Marcus Smart has built a career on taking the toughest defensive jobs in the league, but there’s one matchup he won’t be sad to leave behind: Kevin Durant.
At Houston Rockets media day, Smart talked about what it means to finally be on the same side as Durant after years of trying to slow him down.
“I get to be on the other side of him taking the shots and not taking the shots over me…his ability to make shots it doesn’t matter who’s there. And it also doesn’t help that he’s close to seven foot, and I’m close to six foot.”
“And he just shoots right on top of me, so to be able to pass him the ball and go, okay now I get to actually watch the shot and not have to worry about trying to make a miss…I think that’s gonna be the fascinating part to be able to watch him do what he does best.”
That’s a pretty strong endorsement from the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, a guard who made his name by chasing down elite scorers no matter the size difference.
Durant has always been a different kind of problem, though. At nearly seven feet with a release that makes contesting him almost meaningless, he’s the type of scorer smaller defenders can only bother, not stop.
Smart knows that as well as anyone. The two have met 22 times in the regular season and playoffs, with Smart’s teams going 12-10 in those games, including a 6-4 edge in the postseason.
Durant still put up big numbers in those matchups, averaging 26.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Smart, meanwhile, averaged 14.0 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds against him.
Durant also had five 30-point games against Smart’s teams and reached the 40-point mark once.
Now the assignment is different. Smart’s new job is simple: feed Durant and watch what happens.
It’s a major shift for Smart, who spent last season with the Los Angeles Lakers before declining his player option and signing a two-year, $13 million deal with the Rockets. The move also reunited him with Ime Udoka, who coached Smart during Boston’s run to the 2022 NBA Finals.
Smart played 62 regular-season games for the Lakers, averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.8 rebounds. In the playoffs, he stepped it up to 12.9 points, 5.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
His defensive edge should fit neatly in Houston, but playing beside Durant gives Smart something he’s rarely had: one of his most frustrating defensive matchups now working as an offensive weapon for his own team.
For years, Smart had to chase a scorer who could simply rise up and shoot over him.
This season, he gets the easier side of it - hand Durant the ball and enjoy the shot instead of trying to ruin it.
In Other News...
Amen Thompson Faces Bigger Rockets Expectations After One Painful Snub
Amen Thompson walked into Rockets media day carrying the weight that comes with a five-year, $208 million extension, and he didnt sound interested in treating it like a finish line. The young wing talked about sharing a major contract milestone with his brother Ausar, who signed a similar deal with the Pistons, and about what the new money means in practical terms as much as professionally. For Houston, the larger point is obvious: the organization is paying for the kind of two-way growth that can help turn a promising core into something far more dangerous.
Thompson also framed the conversation around what still has to come next, with his focus fixed on sharpening his defense and chasing a championship in the 2026-27 season. He discussed the disappointment of falling short of All-Defensive recognition and the motivation that comes with being overlooked, while also offering a few personal details about how life has changed since the extension. It all adds up to a reminder that the Rockets are no longer talking about Thompson as a breakthrough story, but as a player expected to meet a much higher standard. [Read more 🡒]
Fred VanVleets Return Could Change Everything For Houstons Offense
Fred VanVleet is back in the picture for Houston after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL and meniscus, a loss that left a real void in the Rockets backcourt and in their overall organization. After spending the year away from game action, the veteran guard has been medically cleared for a return in 2026-27 and is already back with the group in training camp, which gives the Rockets a much-needed stabilizer as they try to sharpen an offense that could use more direction.
VanVleets presence matters here beyond just another healthy body. Houston has been looking for steadier leadership, cleaner ball-handling and better late-game execution, and those are exactly the areas where he can change the feel of a possession and, by extension, a close game. There is still a short runway before the season starts, but the expectation around camp is that he will be out there when the preseason begins, which gives the Rockets an early chance to see how much smoother things look with him back steering the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Rookie Already Sees What Makes Kevin Durant So Different
Bruce Thornton did not need long to understand why Kevin Durant still commands so much attention around the Rockets. During media day, the rookie described Durants shooting and leadership as impressive, a reminder that Houston is adding far more than a high-end scorer as it prepares for the 2026-27 season. Thornton, taken 31st overall in 2026, arrives with a strong Summer League showing and a real chance to earn a backcourt role if he can carve out space in a deep rotation.
The challenge for Thornton is that Houstons roster strength also makes opportunity hard to come by, especially in the backcourt where minutes will be competitive from the start. Even so, working alongside Durant offers a useful early lesson for a young guard trying to stick in the league, and it gives the Rockets another sign that their newest piece is already paying attention to the standard being set around him. [Read more 🡒]