Houston Rockets Could Play a Different Style of Basketball in Kevin Durant’s Absence

The Houston Rockets made the biggest splash of the offseason when they traded for future Hall of Famer and one of the best offensive players of all time in Kevin Durant. The Rockets were coming off a disappointing first round loss to the Golden State Warriors and realized they needed a scorer on the level of Durant.

Durant is the type of player who fits with any team's offensive game plan. He can score from anywhere on the court and against any defense. At the same time, he is a willing passer when teams try to force the ball out of his hand by double- or even triple-teaming him.

As he has gotten older, he has moved further in from the 3-point line and operates primarily in the post or mid-range. It makes sense considering he is one of the best mid-range shooters of all time. At 37, Durant also plays at a slower pace and isn't usually the player who gets out on fast breaks.

Combine that with the Rockets at times playing a jumbo lineup where the "smallest" player is Aminu Thompson at 6'7, and you have a team that usually doesn't push the pace, leaning more toward halfcourt offense that thrives on offensive rebounds. When you have a player like Durant on your team, you definitely want to play to their strength, and if that strength is a slower game and playing in the halfcourt, you make sure that's the game plan.

Through the first 14 games, that has been the Rockets' game plan, and despite the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, it has been a success to start. Now, however, with the news that Durant will miss the next two games due to family matters , the Rockets will have to adjust their game plan without their superstar.

How the Rockets will play differently without Kevin Durant

Through the first 14 games of the season, the Rockets have already formed their identity. They have one of the best offenses in the NBA, are the league's best rebounding team, and play a physical, bruising style on defense.

They also have a team that plays at a slow pace and that operates from inside the 3-point line than any other team in the NBA. The Rockets rank 27th in pace, last in average speed per game, and last in 3-point attempts per game. That should change as the Rockets adjust their lineups without Durant.

Suppose the Rockets choose a more traditional lineup, with Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie starting. Both players, especially Sheppard, can play in the open court off the fastbreak, and Sheppard has done a 180 from his rookie season, becoming one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.

With more shots to go around, players like Amen Thompson will have more opportunities to push the ball, which increases the Rockets' pace and could lead to more open 3-pointers as the defense scrabbles to get back on the fastbreak.

The Rockets could go with the double big lineup even without Durant, which would keep the more potent offense, but conventional wisdom says they put Okogie and Sheppard into the starting lineup. If the Rockets decide to go with a smaller lineup, expect a more up-tempo, 3-point-focused offense as they try to make up for Kevin Durant's absence.