Why Dwyane Wade Supports Kevin Durant’s Reduced Role With Rockets

The Houston Rockets are near the top of the Western Conference standings with a 10-3 record. Houston’s primary starting lineup consists of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

While Durant is known for being one of the NBA’s elite scorers, his scoring averages have dipped to 21.0 points per game. This figure puts him near his career-low average of 20.3 points per game during his rookie year.

Head coach Ime Udoka has also expressed an interest in reducing Durant’s 36.4 minutes per game from last season, with the 16-time All-Star currently averaging 34.2 minutes per game.

In a recent episode of TimeOut, Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade suggested that the Rockets’ depth makes Durant a bigger threat on the court despite his new role.

“What I love about the Rockets is that we just named the top guys, but Jabari Smith is averaging about 18 a game. He's knocking down multiple threes a game. So you've put him [in the mix]. When you talk about Marcus Smart and Fred VanVleet, now you've helped him out....

"KD don't need no help. But what they've done is help KD so that he doesn't need to play as many minutes. KD doesn't need to average 25 or 20. KD can average 20… With all this talent and everything going on with the Rockets, that makes KD even that much more dangerous.”

Wade is familiar with sacrifices. He was the Miami Heat's leading scorer for several seasons prior to the arrival of LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010, for the formation of The Big Three. Wade averaged 22.0 and 19.6 shots per game in two seasons prior but -- due to other elite options and somewhat to his own physical ailments -- he dipped to 18.2, 17.1, 15.8 and 14.1 in the four seasons that James was on the team.

The Heat reached four NBA Finals, and won two championships, with Wade in a secondary role -- even if he did step up at times when needed (the 2011 NBA Finals, with James struggling, are a good example). The first of those two Big Three championships came against Durant and Oklahoma City, in 2012. That came after Wade famously encouraged James to take more of the reins of the team, during the 2011 offseason.

Dwyane Wade and Kevin Durant — Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Western Conference forward Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder (35) dribbles the ball in front of Eastern Conference guard Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat (3) in the third quarter during the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Depth Showing for Houston

Fred VanVleet’s return from a season-ending ACL injury brings a sense of leadership, defensive prowess, and backcourt security to Houston’s roster. Defensive specialist Marcus Smart and third-year player Reed Sheppard further address point guard needs that were prominent prior to the summer.

Another major factor during this early part of the season is the continued development of Alperen Sengun, who’s averaging 23.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. The 24-year-old center earned a top-10 spot on the latest edition of the NBA’s MVP Ladder.

Sengun has shown similarities to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, as both big men are known for being exceptional playmakers at their position. If Sengun continues to perform at his current rate, an All-NBA selection is within the realm of possibilities.

Overall, Durant has not needed to be the first option on a nightly basis for the Rockets to accumulate wins. At the same time, the 38-year-old has shown that he is still capable of elevating his performance when needed.

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