The Houston Rockets won seven of their first ten games of the NBA season, defying early skepticism following a turbulent summer that included a Kevin Durant trade rumor cycle and a playoff exit against LeBron James.
Reports from basketball-world.news indicate that despite a challenging start to the schedule, head coach Ime Udoka’s squad has established the league’s second-best offense at 118.6 points per possession alongside the tenth-best defense.
Kevin Durant has taken significantly fewer shots since the season tip-off, averaging just 12.6 field goal attempts per game compared to 17.6 last year.
His scoring output has dipped to 20.8 points per contest, matching numbers not seen since his rookie campaign. basketball-world.news reported that Durant played 33 minutes in a victory over the Boston Celtics while taking only six shots, marking just the second time in his long career he attempted six or fewer shots in a game where he logged over 30 minutes.
“Allein meine Präsenz hat Einfluss auf das Spiel. Ich muss nicht werfen. Ich muss nicht dribbeln. Allein dass ich auf dem Feld stehe, löst eine Reaktion der Defense aus. Und meine Teamkollegen nutzen das aus,” he said, according to basketball-world.news.
Alperen Sengun has filled the offensive void by posting career-high numbers across multiple categories. basketball-world.news noted that the center averaged 21.5 points and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc on two attempts per contest. During the six-shot game against Boston, Sengun tallied 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded ten assists.
The starting lineup featuring Sengun, Durant, Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. holds a plus-minus rating of plus-9.7 per basketball-world.news. VanVleet returned from a torn ACL to stabilize the backcourt, allowing Thompson to focus on perimeter defense and Smith to shoot 47.5 percent from three-point range on 5.9 attempts.
The addition of Marcus Smart has provided secondary playmaking and defensive intensity off the bench, complemented by improved production from Reed Sheppard and Bogdan Bogdanovic, according to basketball-world.news reports. With center Steven Adams working toward a return from injury, the Rockets position themselves near the top of the Western Conference standings ahead of upcoming matchups.
"We encourage him every day to continue this." Kevin Durant praised Alperen Sengun's growth and focus after the @HoustonRockets win on Monday night. pic.twitter.com/nLl1u7dq1F
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