Rockets could still see a surprising improvement even in Kevin Durant's absence

As the Houston Rockets prepare for their next two matchups against the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors, they will be attempting to get back on track following their nerve-wracking loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

However, while they will be without their star scorer, Kevin Durant, for these two games as he tends to personal matter, Sports Illustrated's Lachard Binkley believes that there is area in which they can still see some improvement: their pace.

"One of those areas [in which they can improve] is pace. The Rockets are the fourth-slowest pace team in the NBA... When you have a Kevin Durant on your team, you are probably going to be a slower team. You are not going to have as many fast breaks. You are going to operate more in the mid-range."

Lachard Binkley

With Kevin Durant out, it will be time to see what the Rockets' young core can do on their own

When Houston traded for Durant, one of the primary concerns that analysts had was that the team's young core would become overly-reliant on Durant to score in isolation, leaving them offensively vulnerable in other areas of their game.

So far, they are 10-4, and, while Durant has played exceedingly well, this concern has only played itself out in part. Through their first 14 games, as Binkley mentioned, the Rockets are the fourth-slowest team in the NBA according to the pace metric, which measures possessions garnered per 48 minutes of play.

This, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. While many teams, such as the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers, are looking to push their pace to extreme levels, Houston has found great success playing a slower game, allowing Durant and Alperen Sengun to hunt their shot on a consistent basis.

Yet, the Rockets also have players, such as Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, who will likely thrive in a faster-paced environment, taking advantage of fast-break possessions and, for lack of a better term, chaos on the offensive end.

By no means will this team be better without Durant, but, in his absence, these players may truly have an opportunity to shine, showcasing yet another layer of the Rockets' game as they attempt to build a championship-worthy team over the course of the season.

With Durant out, it's time to see what the young guys can do on their own, and it will be an intriguing test of how deep this team truly is.