The Houston Rockets opened their season with a 128-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, and the difference was easy to spot. Houston defended, rebounded, and ran, turning stops into layups and dunks before Dallas could get set. Afterward, Kevin Durant and coach Ime Udoka both pointed to those easy baskets as a big part of what this team can be.
Durant Wants the Easy Ones
Durant has spent nearly two decades as one of the most complete scorers the NBA has ever seen. He can get a bucket against anybody from anywhere on the floor. Even so, he said nothing beats a few easy looks early to get a scorer comfortable.
“I think all scorers want to get the easy ones like that to get them going, and then you get a couple of isos that feel good when you touch the ball.”
It is a simple idea, but it matters. A run-out layup or a dunk in transition costs almost no energy and builds rhythm. When Durant does go to his isolation game later in a possession or later in the night, he is already feeling good about his shot.
Defense and Rebounding Fuel the Break
Durant was clear that the fast break doesn't start on offense. It starts with getting stops and finishing them with a rebound.
“When we play defense like that, and we’ve got such good rebounders, we all have to get out in transition. I think we had 29 fast-break points, and we were 12 of 14 on those.”
Those numbers tell the story. Twenty-nine points in transition is a big chunk of a 128-point night, and making 12 of 14 shots on the break means Houston wasn't just running, it was finishing. Houston's size and activity on the glass let it end possessions quickly and take off the other way.
Efficiency Is the Difference From Last Season
Durant noted that the chances were there last season too. What changed on Wednesday was what the Rockets did with them.
“Last year we got a lot of opportunities, but we weren’t as efficient. So we’ve got to build on this," said Durant.
He also put some of the responsibility on himself, saying he wants to run more and look for open threes in transition.
“And I’ve got to get out and run more, get out on the break more, maybe get some threes. But I just try to play a well-rounded game, and I think getting easy fast-break buckets is a part of that.”
Udoka’s Plan: Make It Easier on Durant
Udoka's focus is on the half-court, and on keeping Durant from having to create everything himself. Moving him around makes him much harder to double-team.
“You can move him around quite a bit and put him in different positions to score, where it’s harder to double-team him.”
Udoka described Durant as a second-side handler, a player who attacks after the ball has already moved instead of starting every action himself.
“You’d like him to be a second-side handler at times instead of initiating as much, whether it’s out of the pocket or Fred playing pick-and-roll and swinging it to the weak side." Said Uokda. "That frees him up initially, and then he can catch on the move and take advantage of that.”
With Fred VanVleet running pick-and-roll and moving the defense, Durant can catch the ball against a scrambling defense rather than a set one. Catching on the move is far easier than going against a defense that has been waiting for him.
Personnel Built to Help
Udoka said Durant's versatility is not in question. The goal is to take some of the load off him.
“He can score on-ball, off-ball, in isolation, pick-and-roll, all those things, but we want to make it easier on him. I think the personnel we have back will do that.”
On Wednesday, the Rockets got easy points in transition and spread the work around in the half-court. If they keep doing both, Durant won't have to work as hard for his points, and Houston will be very tough to beat.
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