Kevin Durant immediately solves Rockets' biggest problems

The Houston Rockets will lean on Kevin Durant for a bucket
The Houston Rockets will lean on Kevin Durant for a bucket | Carmen Mandato/GettyImages

The Houston Rockets had trouble putting the ball in the basket in the fourth quarter last year. Acquiring Kevin Durant ought to fix that massive issue.

When the stakes are high, the game of basketball changes. A system can get you through the first three-and-a-half quarters. When the chips are down, the game often comes down to who has the player who's better at getting a bucket from scratch.

The Rockets have seldom had that guy over the last few years. Jalen Green was the closest thing, and frankly, the opposition typically had a superior bucket getter.

That won't be the case with Durant in the fold.

Rockets badly needed a bucket getter

The Athletic's Es Baraheni recently highlighted the Rockets' 2024-25 woes on the Game Theory Podcast with Sam Vecenie.

"This Rockets team really struggled in the clutch last year. They really struggled in the fourth quarter."

-Es Baraheni, The Athletic

Baraheni goes on to give some troubling stats. The Rockets were 18th in Clutch Offense, 16th in Clutch Net Rating, and 23rd in Fourth Quarter Offense.

Again, a system will get you so far. The Rockets' system was rudimentary, but brutally effective. They leaned on dominating the offensive glass and minimizing turnovers to maintain a possession advantage on a nightly basis. It worked, but it collapsed in the fourth quarter.

Can Durant fix that single-handedly?

Rockets need improvements across the board

That's an unfair expectation for a 37-year-old.

Durant is an intriguing fit with the Rockets. He's arguably never been on such a deep team. He's never been on a squad with such a depth of quality wing defenders. The Rockets will be able to manage Durant's body and workload with that depth.

That said, he's arguably had a more dynamic co-star at each of his NBA stops. Durant started his career with Russell Westbrook. He went on to play with Steph Curry, followed by James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Arguably, even Devin Booker is more potent than anyone on the Rockets:

Although Alperen Sengun would have something to say about that.

He needs to improve his half-court efficiency to be Durant's primary co-star. More consistent offense from Amen Thompson would help as well. Flipping Green for Durant won't guarantee the Rockets one of the league's best fourth-quarter offenses.

It does virtually guarantee improvement. The Rockets will have an easier time with the game on the line next year. When they need a bucket, they've got one of the best scorers in NBA history available to get it.

Few players are as used to high stakes as Durant.