The Houston Rockets have reportedly acquired Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. In exchange for Durant, Houston sent Jalen Green, Dillion Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, and five second-round picks.
The mainstream media has praised Houston’s decision to acquire Durant because the move addresses their biggest weakness in the playoff: shot creation. On June 22nd, Zach Harper of the Athletic echoes these sentiments.
“Once we get to the playoffs, what does it look like for the Rockets? Their big issue against Golden State was an inability to consistently score against a tough defense. Durant has been doing that extremely well for his entire career. The fit is brilliant, and the Rockets don’t really lose any of their depth or identity with it”.
Spacing Nightmares: Houston’s Three-Point Crisis
Although Zach is correct that Kevin Durant is an elite scorer, the current roster in Houston will make it harder for him to display that skill. Over the past two seasons, Houston has run an offensive system centered around isolation and pick-and-roll possessions. The Rockets have run isolation on 7.2% of their offensive possessions, averaging 8.3 per game, 11th in the league.
Houston has complemented its isolation possessions with pick-and-rolls. The team has featured a pick-and-roll on 17.4% of its offensive possessions, averaging 20 per game, eighth in the league.
When Houston is running these play types, they like to have at least three players standing behind the three-port line for spacing purposes. On December 1, 2024, Jabari Smith inbounded the ball to Alperen Şengün with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter against the Thunder.
Alperen Şengün jogs over to the right wing to initiate a dribble handoff with Fred VanVleet. Upon receiving the ball, Fred immediately passed it back to Şengün. Alperen Şengün decided to isolate Isaiah Hartenstein via a post-up.
As he began to back him down, Cason Wallace came over to provide help. Consequently, Alperen Şengün passed the ball back to Fred, who stood behind the three-point line on the left wing. Fred ended the play by hitting a three-pointer.
Green and Smith stood behind the three-point line for the entire possession as the play unfolded. Brooks was the only other Rocket inside the arc, standing near the left jumper spot.
Houston’s offensive setup will limit Kevin Durant’s scoring impact. They only have two players who are considered reliable three-point shooters. Durant and Fred are the only two players on the roster with a career three-point shooting percentage above 36%. Fred has a career percentage of 37.1% on 6.8 attempts per game.
On the other hand, Kevin Durant has a career shooting percentage of 39% on five attempts. The lack of three-point shooting on Houston’s current roster with the catalyst behind them ranking 22nd in the league in three-point percentage, shooting 35.3% over the last two seasons.
Kevin Durant’s Role in Houston: From Superstar to Floor Spacer?
Unless Houston decides to add shooting to the roster, Kevin Durant will have to spend a significant amount of offensive possessions in the floor space role. Using Durant in this role forces opponents to keep an extra defender close to the three-point line.
Therefore, his teammates will have extra space to maneuver around the basket, improving the odds of getting a good shot. The current state of Houston’s roster will diminish the opportunities for Durant to create his own shot.
If Houston decides to give Durant an isolation possession, multiple defenders will surround him. This is because opposing teams only have to respect Fred’s three-point shooting abilities.
Unfortunately, the initial reporting out of Houston indicates that the Rockets are not prioritizing three-point shooting this off-season. On June 22, the Athletic stated that Houston plans to start Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Şengün.
“Team sources said there are early indications Smith will likely return to the starting lineup, with Thompson — who originally replaced Smith last season after Smith broke his hand — slotting into Green’s vacated starting spot. The Rockets now possess ample length at four starting positions, amplifying the defensive tools Udoka now has at his disposal.”
If the report holds, Houston will be forced into a corner to use Durant as a spot-up shooter to maximize floor spacing.
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