Kevin Durant’s injury exposed a fragile offensive system. To become legitimate West contenders, Houston must secure a high-volume perimeter threat capable of punishing defenses that collapse the paint.
Kevin Durant missing five games against the Lakers was brutal. Watching Houston’s offense completely unravel without him in real time was worse.
Once Durant went down before the series and missed five of the six games, the Rockets completely unraveled offensively. Houston never looked like they had a legitimate chance to survive without him, even in the two games they won.
Take away Durant’s lone Game 2 contribution entirely, and the Rockets shot roughly 38-percent from the field across the series, averaging just 30.8-percent from three. That’s pretty rough for a team trying to contend in the Western Conference, especially against a Lakers defense that was nowhere near elite this season.
Houston needs to get realistic and start targeting players built specifically for playoff basketball if they actually want to be taken seriously in this league. This offseason is the time to get serious about adding another playoff-level shooter.
Houston has some serious offensive talent on the roster. Amen Thompson is one of the most explosive young athletes in basketball, and Alperen Sengun ranked the second-highest scoring center in the NBA this season, following only Nikola Jokic. Reed Sheppard was even floating around Sixth Man of the Year conversations earlier in the year. None of that changes the fact that playoff defenses aren’t scared of the Rockets from deep.
Should Houston start shopping for superstars this summer? No. They need another player capable of punishing defenses for collapsing the floor every possession. That’s where somebody in the Cam Johnson archetype starts making a lot of sense.
The Rockets should have tunnel vision on high-volume perimeter shooting, size on the wing, and quick decision-making. Another Durant isn’t going to walk through that door… but they can start looking for someone Johnson/Bane/Powell shaped.
