Kevin Durant: Can you bring rockets to the promised land?
KD moved again and arrives in Houston with his sights in the NBA title, but is he 37 years old enough to lead Rockets to the throne?
Yeah Kevin Durant It has an opportunity to win another title, it will depend a lot on how fast it adapts to a young and promising template in the Houston Rockets.
At 37, it is normal for the decline curve to begin to notice at some point, but it is not easy to say this of a player who averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists last season. More than his age, we will have to be aware of how he will exercise leadership and presence on the court and in the dressing room, in addition to how much he is willing to give up so that the emerging stars have their space with the title in mind.
Let our experts comment on.
1. Reality or fiction: Durant is the decisive piece for Houston to win a championship.
Fiction. Obviously KD He is the most squad player. And the most talented too. However, I think he reaches a team in which he has well -defined pillars to rely to succeed.
Durant He comes to fill one of the great needs of the rockets: being the man who helps you to win closed games, the man you are going to trust at decisive moments to resolve. But it comes to join a group that has the leadership and conduction of Fred Vanvleet, with the defensive contribution and athleticism of Amen Thompson, with the talent and versatility of Alperen Sengun. All of them are players as fundamental as KDwithout forgetting the role players such as Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Steven Adams.
Durant It will undoubtedly be the cherry of the cake and the one that will solidify the possibilities that Houston can be champion. But it will not be the only AS in the manga that the rockets have to reach the promised land. – Marcelo Bousquet
2. A Kevin number lasts on the way to this season.
1,722. The points that are missing KD to overcome a Michael Jordan in the list of annotations of all time. One of the purest scorers in the history of the NBA, Durant It deserves to be in that top 5 that now integrates LeBron James (42,184), Kareem Abdul Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643) and Jordan (32,292) and if the lesions do not interpose in their way the goal does not seem unattainable.
The four-time score champion has exceeded that figure 10 times, the last one in 2023-24 (2,032). Last season he lost 20 games and still ended with 1,647. While it is true that his role as the first offensive option could change in Houston, there are no reasons to think that Durant He will not surpass Air Jordan in the Honor Group.
At the moment, Durant It occupies the eighth historical box. On the way, he must go to Wilt Chamberlain (31,419; need 849) Dirk Nowitzki (31,560/990). Again, health, beyond its 37 years, will decide the position it will occupy at the end of the season. – Hiram Martínez
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Kevin Durant and Rockets are the perfect marriage
After being negotiated to Houston by the Suns, the veteran player makes the Rockets automatic candidates to challenge the NBA champion, the Thunder, at the West Conference.
3. Kevin Durant’s best version will be …
That of a superstar with experience and execution in the clutch. With 37 years on your back, the experience to execute limits at the moment, your ability to be patient at certain times and take leadership when your team needs it, will be the ingredients that will lead you to show your best version on the court.
His veteran, in addition to his talent and abilities, will become the best lighthouse of rockets to travel the darkest moments of a party. He knows that he does not have to shine in the 48 minutes of each game, but he must also assume that, in the final minutes, the team will wait for him not to fail.
It will be in the Cluch when you should show your specific weight to see your best version. – Bousquet
4. Kevin Durant’s worst version in 2025-26 will be …
If you think only about it and/or it is injured. The ability to Kevin Durant To convert points is indisputable. As much as his scoring talent is increasingly linked to outstanding individual actions than to collective glory, which is what everyone should pursue. What is the use of 26.6 points per game if your team is not classified to playoffs? That was what happened to KD In the last season at Phoenix Suns.
Arizona’s departure was an obsession for Durant. His arrival at Houston Rockets implied that the set that runs Ime Uudoka detached from a couple of important pieces such as Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. KDwith 37 years and a history of worrying injuries, you will have to adapt to a team, with a lot of defensive commitment, which aims to raise a step in the postseason and that will need it healthy and with a look that exceeds its ego and its numbers. – Pablo Cormick
5. At 37, does Kevin Durant adjust his game to help Houston win?
Whenever a new team is reached, there is a need to make adjustments for all the pieces to fit in such a way to obtain the best result. From this point of view, the answer is more than obvious. However, this will not be something new to Kevin Durant.
Houston will be his fifth different team since his trip through the NBA began in 2007, so he has experience in knowing how to find his role. Due to the quality and conformation of the Rockets template, it will have a task of adaptation similar to what he made when he arrived at Golden State Warriors: he must share a poster with other soloists and find the way of the orchestra sounds tuned without altering the coexistence among all.
With the Warriors he won two titles, he was twice MVP of the finals, although he chose to leave as a free agent after several encounters with the controversial Draymond Green. Knowing that in Houston it is not the only triumph option, the final result is expected to be more similar to celebrating titles than to have to force the exit to another team. – Bousquet
