Rockets Starting Five: What Kevin Durant and Others Need to Do in 2026-27

With the core back together, there are specific roles for all to fill

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) and Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) sit on the bench against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The foursome of Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson started together 62 times last season, but the fifth spot was a revolving door between Steven Adams, Josh Okogie, Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard.

Assuming he’s healthy, Fred VanVleet should claim that fifth spot, providing the unit with much-needed stability while allowing the other four to settle back into their natural roles.

The starting five could make or break the 2026-27 Rockets, so here’s one thing the team will need from each player.

Fred VanVleet- Make more shots

The last time we saw VanVleet, he shot 43.5% from behind the three-point line during the Rockets’ seven-game first-round series loss to the Warriors. That came after he shot just 34.5% from long distance during the regular season on 7.7 attempts per game. He converted 38.7% of his threes during his first season with the Rockets.

VanVleet is a 37.1% career three-point shooter. The Rockets need him to get back to around his career average, and there is reason to believe his recent shooting slump was an outlier. He shot just 36% on three-point attempts classified as “open” or “wide open,” suggesting some negative shot luck. VanVleet shot 39.3% on those attempts during the 2023-24 season, 36.5% during his final season in Toronto and 41.2% in 2021-22.

May 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) rebounds against the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter of game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Amen Thompson- Defend at a first-team all-defense level

Thompson was a first-team All-Defense selection two seasons ago and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He did not defend at that level last season, finishing eighth in DPOY voting while failing to make an All-Defense team.

The drop-off was not unexpected. Thompson led the NBA in total minutes played and was forced to carry a much bigger offensive load due to the absence of a true point guard on the roster. VanVleet’s return and the addition of Marcus Smart should allow Thompson to play more off the ball and expend more of his energy on the defensive end.

The Rockets’ offense looked awful at times last season, but their offensive rating was actually 2.6 points better than it was the season before. It was the defense that regressed.

Houston’s defensive rating went from 110.3 to 112.1, while its defensive turnover rate dropped from 14.4% to 13.7% and its defensive rebounding rate fell by 1.4 percentage points. If Thompson can get back to the level he showed two seasons ago, while VanVleet and Smart take some of the burden off him offensively, the Rockets have a chance to reverse some of that defensive decline.

Jabari Smith Jr- More consistency

Smith shot 45% from the field and 36.3% from three-point range last season. Given his volume, you can argue it was the best shooting season of his career, but the Rockets need him to be more consistent.

He shot 33% or worse from the field in 18 games last season and 30% or worse from long distance in 24 games. That was an improvement from two seasons ago, when he played 76 games, but seeing as so many of his shots are created by others, that number needs to be smaller.

Smith also needs to avoid long stretches when his shots aren’t falling. He shot less than 30% from behind the three-point line in 17 games in January, then shot 45% in February before falling back to 33% in March. Three-point shooting is a high-variance stat, but the Rockets need to see fewer extreme swings from Smith.

Apr 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Alperen Sengun- Better efficiency

Almost 62% of Sengun’s field-goal attempts came from within eight feet of the basket last season. He shot 61.5% on those attempts, a significant improvement over the previous season, but only about a percentage point better than the league average. The Rockets need that number to climb.

There’s been so much focus on Sengun’s defense and three-point shooting, but becoming more efficient at the rim is perhaps the easiest way for both him and the team to improve. He may never be a great defender, and he may never become even a league-average three-point shooter, but there’s no reason he can’t become an above-average finisher on shots within eight feet.

Kevin Durant- Stay healthy

Durant missed just one game due to injury last season, only to have an injury cost him five of the Rockets’ six postseason games. The Rockets don’t need Durant to play 78 regular-season games or finish second in the NBA in total minutes played again this season, but keeping him fresh and healthy will go a long way toward determining how successful the season can be.

BONUS NEED- Avoid unnecessary distractions 

Maybe avoid the burners for six months or so. I don’t want to take away his Twitter privileges, but maybe he should stay away from anything that might tempt him to say unflattering things about his teammates.