Kevin Durant isn’t buying the idea that the Rockets are walking into the season as an underdog.
Houston has the kind of top-end talent that turns heads right away: Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson headline the group, while Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. give the roster more punch around them. That mix has created real expectations in Houston, even if the team hasn’t fully cashed in on its promise yet.
Durant made it clear he doesn’t see the Rockets being treated like an easy out by opponents. As captured by Rockets Wire’s Ben DuBose, he pushed back on the label and said the focus inside the team is elsewhere.
“In the scouting report, other teams are not talking about us like that. They respect us.
They respect the game enough to prepare for us the right way. The fans might think of us as a different team after week one.
After week two, who knows? I’m just focused on our identity and I know the opposing team is going to be ready for us.”
He was even more direct in a separate exchange, saying: “Who cares? Underdogs by who?”
and “Other teams aren’t talking about us like that.” He also added, “The fans might think of us as a different team after Week 1, so I can’t focus on that.
I’m just focused on our identity.”
The Rockets’ case for being taken seriously starts with the talent already in place, but it also comes with unfinished business. Houston finished fifth in the Western Conference last season and then went out in the first round of the playoffs, which is part of why the team still has something to prove.
VanVleet’s return should help with that. The 32-year-old guard missed all of last season because of an ACL injury, and his presence is expected to bring veteran leadership back to the backcourt.
There’s also optimism around Sengun and Thompson. Sengun is coming off his second straight All-Star nod, while Thompson earned a top-10 finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting. If both can keep climbing, and if each can improve from mid-range and deep, Houston’s offense gets another dangerous layer.
Durant, meanwhile, is still doing Durant things. He averaged 26.0 points per game across 78 games last season, and at 38 years old, the Rockets will want to manage his workload wisely. Ime Udoka could trim his minutes a bit, but Durant hasn’t shown any real sign of slowing down.
With VanVleet back and the core intact, Houston heads toward late October with a stronger sense of optimism. The roster has enough pieces to make noise, and Durant isn’t interested in the underdog label at all.
In Other News...
Marcus Smart Is Giving The Rockets A Reason To Believe
Marcus Smart didnt need long to make his case in Houstons second preseason game, turning in a lively all-around effort that fit neatly with what the Rockets want from him. In 24 minutes, he brought scoring, rebounding and playmaking to the table, the kind of veteran presence that can stabilize a young roster and give Fred VanVleet another backcourt partner who can handle the ball or function away from it.
The bigger takeaway for the Rockets is how naturally Smarts versatility can slide into multiple lineup looks if the shot keeps following him. His three-point work was encouraging, and Houston will be watching to see whether cleaner shot selection can make that part of his game even more efficient as the season approaches. If it does, the Rockets may have more than just an experienced defender on their hands. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Opening Week Plan Sends An Early Message About Two Veterans
The Rockets are wasting little time making their rotation intentions clear in opening week. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams will both sit the first back-to-backs to start the season, a move that says plenty about how Houston wants to handle two veterans it expects to lean on over the long haul. In Adams case, the approach fits a familiar pattern, with the team planning to manage his minutes and availability carefully after a lengthy injury history.
There is also an immediate ripple effect in the backcourt when VanVleet is unavailable. Instead of turning to Reed Sheppard, Houston plans to start Marcus Smart at point guard, giving the Rockets a more experienced hand to organize the offense while VanVleet rests. It is an early-season lineup wrinkle, but one that offers a useful glimpse at how the coaching staff sees the guard rotation unfolding when the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Open Against A Mavericks Frontcourt Problem That Could Matter Fast
Opening night brings the Houston Rockets a Dallas frontcourt that is already short-handed, and the matchup is shaped as much by availability as by star power. Kyrie Irving is set to make his return to NBA action for the Mavericks, but Dallas is dealing with several injured players and the big-man rotation is especially thin heading into the game.
Dereck Lively II is out because of right foot surgery, leaving an immediate hole in the middle for a team that could use every body it can get. Houston has its own injury watch to track as well, with Steven Adams and Julian Phillips listed as questionable, so the opening-week frontcourt picture is still fluid on both sides. [Read more 🡒]