Let’s keep it rolling like a runaway train Dub Nation, alllll through the divisions as we break down what these other franchises have been up to this summer. I remember back during the dynasty’s heyday I would smirk and chuckle as other teams spun the wheel of transactions looking for a prayer against the Golden Empire. Now, I peer with furrowed brows as the league tries to leave Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the dust. Let’s take a peek at the Southwest division. That’s where former Warriors hero
and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant is a part of that league wide effort to beat the Dubs, as his Houston Rockets took two of three from Golden State last season.
Currently, Houston is heading into Year 2 of the KD experiment. Last season ended in shambles for the Rockets (as it always has since 1995), this time with a first-round exit to a severely depleted Lakers team in what would be LeBron James’ final series victory in the Western Conference. But the Rockets were missing point guard Fred VanVleet and center Steven Adams, while KD missed a ton of time in the series.
Then Giannis hit the market and Houston had the assets to make a real run at him. In the end, a deal wasn’t made per ESPN:
Rafael Stone isn’t Daryl Morey. Back in Morey’s days as general manager from 2007 to 2020, the Rockets seemingly relished cycling through star players in pursuit of a championship: Dwight Howard, James Harden, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook all took turns.
Even though the Rockets were embarrassed by the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers in a first-round series loss, Stone resisted the temptation to blow up his coaching staff or roster. Instead, he retained Ime Udoka as coach, re-signed Eason, acquired veterans Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and shipped out Finney-Smith, who barely contributed last season.
Everything else this offseason is Houston choosing depth and continuity. Tari Eason got a five-year, $81.5 million extension, while Smart and Bogdanovic came in for toughness and shooting. Chip Engelland, the shooting coach who won two titles in San Antonio, got hired. Fred VanVleet is running it back after a torn ACL cost him all of last season. Steven Adams is also back after ankle surgery in January ended his season early. And when Laci Watson of Roundtable Sports published a Houston-centric priorities piece back in May and then graded it, there was some guarded confidence:
I questioned whether Fred VanVleet represented Houston’s long-term answer at the position. VanVleet remains under contract after exercising his player option, but the Rockets clearly wanted additional options. Smart’s another experienced ballhandler, Bruce Thornton gives Houston a developmental guard, and Reed Sheppard stays part of the equation.
So, did they solve the long-term point guard question? I’m not ready to give myself that one yet. But they certainly acknowledged it.
Of course, when a team has Durant they carry the immediate weight of championship expectations. The Warriors were the only franchise that was able to take that weight and use it to club their foes on the way to multiple championships, but that’s what they do. They did it before he was there, and after he left. For the Rockets trying to press the KD button and watch a championship materialize, this season could be the moment KD wins his first non-GSW title, or it’s another referendum on just how hard it is to win it all in the NBA.
If their young guard Amen Thompson provides the consistent two-way punch this team needs, that dream could be realized. He’s a guy who can be an absolute monster defensively and then give you 40 points on the other end.
Golden State knows exactly what this bet looks like from the inside. A team deciding the roster doesn’t need an overhaul, it just needs everybody healthy at the same time. Now Houston’s betting VanVleet’s knee, Adams’ body, and the roster they already had can prove Rafael Stone right. We’ll find out if that’s enough.
