The Houston Rockets made their big swing last offseason. They traded for Kevin Durant – a future Hall of Famer, a two-time Finals MVP, one of the ten greatest scorers in NBA history. They sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix in the deal, subtracting two key figures from their young core to add a 37-year-old superstar.
The logic was sound. The Rockets had been rebuilding for years. They had accumulated young talent: Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard. They needed a veteran to tie it all together. They needed a closer. They needed Kevin Durant.
And Durant held up his end of the bargain. He averaged 26 points on 52% shooting. He played 78 games. He did everything the Rockets could have asked for.
But the Rockets didn’t reach their potential. They won 52 games – a solid season, but not a championship contender. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to a Lakers team led by a 41-year-old LeBron James. The series wasn’t particularly close.
What went wrong? The answer is simple and painful: the young players weren’t ready.
Against playoff-caliber defenses – the kind that swarm, trap, and rotate with precision – the Rockets’ offense ground to a halt. Amen Thompson couldn’t consistently create. Reed Sheppard looked overwhelmed. Alperen Şengün, so brilliant in the regular season, struggled to find his rhythm against elite size and physicality.
And so the Rockets reverted to Kevin Durant hero ball. Isolation after isolation. Step-back jumper after step-back jumper. Durant on an island, fighting through double-teams, trying to bail out an offense that had nowhere else to go.
That’s not a sustainable winning formula. Not for Durant at 37. Not for any team.
The Rockets’ path forward is clear: the young players must grow up. They must take on bigger roles. They must relieve the pressure on Durant. And they must do it quickly, because Durant’s window in Houston is not infinite.
Let’s break down what went wrong, which young players showed promise, and how the Rockets can maximize the remaining years of the Durant era.
The Hero Ball Problem: Why Durant Can’t Do It Alone
Let’s start with the most obvious issue.
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest isolation scorers in NBA history. He can rise up over any defender. He can shoot from anywhere. He can score 40 points on a night when his jumper is falling.
But he’s 37. He can’t do it every night. And he shouldn’t have to.
In the playoffs against the Lakers, the Rockets’ offense too often devolved into “give the ball to Durant and hope.” There was no secondary creator. There was no reliable pick-and-roll game. There was no one who could break down the defense and force rotations.
The result was predictable. Durant was swarmed. He was trapped. He was forced into difficult shots. And while he still produced – he’s Kevin Durant – the efficiency wasn’t there. The flow wasn’t there. The rhythm was off.
Hero ball is not a strategy. It’s a desperation move. And the Rockets were desperate.
The Amen Thompson Dilemma: Athleticism Isn’t Enough
Let’s talk about Amen Thompson.
Thompson is a physical marvel. He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot wingspan. He’s explosive, fast, and strong. He can guard multiple positions. He’s a terror in transition.
But in the half-court against elite defenses? He’s limited.
Thompson doesn’t have a reliable jump shot. Defenders sag off him, clogging the paint and making it harder for everyone else. He’s not a polished pick-and-roll ball-handler. He doesn’t have the nuanced footwork or the change-of-pace moves to consistently break down defenders.
Against the Lakers, Thompson struggled. He looked tentative. He deferred to Durant. He wasn’t ready to be the secondary creator the Rockets needed.
That doesn’t mean Thompson is a bust. He’s 23. He has time. But the Rockets don’t have time. Durant is 37. The window is now.
Thompson must improve. He must develop a credible jump shot. He must become more assertive. He must take pressure off Durant. If he doesn’t, the Rockets will continue to struggle against elite defenses.
The Reed Sheppard Reality: A Rookie Who Looked Like a Rookie
Reed Sheppard was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He was supposed to be the Rockets’ point guard of the future – a high-IQ playmaker with a sweet shooting stroke and a knack for making the right play.
In the regular season, he showed flashes. He had games where he looked like a future star.
But the playoffs are different. The speed is faster. The physicality is greater. The margin for error is smaller.
Sheppard wasn’t ready. He looked overwhelmed at times. He made rookie mistakes. He deferred to Durant when he should have been aggressive.
That’s not a condemnation. Most rookies aren’t ready for playoff basketball. But Sheppard wasn’t just any rookie. He was the No. 3 pick. The Rockets needed him to contribute.
He’ll be better next year. He has to be.
The Şengün Struggle: Elite in the Regular Season, Neutralized in the Playoffs
Let’s talk about Alperen Şengün, because his story is the most complicated.
Şengün is a brilliant offensive player. He’s a wizard in the post. He has incredible footwork, soft touch, and elite passing vision. In the regular season, he was a walking mismatch. He scored on smaller defenders. He passed over double-teams. He made the Rockets’ offense hum.
But against the Lakers, everything changed. The Lakers had size. They had physicality. They had a game plan designed to neutralize Şengün.
They fronted him in the post, making it hard for him to catch the ball. They sent hard doubles, forcing him to give it up. They bodied him, pushed him off his spots, and made every catch a battle.
Şengün struggled. He couldn’t establish position. He couldn’t get into his rhythm. He looked frustrated – and his frustration affected the rest of the team.
The lesson is harsh but true: Şengün is not yet a playoff-tested star. He’s still learning how to handle the physicality of postseason basketball. He needs to get stronger. He needs to develop counters to the counters. He needs to learn how to be effective even when the defense is designed to stop him.
That’s a lot to ask. But that’s what it takes to be a championship-level player.
The Bright Spot: Jabari Smith Jr. Gained Confidence
Not everything was doom and gloom.
Jabari Smith Jr. was one of the few Rockets who actually looked better in the playoffs than in the regular season. He was aggressive. He shot with confidence. He didn’t defer to Durant.
Smith Jr. has a skill set that benefits most from Durant’s influence and teaching. He’s a 6-foot-11 forward who can shoot, defend, and move without the ball. He’s not a player who will ever be the best or second-best option on a championship team – but he can be a valuable third or fourth piece.
Against the Lakers, Smith Jr. showed that he’s ready for a bigger role. He took open shots. He attacked closeouts. He played with an edge that was missing from some of his teammates.
Durant’s presence has been good for Smith Jr. The veteran has taught him how to use one or two dribbles to get to an advantageous spot. He’s taught him how to read defenses. He’s taught him how to be a professional.
If Smith Jr. continues to improve, he could be the perfect complementary piece next to Durant. He doesn’t need the ball. He spaces the floor. He defends. He’s exactly what the Rockets need.
The Leadership Question: Durant as Teacher
This is the underrated aspect of Durant’s tenure in Houston.
Durant has never been a rah-rah leader. He’s not going to give fiery speeches in the locker room. He’s not going to scream at young players for making mistakes.
But he is a teacher. He’s a professional. He shows up, works, and leads by example.
Jabari Smith Jr. has clearly benefited from Durant’s mentorship. Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard can, too. But they have to be willing to learn. They have to be willing to listen. They have to be willing to put in the work.
Durant can’t force them to grow up. He can only show them the way. The rest is up to them.
The Path Forward: What the Rockets Must Do This Offseason
Let’s stop diagnosing the problem and start talking about solutions.
1. The young players must improve. This is obvious, but it’s the foundation of everything. Thompson needs a jumper. Sheppard needs experience. Şengün needs to learn how to handle playoff physicality. These aren’t small asks. But they’re necessary.
2. The Rockets need another creator. Durant can’t be the only player who can break down a defense. The Rockets should explore trades or free agency for a secondary ball-handler – someone who can take pressure off Durant and run the offense when he sits.
3. The coaching staff needs a better system. Too often, the Rockets’ offense devolved into isolation. That’s on the coaching staff. They need to install more movement, more screens, more actions that get players open without requiring heroics.
4. Durant must stay healthy. This is the biggest variable. Durant played 78 games in the regular season – a remarkable number for a 37-year-old. Can he do it again? The Rockets need to manage his minutes, load-manage strategically, and hope for the best.
The Window: How Much Time Do the Rockets Have?
Let’s be realistic.
Durant is 37. He has a player option for 2027-28. He could be a free agent after next season. He could demand a trade. He could retire.
The Rockets’ window with Durant is not infinite. It’s likely two years – maybe three. That’s it.
In that time, the young players must grow up. They must become reliable contributors. They must take pressure off Durant. If they don’t, the Rockets will waste the final productive years of one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
That’s the pressure. That’s the challenge. That’s the opportunity.
The Houston Rockets acquired Kevin Durant to be the finishing touch on their rebuild. He held up his end of the bargain. He scored, he played, he led by example.
But the young players weren’t ready. Against playoff-caliber defenses, the Rockets reverted to hero ball. They asked Durant to bail them out, night after night. And while he often delivered, it wasn’t enough.
The path forward is clear. Amen Thompson must develop a jumper. Reed Sheppard must gain experience. Alperen Şengün must learn to handle physicality. Jabari Smith Jr. must continue to grow.
And Durant must stay healthy.
The Rockets have a window – two years, maybe three – to maximize the Durant era. The young players must grow up fast. Not next year. Not the year after. Now.
Because hero ball won’t save Houston. Only a collective effort will.
And the clock is ticking.