When Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets, it went down as the blockbuster deal of the offseason. In a matter of moments, the Rockets became championship contenders. And with an early 10-4 record, KD has already proven that the trade was well worth it.
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Durant has also brought with him veteran experience that other players on the Rockets can look up to. One of those players is the 22-year-old guard Amen Thompson. According to him, he’s formed an early bond with Durant.
Thompson recently sat down with the NBA on Prime’s Taylor Rooks to talk about what it’s been like playing with a living legend.
“It’s definitely been new,” Thompson said of Durant. “KD, you know, he can score on anybody. You just want to get him the ball, let him go get a bucket.”
It sounds like a pretty simple game plan. After all, Durant has turned the 15-foot elbow jumpshot into an automatic make almost every time it goes up. So, it must be pretty easy at times for Thompson, knowing that one of his teammates is among the greatest scorers in league history.
Thompson also shared that Durant empowers him to score when he gets him the ball.
“He’s very empowering on, you know, when he’s being denied, he’s telling me, ‘Just go. Go, they can’t guard you,’” Thompson shared.
The support has led to Thompson becoming the third-highest scorer on the team. Averaging 17.2 points per game, Amen has continued to develop into one of the best two-way guards in the NBA.
It goes to show that Durant’s influence can extend beyond just his scoring ability. He’s grown into an excellent leader over his 18 years in the league and can help empower his teammates to become better. It’s a championship-level pedigree that is hard to find.
Right now, Durant and the Rockets are positioned as the fifth-best team in the Western Conference. Their only four losses have come to the OKC Thunder, Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets. All of which are teams one could argue are championship contenders.
It’s been an impressive run to start the year. But the absence of Fred VanVleet could prove costly over the course of the long season. Regardless, Durant is going to continue to mentor Thompson in an effort to make up for the loss.
