Kevin Durant’s Return Won’t Save Rockets Against LeBron James’ Lakers, Claims Former Player

Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets were every analyst's pick to win their first-round series over LeBron James' Lakers.

Kevin Durant’s Return Won’t Save Rockets Against LeBron James’ Lakers, Claims Former Player

LeBron James and Kevin Durant (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Kevin Durant's absence has exposed the Houston Rockets' deficiencies against the Lakers.
  • Rashad McCants believes the Rockets' game plan has been ineffective against LeBron James.
  • Analysts suggest the Lakers could sweep the Rockets if they exploit Houston's weaknesses.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant have dominated the postseason for more than a decade. Now, both are nearing the end of their careers and are still leading their respective teams into the postseason.

When the Houston Rockets traded for the two-time champion, they hoped that he would be the catalyst that would help the young team take the next step.

This season did not exactly go as planned, since they had to work around the obvious lack of playmaking ever since Fred VanVleet entered the season-ending injury list.

Even then, almost every fan and analyst had the Rockets winning their first-round series against the Lakers simply because the latter team would not be able to field their two best scorers.

With a 41-year-old LeBron James leading a bunch of role players, that logic may have seemed sensible. But after losing Game 1, there are question marks about the Rockets’ team construct.

Ime (Udoka) definitely getting out-coached… I didn’t see too much zone in this previous game, but you can see they got they number defensively… You don’t got no KD. Houston was at number 2 without Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. I think those two pieces change the dynamic of that team… I think they cooked regardless even if KD come back.

Rashad McCants said on Gil’s Arena

The former Minnesota Timberwolves guard pointed out that the Rockets are disjointed from top to bottom, and not having Kevin Durant in Game 1 exposed their deficiencies.

But Rashad McCants believes that those problems are deep enough that they might not win even if the Slim Reaper brings back his superlative scoring in all the remaining games.

Rashad McCants believes Rockets have been ‘stupid’ to allow LeBron James to dictate the game

While talking about the Houston Rockets and their game plan, or lack thereof, Rashad McCants detailed how ignorant they were of how to handle the Lakers

LeBron James was toying with the Rockets
LeBron James was toying with the Rockets (Image via Keith Birmingham/X)

You got LeBron, don’t have to do nothing but be a magnet. To be that stupid as a team that seen these guys, whether his age or ability, is gravitating you guys to come on and make easy life for Rui, Marcus Smart, Ayton getting busy out there. Like, they don’t have to exert energy to do what they was doing. They just living around LeBron.

Rashad McCants said

For someone who has never been shy about his disdain for LeBron James, the 41-year-old believes that the similarly aged Lakers’ superstar is enjoying toying with the Rockets.

McCants felt that the Houston-based franchise has made it easy by focusing on the four-time champion, which has allowed the others to flourish. That, he believes, was just one part of the problem.

Rashad McCants points out Rockets’ problems despite having Kevin Durant

As McCants went on detailing the Houston Rockets’ problems, he then went on to say something contrary to almost every other pre-playoff prediction.

Kevin Durant did not show to have the solution for their problems that showed in the regular season… It was more frustration. I think it’s a bad matchup for Houston all the way around. If LA come out there and play harder than them, they’ll get rid of them.

Rashad McCants said

The former 14th overall pick believes that Kevin Durant’s frustrations this past season are becoming evident now. At that time, many had picked on the 16-time All-Star for allegedly being critical of his teammates through his burner account.

But McCants believes that the former league MVP was pointing out the obvious concerns he had about this team. The analyst now believes that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers could sweep the Houston Rockets if they exploit those weaknesses.

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