Kevin Durant’s most overlooked weapon will quietly transform the Rockets

I would imagine that every Houston Rockets fan is pretty excited to see Kevin Durant suit up for their team in the upcoming season. But as much hype as there rightfully is around how KD will transform this team from an offensive standpoint, I think there's just as much reason to look forward to seeing his defensive impact.

If you're a true student of the game of basketball, you understand that Durant is one of the most underrated defensive players in the association. I would say part of the reason for that is the fact that he is so incredibly talented an offensive player.

When you get to discussing the greatest scorers of all-time, Durant's at the very least in the conversation. And when you talk about the greatest iso scorers, shooters, and offensive engines in NBA history, that kind of dominance on offense can mute reasonable conversations about their impact defensively.

I was in a press conference just a year and a half ago with the Suns' head coach at the time, Frank Vogel. When I asked about Durant's defensive impact, the answer he gave was far from lukewarm.

"He's one of the best in the league in iso defense and on-ball defense," Vogel said. "He's really long, he's physical, he doesn't get enough credit for that side of the ball. He should get all-defensive team recognition this year. I'd be very disappointed if he doesn't."

Durant's defensive impact is massively underrated

That's a coach sticking up for his guy, but it's also a person calling it like they see it. Durant has been phenomenal defender for quite some time.

Part of that is due to his supreme physical frame. Standing somewhere around seven foot (I think we all have reason to doubt the infamous 6-foot-11 figure) and boasting a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Durant has a massive advantage when it comes to protecting the rim and defending in space. Even if he's beaten off the dribble, he can recover surprisingly well.

It's those physical advantages that also make him very adept at switching effectively. To top it all off, he's simply a high-IQ guy defensively. He's reading the offense as a defender way faster than probably any fan in the arena is, and his quick decision-making always pays off.

This Rockets roster was already a fantastic defensive unit, but now the addition of KD will only boost it further. Houston lost their vocal veteran on defense in Dillon Brooks to Phoenix, but perhaps now Kevin can shoulder some of that responsibility.

And maybe no one will be more glad to see Durant's defensive impact on this group than Alperen Sengun, who now gets a top-tier help defender to cover for his occasional mistakes. Overall, Ime Udoka has to be thrilled to get Kevin Durant's contributions this coming season not just in the scoring category, but on the other side of the ball as well.