There was little reason to expect the Houston Rockets’ off-season addition of Kevin Durant to their line-up would yield a seamless transition, even given Durant’s reputation as one of the premier scorers in National Basketball Association (NBA) history and the Rockets’ standing as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Relatedly, after committing 22 turnovers in a season-opening loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct 21, the Rockets shot only 38.6 per cent in their 115-111 setback to the Detroit Pistons in their home opener on Oct 24.
With the Brooklyn Nets scheduled to visit Houston on Oct 27 (Oct 28 morning, Singapore time), the Rockets understand that they remain a work in progress despite lofty pre-season expectations.
Houston have had trouble unleashing an efficient offensive attack. Their “skyline” starting unit, the tallest since the NBA began tracking starting line-ups more than 50 years ago, have struggled to generate the spacing needed to take full advantage of Durant’s myriad skills.
Durant scored a game-high 37 points against the Pistons, but the Rockets opened the second half with the shorter Josh Okogie (1.93m) on the court and Amen Thompson coming off the bench.
Okogie provided a spark and the Rockets found additional rhythm with Alperen Sengun playing as the lone big man on the court during the third quarter.
Despite their ability to utilise unique personnel groupings, the Rockets have yet to maximise the potential of their roster construction.
“It’s always good having a versatile team, but knowing when to throw these different line-ups out there, that’s the toughest job as a coach,” Durant, 37, said.
“We’ll be patient and keep growing and keep figuring things out. Our offence will get better.”
Putting Durant in a position to attack opposing defences with efficiency is the first order of business. The Rockets have yet to unlock the spacing needed for him to thrive in the half-court, while their early offensive pace has inhibited Thompson’s exceptional athleticism.
“I think we’re playing too upright,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “That’s going to be the formula this year is (for opponents) try to get up under guys.
“So you want to work on that and come off with some pace, whether it’s pick-and-roll or off-ball actions. We haven’t been great at that. Not just transition, but we’d like to play faster with more force in the half-court, for sure.”
Meanwhile, the Nets are in need of a win following three straight defeats.
When the San Antonio Spurs paid tribute to long-time coach Gregg Popovich on Oct 26, Victor Wembanyama made sure the unbeaten team celebrated a victory as well.
The 2.24m French centre scored 31 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked six shots, passed off four assists and made three steals to spark the Spurs to a 118-107 win over Brooklyn.
Wembanyama has a combined 100 points and 18 blocked shots over the first three games of the regular season, a feat no other NBA player has ever managed.
“Nothing like winning,” he said. “It feels great. It feels like where we should be. It definitely gives a boost for motivation.”
Elsewhere, Austin Reaves exploded for a career-high 51 points and Deandre Ayton added 22 points with a game-high 15 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers, playing without injured stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James, downed hosts the Sacramento Kings 127-120.
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