Kevin Durant, a former college great at Louisville has tipped off his era with the Houston Rockets with rough start to the season. After two games, the Rockets find themselves with a disappointing 0-2 record, following a narrow 115-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Even with the disappointments, Durant is still hopeful about the team’s future and recognizes the frustrations arising from the way they’ve been playing.
In the loss to the Pistons, Durant proved once again just how much of a scoring machine he is, dropping 37 points on 9-for-18 shooting. He was one of the best free-throw shooters in the country, making 16 of 18 tries. His fourth-quarter performance proved particularly impactful, as he contributed 14 points in the final minutes, demonstrating his ability to take charge when needed.
Looking at Durant’s advanced numbers, it’s easy to see why he is off to such an impressive start this season. He does this while averaging a blistering 30 points per game. His shooting is legit, as he’s shooting 53% from the floor and 43% from deep. These numbers highlight his capability to make significant contributions to the Rockets, who entered the season with high expectations as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference last year and the fifth-best odds to win the NBA title at 14-1.
And even with all of his individual accolades, much like Durant himself, Durant sees the value of team play and ensemble excellence. He expressed his ongoing struggle to find the right balance between taking over games and allowing his teammates to establish their rhythm. This sentiment is a true testament to his knowledge of team cohesion, and most importantly, leadership.
“It’s a balance I felt like when I came back in that fourth quarter,” – Kevin Durant
The general feeling from people inside the Rockets after the disappointing start. Durant explained that the pressure is palpable among players and coaches given their recent losing streaks.
“Coaching staff is pissed off, players are pissed off,” – Kevin Durant
Durant sees this early-season vexation as a harbinger of breakthrough to come. He is a firm believer in the idea that when adversity hits, that’s when a team gets to see what it’s made of. His enthusiasm for this new opportunity is shared by his rookie teammate, Amen Thompson. Amen spoke to the team’s frustration at a disappointing first third of the season.
“Just feel like we haven’t played a good game yet,” – Amen Thompson
His impact on the court has without question set the bar even higher. Yao Ming and Hakeem Olajuwon both come to town for his home opener. More importantly, his goal is to help the Rockets – having lost 16 straight – turnaround in these next games. Durant’s experience and skill will be essential to their handling this first-half malaise. Indeed he even promised fans that he would lead the team back into playoff contention.
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