to Houston, Durant seemed to have returned to the relaxed feeling of "I can kill you wherever I stand" during the Thunder and Warriors days. He no longer has to carry on for 40 minutes every game, nor does he have to create his own offense every round. With the support of Shen Jing, the shooting of Amen Impact and Shepard, and the internal barriers of Smith Jr. and Adam Capella, he only needs to take action in the most comfortable position. The data doesn't lie: Durant's true shooting percentage this season is as high as 65%+, and his turnover rate is a career low. He plays with unprecedented ease, but is still deadly.

What is even more exciting is the Rockets' real future - the "new three young men" are rising rapidly. Shen Jing has completely gotten rid of the labels of "soft", "independent" and "inefficient". This season, he averaged 23+10+7 per game and his true shooting percentage is close to 60%. His support vision and finishing methods, including three-point shooting, are visibly evolving; Amen's athletic ability has begun to transform into real offensive and defensive contributions, switching fast breaks and flank defense. Defending, rebounding and rushing, he is becoming the engine of the Rockets' offensive and defensive transitions; the most eye-catching rookie is undoubtedly Shepard, who was once questioned as "the template is Duncan Robinson". Now his three-point shooting rate is almost 49%, his movement without the ball is cunning, and he dares to shoot key balls. He has already played the "self-developed Curry" in many games.

With Shen Jing, Amen, and Sheppard, coupled with Durant's immediate combat ability and championship experience, the Rockets' lineup structure is almost perfect: there are super giants in their prime, young people with explosive talent who are growing rapidly, and role players such as Capela, Okogie, Smith Jr., and Holiday to perfectly fill the gap. Once this lineup is fully integrated, the entire Western Conference will probably tremble. The current Rockets are no longer a question of "with or without Van Jordan", but "with or without Van Jordan, they are just as strong, maybe even stronger." They used their terrifying performance of 10 wins in 11 games to tell everyone: Stop looking at this team with the old eyes. They are not just making up numbers, they are really dominating. If the Rockets continue to grow and evolve like this, will there be any suspense about the championship?