Winning five consecutive victories! Counterattack by new and old teams! Who can have the last laugh?

Looking at the current Western Conference rankings, it is indeed a bit surprising. Who would have thought that in less than ten games in the new season, the Lakers would occupy the second place in the Western Conference, and the Rockets would occupy the third position. Coincidentally, both teams are currently on an excellent five-game winning streak.

Before that, many fans were still mocking the Rockets for their losing streak at the beginning, and looking down on the Lakers without James. Now both teams have squeezed into the top three in the Western Conference, only one behind the defending champion Thunder.

Some people have highs and some have lows. The Warriors, Clippers, and even the Spurs, who had a short period of success in the beginning, seem to have fallen into a slump recently after being adapted by their opponents. As for the Mavericks, who were once optimistic during the offseason, they plummeted to the last place in the Western Conference.

It cannot be ruled out that the above-mentioned teams have their own problems. Some lineups are too old, and some need to be adjusted. But from the perspective of the Rockets and Lakers, they are actually not perfect. Although their records are excellent, both teams have encountered serious injury problems at the beginning of this season.

The Lakers started without James, while the Rockets were even more pessimistic. Van Jordan was reimbursed for the season during training, and the back line faced huge challenges. But here's the coincidence. Whenever everyone thought injuries were starting to drag down the team, these two teams found ways to win with their remaining lineups.

First, let’s take a look at the Rockets. They lost two games in a row at the beginning of the season and were directly on the headlines of the media. During this period, Warrior Green even publicly spoke harshly to the Rockets:

"Without Van Jordan? The Rockets would have no chance of making the playoffs."

But judging from the game process, the Rockets' performance was actually not too bad. In the first two consecutive losses, the Rockets only lost 5 points, and the Rockets' offensive and defensive system did not completely collapse. Without Van Jordan, Uduka asked Durant to serve as the core of the ball control, and then boldly introduced Okogie into the starting lineup, revitalizing the system around the vitality of young people, and then handed over to Durant to close the game at critical moments.

The Rockets, who then changed their formation, began to find a chemical reaction, and a subsequent wave of five consecutive victories completely turned the situation around. What is even more noteworthy is that during this five-game winning streak, the Rockets' offensive efficiency ranked first in the league, with an average margin of 19.5 points per game. Even without Van Jordan, the team's defensive efficiency was still in the top five.

It is not difficult to understand the Rockets' transformation. In the final analysis, it is the word "sacrifice".

Durant, who was so generous, began to learn to give in, while the young players ran back and forth around Adu. Referring to the last game against the Grizzlies, Adu made 5 of 18 shots from the field, but his personal plus-minus after the game was as high as +20. The entire data is obvious. Even if Adu's offensive touch is not online, he is still the key core to contain the entire defense.

In addition to Durant, the Rockets' team is obviously much better than last season. The forwards are Okogie + Ethan + Smith Jr., the inside is Shen Jing + Adams + Capela, and the outside position is Sheppard + Amen + Holiday. Although there are shortcomings, compared with last season's version that had excellent defense but laggy offense, it is already a qualitative change.

As for the Lakers, James was absent at the beginning of the new season, and Doncic was also absent during the period. Many voices looked down on this wealthy team that was eliminated in the first round last season.

But in terms of role lineup, Reeves took over the core position of the team and broke out almost every game in the new season, averaging 31.1 points, 9.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Partnering with Doncic, who has successfully lost weight, the Lakers established the strongest offensive backcourt duo in the league, and instead played a more fluid basketball system than in the past few seasons.

But after this five-game winning streak, the thing worth thinking about most is James. The current state of the team is going smoothly, but many people outside have begun to worry. Can James, a ball-carrying core, still integrate into this new Lakers?

This is not to question James' ability. Although he has entered the veteran echelon, he can still maintain basic output. It's just that the current reality is a little cruel. Times are changing, and young people in the team are beginning to take over the torch. James really seems to need to take a back seat this time.

Of course, from the long-term perspective of the team, this is not a matter of concern. The Lakers have found a suitable offensive and defensive rhythm, and the lineup rotation is more reasonable than before. The team no longer relies solely on a few core players to fight alone, and the team attributes are gradually emerging. This is what a championship team should look like.

Of course, the future pattern of the Wild West in the new season is still difficult to predict. We can indeed see a lot of long-term potential at this stage, but as the season progresses, each team needs to continue to maintain its advantages and even prepare in advance for possible shortcomings in the future.

And this is the charm of basketball. There is no forever strong team, and there is no destined loser. As long as you make the right adjustments and run in properly, you still have the opportunity to make a comeback.