Cold hard Kevin Durant truth the Rockets must accept

The Houston Rockets have garnered praise for acquiring Kevin Durant. That's fair, but Durant's age and injury-proneness are valid concerns.

It's undeniable. Durant is a senior in NBA terms. Durant has played an average of 54.8 games per season over the last five NBA seasons. He's likely to miss time.

One reporter from The Athletic is quick to concede that point.

New Rockets star is likely to miss time

"He is...injury prone...he's going to miss 20-25 games. Can they withstand that?"

-Dave DuFour, The Athletic

It's a valid question. DuFour goes onto acknowledge that for all of Jalen Green's "warts", his durability was impressive. Green has only missed 21 games across his four NBA seasons, and 15 of those came during his rookie year.

NBA trades are seldom perfect. Typically, you've got to give something meaningful up to get something meaningful back. Green's consistent availability is an asset.

Is it enough for the Rockets to miss him?

Rockets shouldn't regret Durant deal

Green was consistently available for the Rockets. That's about the only way he was consistent. Green's inability to consistently impact winning is what saw him jettisoned from Space City.

A player who plays 82 games is valuable, but if he only plays well in 41 of those games, his value is mitigated. Green had his share of games this year in which he was neutral, or even a net negative. That won't happen with Durant. When healthy, he's one of the most consistent scorers in NBA history.

So, the Rockets have a different issue to solve. The problem is no longer "what do we do when Green isn't delivering?". The problem is now "what do we do when Durant isn't available?".

Well?

Rockets need a Plan B for Durant's absences

Ideally, internal improvements will quickly alleviate these concerns. If Alperen Sengun can return to his previous efficiency, he can carry the offense when Durant is down. Amen Thompson will hopefully be able to offer some perimeter creation in 2025-26 as well. He won't be (nearly) the three-level scorer that Durant is, but if Thompson can provide consistent rim pressure, increasing his usage when Durant can't play could solve problems.

Can Reed Sheppard carry some weight? Can Jabari Smith Jr. approximate some of Durant's offensive role? That's part of the intrigue surrounding the Rockets. Young players' impact is difficult to predict, because their trajectory isn't necessarily linear. The Rockets have several guys who can potentially offset Durant's absences.

Otherwise, the organization needs to manage Durant's minutes wisely. He should rest against lottery teams as often as possible. Durant should only play the second game of a back-to-back if the game is important. If Houston can find ways to manage his body, and their other young players can step up, they should be OK.

That will vindicate the praise they've gotten this summer.