5 vital takeaways from Kevin Durant's Rockets debut

As the Houston Rockets entered their second preseason game against the Utah Jazz, all eyes were on Kevin Durant as fans got their first look at him on the court in a Rockets uniform.

Through just over 23 minutes, Durant posted 20 points, two rebounds and one assist, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.

While it was not necessarily an eye-popping game by Durant's standards, he still showed flashes of what he can be for Houston this season: a lethal scorer and the piece that makes their offense gel. Thus, Rockets fans should have much reason for excitement as the team rounds out their preseason slate.

Therefore, let's take a look at the five most crucial takeaways from Durant's first Rockets foray:

He's going to get to his spots

Although Durant struggled to hit his shots early in the game, he very quickly made his intentions clear. Whether through putting the ball on the floor or feeding off of his teammates, he got to his spots at the elbows and on the baseline with ease, getting up multiple specimens of his signature jump shot within the team's first few possessions.

While he also flashed his perimeter shot and his ability to finish at the rim, what most stuck out about what Durant can provide to this offense was just how undeniable he can be on offense. Although the Jazz do not necessarily present a formidable defense, Durant came out firing: an excellent sign for the confidence of this Houston offense.

It's going to take him a little while to get comfortable

Although Durant has historically not taken much time to acclimate to new situations (he scored 27, 30 and 37 in his first three games with the Golden State Warriors in 2016), the Rockets present a distinct new challenge for him.

He has never been a part of a defensively-loaded team like the Rockets, and the general deficit of spacing that this rotation will provide him with could mean that there will be a period of adjustment for Durant as he attempts to lead this offense to new heights.

With a veteran like Durant, this should not be a major cause for concern, but his 0-for-3 start to the game from the floor serves as a microcosm of what it could look like for him to get comfortable in this offense.

He can serve as an additional playmaker

With the ACL injury Fred VanVleet sustained, the biggest problem Houston will face this season revolves around who will take on the playmaking duties that he has left in his wake.

While Alperen Sengun and some combination of Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson will take on the vast majority of this workload, Durant's ability to serve as a tertiary facilitator could be huge for this team.

Last season with the Phoenix Suns, Durant averaged 4.2 assists per 36 minutes on the court, and his ability to make the right passes was on display tonight:

He's still going to torch opposing defenses

This one is somewhat self-explanatory, but, if you had any concerns, Durant can still be the most dominant player on the court essentially any time he wants to be:

He will lighten Alperen Sengun's workload

Last season, Sengun quickly became the team's most potent offensive player, and, accordingly, opposing defenses were able to focus much of their energy on limiting his impact in the paint.

However, with Durant now on the roster, a large portion of this focus will need to shift away from Sengun, both sparing the center significant energy throughout the course of games and freeing him up to become the primary playmaker the team needs.

This effect was seen almost immediately in the duo's first game together, as Sengun posted an absurd 13 assists in his 27 minutes on the court.

If Durant's presence allows Sengun to take the next step toward superstardom, this team could quickly become highly dangerous.