The Rockets have reached a point where they can actually take some of the load off Kevin Durant, and that’s a big deal this early in the season.
Houston’s strong start has given it more than wins. It’s given the team room to manage Durant’s minutes in blowouts and to get him cleaner looks as the offense hums along more smoothly. That kind of support matters for a player in his 20th NBA season, especially one who just turned 38.
Durant has never been shy about wanting to stay on the floor. If he had his way, he might log 48 minutes every night.
But the Rockets have to think bigger than that. The regular season is long, and with the roster suddenly producing at a high level across the board, Houston doesn’t need to lean on him quite as hard.
That’s a shift from last season, when the offense depended on Durant’s creation and shot making to such an extent that taking him off the floor felt almost impossible. This year looks different. The ball is moving better, and other players are carrying real weight.
The team’s win over the Bucks on Wednesday night showed exactly why. Alperen Sengun sat out entirely, and Houston still rolled to a 132-point night. The Rockets did it with 27 assists and elite three-point shooting, finishing 17-of-38 from deep as a team.
That kind of depth gives the Rockets more freedom with both Durant and Sengun over the rest of the regular season. If they can keep that up, it should help preserve both players for the playoffs, where Durant managed only one game last season.
Sengun hasn’t had the injury scares that often force caution, but he also hasn’t been through a playoff series yet. A deeper postseason run brings its own wear and tear, and Houston’s current level of team play should help keep him fresher for that stage.
For now, the Rockets are in a good place: playing at a high level, creating easier nights for their stars, and giving their coaches more flexibility to think about the long haul.
In Other News...
Mavericks Could Catch A Break With Houston's Biggest Frontcourt Decision
Alperen Senguns status will loom over Houstons matchup with Dallas, because the Rockets may again be forced to navigate a frontcourt without one of their most important pieces. Sengun is listed as questionable for Friday nights game against the Mavericks with the same injury that kept him out of the previous game against Milwaukee, and Houston has leaned heavily on him all season as a scorer, rebounder and playmaker.
His absence would put the Rockets in another spot where they have to adjust on the fly against a division opponent with plenty at stake. The Bucks game already showed how much Houstons rotation changes when Sengun is unavailable, and the next question is whether the Rockets will have him back in time to anchor the middle or have to look elsewhere again for production and stability. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Just Reached An Early Mark Fans Haven't Seen In Years
A 5-0 start has a way of changing the mood around a team quickly, and Houston just hit that mark for the first time since the 2014-15 season after rolling past Milwaukee 132-100. The Rockets did it while missing three of their top-nine players, a reminder that this early run has not been built on a full deck. Even so, the group kept its edge on the defensive end, especially in the first half, where it bottled up the Bucks and kept them from generating many second-chance looks.
The night also gave Houston a glimpse of how this roster can survive short-handed stretches. Fred VanVleet shook off a scoreless first quarter to finish with 24 points, while Clint Capela provided a needed lift off the bench. For a team trying to establish a new standard after years of uneven starts, those kinds of contributions matter as much as the record itself. [Read more 🡒]