There's an Easy Way for the Rockets to Beat Blitzes to Kevin Durant

The Houston Rockets' offensive formula under head coach Ime Udoka has consistently been a mathematical one. Udoka and the Rockets have consistently leveraged their size to garner additional offensive possessions via offensive rebounds.

Udoka first utilized the approach last season in 2024-25, which was Steven Adams first season with the Rockets, following the trade that sent him away from the Memphis Grizzlies. It took Adams a bit of time to get healthy following a significant injury to his lower extremities.

Thus, Udoka wasn't able to trot out the formula for about a year and a half after his arrival as Rockets coach. But it became a successful formula, in part because of Steven Adams' stellar offensive rebounding ability.

He's easily one of the greatest offensive rebounders in league history. He's certainly the best of his generation.

It's impossible to box him out. The Rockets' formula had them boasting the league's top-ranked offensive attack because they were generating high percentage second-chance scoring opportunities, either by way of kick out threes or tip-ins and put-backs around the rim.

Houston's offensive formula has looked significantly different of late without Adams. Again, it's rather impossible to replace him and his skillset.

Even though the Rockets have two other centers, in Alperen Sengun and Clint Capela. Neither of them could be tabbed an identical replacement or substitute.

The Rockets were already working without their table-setter and stabilizer in Fred VanVleet, which limits their offense even further. And with their lack of outside shooters, we've seen teams blitz Kevin Durant or simply trap him at half court, denying him the ball.

It's a defensive formula that's been rendered effective. The Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs each proved it recently.

Durant had just 11 points on eight shot attempts against the Nuggets and 23 points on just 12 shots against the Spurs, the latter of which was salvaged by Durant's near double-digit trips from the free throw line.

Durant's former teammate, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, explains how the Rockets can be successful on the offensive end of the floor.

"I would trap Kevin Durant in the halfcourt set, too. That's why the Rockets have to make sure that their identity is defense and they get stops and get out and run.

They are too athletic not to be leading the league or one of the tops in transition buckets. That's the only way that they are gonna be able to hang in games and win games, is defense to offense."

The Rockets definitely have the youth and athleticism to get out and run. However, they rank 20th in transition points per game.

It could go a long way towards beating Durant's triple teams.