The Rockets Don't Need to be Carried by Kevin Durant

The Houston Rockets are expected to be on a short list of NBA contenders after acquiring Kevin Durant, along with some other depth veterans. NBA fans and pundits have placed significant importance on Durant's arrival: some believe he's the missing piece to make Houston a contender, while others think he won't elevate Houston past other contenders.

Durant's performance is important for the Rockets. They need him to produce to compete, and even an average season for Durant will likely have him finish as one of the league's most efficient leading scorers. However, Houston won't need an MVP-caliber season from Durant to reach the team's potential.

The Rockets have several players who played large roles in leading the team to a 50+ win season last year. Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet will still factor into Houston's success. They were also the team's biggest impact players during the postseason. Durant will be able to rely on these teammates, along with Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, to grow from their first postseason appearance and support his production.

For this reason, Durant's role has been somewhat overestimated. While he's the undisputed No. 1 and the team's leading option, the Rockets won't be expecting the offense to flow entirely through him.

Durant is best when he can alternate between creating for himself and allowing his teammates to create for him. He'll be able to benefit from his teammates being capable creators for themselves, and he won't have to carry the offense by himself throughout the season.

There will be times when he'll have to step in and take over games for the sake of the team. The Rockets acquired Durant to help with their half-court production, but they needed the most help with their clutch-time scoring.

Houston struggled to find a player they could depend on consistently to make big shots at the end of games when opposing teams are playing their best defense. Every returning main rotation player had their moments in the clutch to help the team close out tight victories last season.

However, the Rockets never found someone they could depend on every single time.

Durant is that kind of player, and they'll be depending on him to deliver during those moments. He'll need to be especially sharp in the postseason against some of the league's top defensive teams. The Rockets don't need him to carry their entire offense, but he will have to carry the offense in moments.