Kevin Durant’s return brings dilemma to Rockets starting lineup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After missing two games due to personal reasons, Kevin Durant returned to the Houston Rockets and shone, delivering 25 points, six rebounds, and three steals in their 129-101 win against the Utah Jazz.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile the Rockets definitely received a boost from their 37-year-old superstar, they showed in their two previous matches against Phoenix and Golden State that they could succeed without their star player.
Kevin Durant's return to Houston could bring a shakeup
The Rockets won both of their games in the midst of Durant’s absences, including a 104-100 thriller against Golden State. Reed Sheppard, who hadn’t started a game this season while Durant was available, stepped up in those two games, exploding for 31 points against the Warriors, a career high.
Sheppard’s quick development led Houston to include him in their starting lineup against Utah alongside Durant, and he had another strong display, getting four steals on top of six rebounds and nine points. The inclusion of Sheppard into the starting lineup gave them another three-point shooting threat alongside Durant that they’ve been missing due to Fred VanVleet’s offseason ACL injury. Even if Sheppard doesn’t shoot, having him as an outlet opens up the floor for players like Sengun and Amen Thompson, who aren’t great from long range.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJosh Okogie, who has been a revelation for the Rockets this season, will most likely be relegated further into a non-starting role, while Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. will be fighting for starting minutes as a result of this realignment.
If Durant had never left the team for a few games, perhaps Reed Sheppard would have never played out like he did, meaning that they would have continued to line up without a point guard for a vast amount of minutes, even with Thompson as an option at that position.
The timing of Durant’s return alongside Reed Sheppard’s increasing contribution will surely lead to more experimenting from head coach Ime Udoka going forward with his starting lineup.
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