The expensive lights of the Toyota Center in Houston felt like a heavy burden for Kevin Durant last Monday night when, instead of showing the way, they blinded the road ahead. Following the 100-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, he found himself at the center of a collapse that has ignited a crisis of confidence and trust inside the Houston Rockets.
While Luka Doncic seemed to be the Lakers’ hero after scoring 36 points and making it his sixth straight 30-point performance game, Durant was left contemplating his own fall in an offense that seems to have hit a wall.
“Maybe I just need to get out of the way, to be honest,” Durant confessed after the game, an admission that struck multitude fams as it came from one of the greatest scorers in basketball history.
Little kid slaps Scottie Barnes during Raptors Fan Day
How the Lakers neutralized Durant
The first half started well for the Rockets and Durant, as he poured in 16 points and kept Houston competitive. However, the second half saw a radical shift in the Lakers’ defensive geometry, catching Durant and his teammates off guard.
The Rockets committed 24 turnovers in the game, seven of which came from Durant. The frustration present in the team was palpable as Durant was whistled for both a backcourt violation and an eight-second violation in the fourth quarter.
All of this, plus the absence of a healthy Fred VanVleet to handle playmaking duties, teams are effectively selling out to stop Durant’s power, even if it means daring the rest of the Rockets to beat them.
The star rethinks his future
Durant’s post-game comments painted a dramatic picture of a legend caught between his instinct to lead and the reality of his team’s current structure. He knows he has way more to give, but perhaps the overall feeling is what is not working.
“I think just that when I get the ball against certain teams they just going to sell out… Maybe I just need to get out of the way to be honest, set screens, be able to catch and shoot. Just space the floor out for my teammates
Tough words coming from a legend of the size of Durant. The admission that he might need to “get out of the way” highlights a deeper issue that we think for Houston coach Ime Udoka and the fans. When your best player feels the most effective strategy is his own absence from the primary action, the offensive scheme is in a state of emergency.
