After resting in the hospital for two weeks, Tang Tian was discharged.

Except for the fact that his body was a little weaker than before, everything else has basically recovered.

It was also on this day that some deals involving rookies were officially made.

Garnett traveled to Boston to report, and Billups officially settled in Houston.

During the time that Tang Tian was hospitalized, Morey also carried out a series of operations.

Bunch Wells gave up his player option and tested the free market because he didn't get much of a chance with the Rockets last season.

Chuck Hayes was offered a four-year, $7.3 million contract with the Grizzlies, and the Rockets eventually gave up on the match due to a crowded frontcourt lineup.

Steve Blake got a four-year, $30 million contract with the Trail Blazers, and the Rockets eventually gave up on renewing his contract.

Paul Millsap and Steve Novak's second-year team drafts were executed.

Sun Yue got a contract like Millsap and Novak last season, a 1+1 standard second-round pick contract.

The team signed a two-year, 6 million contract with Yao Ming's former "boss" Steve Francis, with a player option for the second year.

John Lucas III signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team.

Mike Harris signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team.

Jackie Butler signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team.

With these signings underway, the Rockets' roster for the new season preseason has basically been released.

Centre: Yao Ming, Mutombo, Marc Gasol, Jackie Butler.

Power forwards: Millsap, Scola, Landry.

Small forwards: Battier, Petrus, Novak.

Shooting guards: Maddy, Hyde, Sun Yue, Mike Harris.

Point guards: Billups, Barria, Francis, Lucas III.

The guaranteed contracts add up to about 64 million, which is basically at the same level as this year's luxury Rui 63.47 million.

The shrewd Morey is spending all his money on the edge, which of course means that the changes to the Rockets' roster are minimal.

Tang Tian is still very satisfied with this lineup, there are rookies, veterans, defensive leaders, and of course, the most important thing is that there are the Big Three.

In other words, this lineup, defending the title is the team's only goal.

Not only Tang Tian thought so, but even the members of Team Rocket also seemed to be very impatient.

Just as Tang Tian expected, despite winning the championship, the media still put the pot of "winning the championship in the weakest year" on their heads.

The players are desperate to prove themselves again.

It's only late August, and the Rockets' Big Three have already started training at the arena ahead of schedule.

The team bosses all have this attitude, and the players below naturally responded positively, and by the beginning of September, almost all the players of the Rockets had arrived, and the training hall at the Toyota Center had not been idle.

Looking at the enthusiasm of the team members, Tang Tian felt some pressure while being excited.

It's different from last season, when the squad wasn't good, the game was normal, and it was a surprise to play well.

But this season's lineup, you don't have to play badly, you just play average, and it is estimated that the fans' saliva can drown him several times.

So after the players were basically all assembled, in mid-September, Tang Tian also took a whole coaching staff to start training in advance.

Last season's tactics have proven successful and will certainly be used in the new season.

But after last season, some lessons have been learned.

Yao Ming became a playmaker in the regular season and allowed him to conserve a lot of stamina, but in the playoffs, after he inevitably entered the low post grappling, physical exertion became an issue again.

Maddie's effect on the bench was not as good as expected.

……

In addition to experience, the new squad also has some new problems.

Billups has strong organizational skills, but after all, there is only one organizational point for a team, who will organize him and Yao Ming, and how to integrate with the original system is a big problem.

In last season's bench, Uncle Huo and Alston were traded, and the new rotation lineup also needs tactics that suit them.

……

While arranging the team's training, Tang Tian and his coaching staff have also been discussing these problems that the team has.

The NBA game is not simply a piece of paper strength, how to make the team run in to the greatest instant combat power is the real test of the head coach's strength.

Time flies like an arrow, and time comes to October in a blink of an eye.

After more than half a month of training, the Rockets ushered in their first game of the preseason on October 10, US time.

Interestingly, their first opponent in the preseason was the Spurs, who were in the Western Conference Finals of last season's playoffs.

This is definitely not a coincidence, the NBA is a business league, and it is naturally focused on making money, and the shaping of this kind of vendetta is the league's favorite thing to do.

Sure enough, even if it was just a pre-season game, it also attracted the attention of many fans, and the number of fans who came to the Toyota Center Arena that night reached more than 7,000, almost breaking the preseason record for the number of spectators.

ESPN also sent a real commentator like Reggie Miller to the scene, along with Bill Warrell, the home commentator at the Toyota Center.

"Reggie, the Rockets defeated the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals last season, and this season the team brought in Chauncy Billups, do you think the Spurs will be a problem for the Rockets in the new season?" Warrell has been a commentator for the Rockets for 20 years and has a very strong inclination towards the home team.

"It's hard to say, the Spurs feel like they're dying every year, but after each season they find out they're still a strong contender for that championship." Miller laughs and says that his commentary style is still the same as last season, more cautious and conservative.

"Reggie, I know, it's your style, but I'm sure the Rockets will surprise the league this season, the Spurs are the hurdles the Rockets must cross this season, and the Celtics are the team's real opponents." Worrell is quite confident.

"Then let's wait and see." Miller didn't refute, but his disagreement could be heard from his tone, the basketball game is not just about fighting strength on paper, the Rockets seem to have a stronger lineup, but the run-in of the Big Three is a big problem, the run-in is not good, and Billups' role may not be as good as the previous Blake.

There was no pre-match introduction in pre-season, and the starters came on after the warm-ups.

On the Rockets' side, Tang Tian directly put out the starters during training.

The point guard is Billups, the shooting guard is Maddy, the small forward is Battier, and the interior is Millsap and Yao Ming.

With the exception of new Billups, the other four positions are exactly the same as last season.

But soon, there was a restless sound at the scene, and even Miller in the commentary seat was stunned.

The three core of the Spurs, Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, are all wearing training uniforms!

Let's look at the Spurs' starting lineup.

Amy Yudoka, Matt Bonner, Darius Washington, Ian Masimmi, Michael Finley!

In addition to Finley, all the substitutes, and even a failed draft!