Should the Houston Rockets Feel Pressured to Win the NBA Championship Next Season?

The Houston Rockets, without a doubt, have had one of the most successful offseasons this summer that the franchise has seen in its decorated history.

General manager Rafael Stone added the best scoring option available for Houston in Kevin Durant, which could help take the Rockets to the next level after losing in a disappointing series to the Golden State Warriors during the first round of the playoffs last season.

With this addition, there has been much praise for the potential starting five in Houston, consisting of NBA star Kevin Durant alongside All-Star Alperen Sengun and rising star Amen Thompson, forming a potential big three for the Rockets that could potentially put them in the driver's seat for an NBA championship.

This became a heated topic on the popular NBA podcast Gil's Arena, hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and his crew of co-hosts. Arenas would discuss whether or not the blame would be on Durant if Houston does not win a championship in the first season.

Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) fight for position in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

“Is the pressure on him or the pressure on them [Rockets]? They went after him, they were number two and they’re adding him to the fold." said Arenas. “I mean we all know he’s gonna do, what he does best, so it’s for them to keep playing the way they’re playing right? It’s weird that we put the tag on him that he is not a leader, but then blame him for failures.”

This has become a tag that followed Durant around the past two stops in his Hall of Fame career during his time with Brooklyn and Phoenix, as neither of the teams was able to see continued success after adding one of the best scorers in the league.

Arenas would also chime in on why Durant could not be to blame in Houston, and why it would be more so on the team than the NBA veteran.

NBA Live '08 commercial ft. Kevin Durant and Gilbert Arenas pic.twitter.com/XVS8Vr71rJ
— Karachlyn (@Karachlyn) September 29, 2023

“The fact that they were number two last year, they needed a go-to-guy, KD’s coming there, then the pressure is on the organization and the coach to make it work, cause if he’s averaging 25-6-6 doing his part and if it don’t work, that has nothing to do with him,” he stated.

This will continue to be a heated topic surrounding both the Rockets and Durant, and only time will tell whether this debate can be put to rest, however the Rockets are certainly capable of competing for an NBA Championship next season which will likely be the floor for some fans after all of this summer's team additions.