13 games into the 2025-26 NBA season, and Kevin Durant has fit like a glove with the Houston Rockets. Theoretically, Durant seemed destined to thrive surrounding the Rockets’ young core. However, many had previously projected him for success during his stint with the Phoenix Suns, but that turned into a failure. But according to former NBA champion Richard Jefferson, this situation is different from Durant’s previous homes.
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The Brooklyn Nets had a championship contender built to cater to Durant’s talents, yet they weren’t able to reach the Conference Finals. The Suns paired Durant alongside Devin Booker. Despite reaching the second round in 2023, they failed to win a playoff game the following year, while missing the postseason entirely last season.
The key takeaway in all these missed opportunities is that Durant wasn’t the one at fault. He couldn’t control the injuries in Brooklyn or Kyrie Irving’s off-court issues. He also wasn’t the one in charge of trading for Bradley Beal, which practically ruined that Suns core.
This time around, he has a clean slate with the Rockets, and he is reaping the benefits. Allie Clifton brought up Durant’s dominance with The Road Trippin’ Show’s crew. As a result, Jefferson shared his thoughts on what makes the Rockets the perfect situation for the two-time NBA champion.
“This situation is perfect,” Jefferson said. “This is back to what it was in Brooklyn [when things were going good]. There’s tremendous talent around, and they all fit. In Phoenix, they didn’t all fit together.”
The fit is the most glaring strength of Durant’s early tenure with the Rockets. His connection with Alperen Sengun has been even greater than the team could’ve anticipated. Their two-man game has created great trouble for opposing defenses. Durant has even earned wide-open three-point opportunities from the attention Sengun receives in the post.
Durant doesn’t take away from what the Rockets have already built. Jefferson gives credit to Rockets head coach Ime Udoka for crafting the perfect ecosystem for him to fit in with the rest of the roster.
“Their second-best player is a big. They have an elite wing player, and Kevin Durant is the shooter/scorer. That’s a three-tier monster you’ve got there.” Jefferson proclaimed.
There hasn’t been any time needed to adjust as the Rockets have jumped to a 10-3 record on the season. They currently hold the third-best record in the West. Durant joined the Rockets with the hopes of winning a championship, but it may seem they are ahead of schedule.
