Rockets fight against the Suns! With all four cores missing, there is no suspense about the starting lineup? It makes sense to have two guards in the three towers.

The Rockets' next opponent is the Suns. The Phoenix Suns just defeated the Spurs. They are in very good shape. Even without Allen and Jaylen Green, their two core defenders, they can still explode with strong combat effectiveness. After Durant was traded to the Rockets, the Suns' record did not decline, but improved. It can be said that the Suns seem to be more ambitious.

The arrival of Dillon Brooks directly caused a huge change in the overall combat effectiveness of this team. This team is now beginning to focus on defense, and their interior has also found a more suitable center Marvin Williams. They also have All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker in the backcourt, and now Booker has switched to point guard and is performing quite well at the No. 1 position. The first core of the Suns is naturally Booker, and the second core has become former Rockets player Dillon Brooks.

For the Rockets, their injuries are very serious. Durant will miss the next game due to family matters, and the other three core players of the Rockets - VanVleet, Finney Smith, and Ethan will also not play due to injuries. Therefore, without Durant, the Rockets' starting lineup will definitely have to change. In the last matchup between the Rockets and the Nuggets, Udoka used a five-strong lineup, allowing Amen Thompson and Durant to partner in the backcourt, Smith Jr. and Shen Jing to partner on the front line, and Adams served as the starting center. And now without Durant, the Rockets' new starting lineup is about to be released.

Although the Rockets have not announced the starting lineup, one data shows that when Adams and Shen Jing are paired with Shepard and Durant is not on the court, these three players performed very well. So far this season, in the 118 possessions with these three players on the court and without Durant, the Rockets have a net rating of +25.1. Therefore, with Durant absent in the next game, the Rockets are likely to put Shepard in the starting position and let him partner with the twin towers Adams and Shen Jing. The other two starting positions should still be Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., because except for Shepard, no one can provide Durant-level scoring ability.

Although Shepard is only a 21-year-old young guard, he has been in very good shape recently and his shooting touch is also very accurate. He made 5 three-pointers in the previous game and scored a Rockets-high 27 points. If Durant doesn't play in the next game, letting Sheppard start seems to be able to continue the offensive ability of the Rockets' starting lineup, because the other players are obviously not qualified as starters - Okogie has no independent offensive ability, and Tate and Jeff Green are older and have faded out of the rotation. The Rockets are even less likely to put veteran Aaron Holiday, whose state has fluctuated too much, in the starting position.

Sheppard has been in excellent form recently. Let him start with Amen Thompson, and in addition to the two point guards, he is paired with three towers-Smith Jr., Adams and Shen Jing. This may be the Rockets' best starting lineup at the moment.