When the Houston Rockets pulled the trigger on the trade that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks out for Kevin Durant, the NBA world immediately considered Houston as a team trying to win a championship as soon as possible.
That’s a correct sentiment for the most part; the front office believes the team is good enough to compete with any other team at a high level, ultimately resulting in a championship victory. However, the investments Houston made in the veterans and bench players on the team also function as investments in the young players.
Durant will be a valuable resource for any young player, but especially one who can watch his process and work ethic every day throughout the season.
The tireless work Durant puts in on the minor details while practicing at game speed helps him recreate it at a high level during games.. The effort outside of games makes his offense seem effortless once the game begins.
Several players could benefit from that level of commitment, especially if seeing Durant inspires the maturity needed to adopt Durant’s work ethic. Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson could each learn from Durant’s ability to practice hard and bring the results into games.
Smith Jr. is the closest in archetype and build to Durant, learning from the future hall-of-famer could provide some insight on how a larger player can maintain possession of the ball and find spots on the court to elevate and fire efficient shots.
Dorian Finney-Smith is another quality veteran for the squad. His new addition will provide some defensive inspiration for Thompson and Tari Eason. Learning from Finney-Smith’s pesky and aggressive defense could help the Rockets recreate it next season.
Each main veteran player brought over this offseason has a specific niche they are an expert in. Durant will help bolster the offense, while Finney-Smith takes on some of the best offensive players. Each will help the young Rockets move on from their disappointing defeat in the postseason.
There is a lot the young players could learn from the top players Houston has added. Their play could take a significant leap if they can recreate the things they learn in the games.