The Rockets Could Get Even Scarier Next Year…

The Rockets Could Get Even Scarier Next Year…

the Houston Rockets were good like really good to end last season if you take out their final three regular season games where they already had the two seed in the West on lock they were absolutely rolling to end last season over a 17game stretch they won 15 dominating on both ends of the floor offensively they put up an elite 120.5 points per game while holding their opponents to just 107.1 that’s the kind of two-way balance that screams contender but when the playoffs hit everything came to a halt they ran into a Golden State Warriors team built on suffocating defense and Houston simply didn’t have enough in the way of offense to get them over the hump their defense was still great but Golden State could match that intensity while having Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to deliver just enough scoring when it really mattered as simply put it Houston did not have a go-to guy so now they’ve gone out and traded for Kevin Durant on paper that could be the missing piece maybe even the one that turns them into a serious problem in the Western Conference the trade itself feels like a big win for Houston they move on from Jaylen Green who if you watched that first round series you know he just didn’t bring what they needed honestly he was consistent but not in the way you’d hope aside from an electric game two performance where he erupted for 38 points he somehow only cracked double digits in two of the other six games in that series that is just not enough from a guy who’s meant to be one of your top two scorers without his production that they were usually getting every night in the regular season Houston didn’t have many options left and as a result they had to lean on their defense far too heavily which in the playoffs just isn’t going to cut it unless you’ve got someone who can get you a bucket down the stretch enter Kevin Durant this is exactly the kind of guy who can change that he’s still one of the best tough shot makers in the NBA kd’s mid-range game is absolutely automatic and with that high release point he’s basically unguardable when he can get to his spots that kind of consistent reliable offense is what Houston was missing and what can completely shift how they operate when the game slows down in the postseason kevin Durant is coming off a season in Phoenix where the team didn’t quite live up to the expectations he still put up 26.6 points six rebounds 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks per game on 59% effective field goal shooting but the Suns simply didn’t have enough around him that’s still elite level production and it suggests that he’s still very much that guy but of course it’s not as simple as just plugandplay there’s still so many questions that need to be answered how well does KD fit in with the existing core what does this mean for Houston’s identity and how far will this move actually take them let’s break it all down first let’s talk about the starting five because that’s a massive question in itself if you remember towards the end of last season the Rockets began experimenting with a double big configuration featuring Steven Adams and Alper and Shenon it wasn’t just a fun wrinkle it worked that duo absolutely took the league by storm in the playoffs against Golden State their numbers were off the charts a plus 21.8 net rating 41.6% 6% offensive rebounding percentage the best mark in the league and they held opponents to just 91.4 points per 100 the Warriors simply could not generate anything efficient managing just a 42.5% shooting percentage against this lineup sure it was over just 167 possessions in the playoffs but the regular season gave us an even better sample size 334 possessions of total domination we’re talking a staggering plus30 net rating a 125.7 offensive rating and a 95.7 defensive rating those are remarkable numbers and on top of that they boasted a 50.3% offensive rebound percentage while having basically elite marks across every important stat and the common denominator in that success was Steven Adams his impact was so clear not just with his rebounding which remains elite but also his decision-making in the short role his physicality and screen setting it’s no surprise that Houston quickly resigned him early in the off season and that tells me that they’re serious about keeping this double big identity alive so if we’re going off what worked for them last season then we’re probably looking at starting Adams at the five Shenon at the four Kevin Durant at the three Amen Thompson at the two and Fred Van Fleet running point that’s a massive lineup it’s long strong and aggressive but the big question is whether or not Houston actually wants to go that route full time there’s an argument to be made for sliding KD to the four and going with the more traditional look having Shenon at the five and Adams to come off the bench but then does that compromise the incredible success you saw with the double big setup that’s the kind of tension this trade brings and that directly leads us to the next critical question what happens with Amen Thompson because we’re in complicated territory and men just came off a breakout season firmly cementing himself as a potential cornerstone for the franchise he’s not just an athlete he is a superhuman athlete his speed length and bounce allow him to do things on a basketball court that basically nobody else in the league can do and it’s not just the highlight stuff his on ball defense was already elite i’ll never forget that game against Steph Curry where he held him to just three points on one of 10 shooting while forcing four turnovers out of him he smothered Curry and that really gives you a picture on just how destructive this guy can be when he’s defending your best player and then you look at the month of January that is where a men truly arrived over that month he averaged 18.7 points 10 rebounds six assists two steals and over a block per game shooting 57% effective field goal shooting that’s all-star production from a secondyear guard and the peak of it all the gamewinner at the TD Garden he torched the Celtics with 33 points on 13 of 19 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds dishing out four assists and closing it all with the gamewinner moments like these make something super clear this guy has a really high ceiling his jumper is still a work in progress but the improvement was obvious as the season went on and if he can become a reliable shooter the league is in serious trouble which again brings us right back to Durant kd and Amen typically play similar roles on the wing or as forward types in small ball setups so if Houston goes big with Adams and Shenon Amen has to slide over to the guard that’s fine on paper but the different responsibilities different offensive system and no Dylan Brooks next to him defensively could easily throw off a young player’s rhythm and that’s the thing if Kevin Durant in any way stalls a man Thompson’s development then this trade starts to look like a loss for Houston sure KD probably gives you two or three very strong years still but after that he could retire he could bolt to another team i mean it’s Kevin Durant we’ve seen this before that’s what puts Houston in a really weird place right now they’re in win now mode no question but if but they’re also trying to nurture a player they believe could be their franchise’s future it’s a classic two timeline situation and those rarely end smoothly you try and build now for the present and for the future all at the same time and what often ends up happening is that you get stuck in between that being said it isn’t all doom and gloom there is a best case scenario here what if playing next to Durant opens up the floor for a man even more what if he thrives in the extra space and what if he learns from Kevin Durant directly if Durant can take Thompson under his wing and help him fasttrack that jump shot development we might look back on this deal as a pivotal moment in both of their careers that kind of synergy would be a dream outcome for the Rockets and honestly given what Amen’s already shown absolutely nothing is out of reach now comes the biggest question where are the Houston Rockets going to finish off the 2026 season for me so much of that hinges on which version of the lineup they commit to if they roll with the projected double big setup Steven Adams at the five and our prince Shenon at the four i think they may hit some early season bumps as they work through spacing and rhythm but over time I believe that version of the team could be the most dangerous the rebounding dominance the physicality the defensive ceiling it’s all there on the flip side though there’s the more immediate and maybe smoother looking option sliding KD over to the four and going smaller that might help them find rhythm quickly especially in the regular season but I think that version hits a clear ceiling i just feel like that lineup doesn’t have the same destructive power or upside come playoff time either way I do not see a world where the Rockets aren’t great next season they were already the two seed last season and adding Kevin Durant even though he’s older still helps move that needle but how far does it move it that’s the trickier part because as much as KD can definitely still go get you buckets he’s going to be 37 years old by the time the playoffs roll around and that raises real questions about durability he only played 62 games last season and injury management is absolutely a concern when you’re counting on him to be your top scorer so while I think Houston is definitely going to be a threat I’m not quite ready to call them a shorefire title contender just because they went out and landed KD still their strengths are obvious their defense should remain elite they have a really great collection of talent and something I haven’t even mentioned yet is how their bench unit is looking pretty strong with Jabari Smith Jr and Tari Een to come off and give them some really valuable minutes as well the rebounding should again be top tier especially if they lean into the jumbo setup but the real shift I think will come offensively the team should take a step forward when it comes to scoring the ball with veterans like Vanfleet and Durant guiding the younger core there’s a strong mentorship element that could bring everything together there’s absolutely a version of this team that makes the Western Conference Finals especially if Amen Thompson continues to get better last season he jumped up from 9.5 to 14.1 points per game and if he can take another leap like that it changes absolutely everything clean up the jumper a little bit tighten the handle and decision-m keep playing that incredible defense and now you’ve got a player who can both support KD and thrive in his own role that combination could be devastating and then there’s our prince Shenon who made the All-Star team last season if he continues to evolve also maybe becomes a more consistent shooter and especially looks to get better as a three-point shooter he’ll raise the offensive ceiling of the team even further personally I’d love to see the Rockets play faster we watch the two teams in the NBA Finals thrive off playing with real pace as that’s the direction that the league is moving if Houston can push the tempo get a man Thompson out in transition and let Kevin Durant pick his spots in early transition this could be a seriously fun team to watch next season imagine Thompson flying up and down the court finishing Alioops dunking on guys left and right or Durant trailing for a knockdown three that’s going to be box office basketball but what do you guys think how good of a team do you really think the Houston Rockets will be next season let me know in the comments section below

The Rockets Could Get Even Scarier Next Year…

The Houston Rockets were good… like, really good to end last NBA season and now with Kevin Durant Now They’re Terrifying. If you take out their final three regular season games—where they had already locked in the two seed in the NBA Western Conference—they were absolutely rolling. Over a 17-game stretch, they won 15 of them, dominating on both ends of the court. Offensively, they put up an elite 120.5 points per game while holding opponents to just 107.1. That’s the kind of two-way balance that screams contender. But then the playoffs hit, and everything came to a halt. They ran into the Golden State Warriors, a team built on suffocating defense, and the Rockets just didn’t have enough firepower to keep up. Their defense was solid, but Golden State could match that intensity—and they had Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to deliver just enough scoring when it mattered. Houston didn’t have that go-to guy…
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