Preview of Rockets vs. Bucks: How will Rockets defend Antetokounmpo? What are the key factors in the game?

On November 10, the Rockets will challenge the Bucks away from home. This is the last game of the Rockets' three consecutive away games and the first time the two teams have met this season.

Currently, the Rockets are ranked 6th in the Western Conference with 5 wins and 3 losses. Their 5-game winning streak has just been ended by the Spurs, while the Bucks are ranked 4th in the Eastern Conference with 6 wins and 3 losses and just defeated the Bulls, who are second in the Eastern Conference.

This is a very topical and focused game. The star players of the two teams are full of topics and traffic, adding more suspense to this game.

Durant VS Antetokounmpo

In the NBA's major media rankings, Antetokounmpo is among the top 5 players in the league, and Durant is among the top 10 stars in the league. Antetokounmpo's grade and strength currently exceed Durant, but their playing styles are completely different.

Currently, Antetokounmpo averages 33.4 points per game, ranking second in the league, Durant averages 24 points per game, ranking 19th in the league, Antetokounmpo averages 12.9 rebounds per game, ranking third in the league, and the Rockets’ highest rebound average is Shen Jing, averaging 9.8 per game. , ranking 11th in the league; Antetokounmpo averaged 6.6 assists per game, ranking 15th in the league, and Rockets Shenjing averaged 7.4 assists per game, ranking 11th in the league. It can be said that Antetokounmpo is a very comprehensive player, and all statistics are basically at the top level in the league.

How will Udoka defend Antetokounmpo?

In the Rockets' loss to the Spurs, Udoka used Okogie against Bunyama. When Bunyama got the ball, the Rockets quickly double-teamed him, thus quickly rotating. Since the Spurs were three points apart, in the second half, the Rockets did not dare to double-team Bunyama. In the end, the Rockets failed to defend both sides, neither guarding Bunyama nor other Spurs players.

At present, Antetokounmpo is a stronger player than Bunyama, with a higher grade, stronger impact and explosive power. There is a high probability that Uduka will not dare to continue the strategy of defending Bunyama to defend Antetokounmpo.

From the original matchup point of view, it should be Jabari Smith Jr. against Antetokounmpo. However, there is a high probability that Udoka will let Shen Jing play against Antetokounmpo. Because Bucks center Turner is a space center, Shen Jing will be difficult to match up. There is a high probability that Udoka will let Jabari Smith Jr. play against Turner and Shen Jing against Antetokounmpo.

When Antetokounmpo hits the inside, the Rockets will adopt the strategy of double-teaming Antetokounmpo and forcing Antetokounmpo to play. Of course, in the transition period of the bench, Udoka will most likely use Adams to counter Antetokounmpo. Adams' size seems to be a good choice against Antetokounmpo's impact.

Shen Jing VS Giannis Antetokounmpo, this is a head-to-head competition between two European players. During the European Cup, the two had faced off, but in the end it was Shen Jing who defeated Antetokounmpo and Turkey defeated Greece. The two have different playing styles and characteristics, flexibility and impact. Both have strong rebounding ability and the ability to organize and connect the team. Both of them are the core of their respective teams. Such a matchup will be very interesting.

Smith VS Turner

This season, Turner averaged 9.3 shots per game, 5.6 of which came from outside the three-point line, shooting 42% from the field and 40% from the three-point range. Turner's spatial attributes this season are stronger than his lethality in the interior, so he averaged only 1.7 free throws per game this season.

Smith's space attributes and playing characteristics have a certain overlap with Turner. Both of them serve as high-altitude turrets, so it is very interesting to face off against each other. Both of them are not bad at defense.

In the last game, the Rockets faced the inside line guarded by Bunyama, and it was very difficult to attack the basket on the offensive end. In this game, the Bucks Turner and Antetokounmpo guarded the basket. Whether the Rockets' impact can rebound is worthy of attention.

Both teams are strong offensive teams this season. Before playing the Spurs, the Rockets' offensive efficiency ranked first in the league. After playing the Spurs, the Rockets' offensive efficiency dropped. However, the offensive efficiency of both teams ranked among the top 10 in the league, but the Rockets' defense was far better than the Bucks.

However, the Bucks shoot better than the Rockets, especially the three-point shooting rate is as high as 39.7%, ranking fourth in the league. Such shooting efficiency will be a great test of whether Udoka continues to use a five-power or twin-tower lineup. You must know that in the loss to the Spurs, the turning point of the game was that Uduka used a five-power lineup, thus losing momentum.

However, the Bucks are a very strange team, with a shooting percentage of 63.7% from the inside, ranking second in the league, but their second-chance offense ranks last in the league, averaging only 11.8 points per game, while the Rockets' second-chance offense ranks first in the league, averaging 20.8 points per game. .

The difficulty for the Rockets in this game is to defend Antetokounmpo and the Bucks' outside shots at the same time, because guarding Antetokounmpo will most likely require double-teaming, and as long as there are double-teams, there will definitely be openings, and the Bucks' role players have a high degree of certainty of open three-pointers. This is a great test for Uduka.