The Houston Rockets started the season as one of the heavyweights from the Western Conference. With Kevin Durant leading the lines and the likes of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr and Reed Sheppard forming the supporting cast, the Rockets have the roster to fight with the top teams in the Conference. However, despite a bright start, Houston are losing the plot heading into the postseason. Their recent form has meant that teams in the West are targeting to play against the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

On Tuesday, following their brutal defeat against the Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN Insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon sat down to discuss the playoff scenarios in the West. They came to an agreement that Houston are the team looking the most vulnerable heading into the postseason. “I talked to an executive, a Western Conference executive this week who’s on one of these top teams. This could be used against people in the future. You’re vague enough. They said the target is Houston,” Windhorst revealed in the latest episode of NBA on ESPN.

The Rockets’ offense simply collapsed in the fourth quarter of the recent encounter against the Lakers. They lost 100-92, but the point of concern was the final quarter where they committed nine turnovers while scoring only 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Following the game, Durant took the blame on himself for this result. “I just felt like I lost the game for us tonight,” said Durant, who committed seven of the Rockets’ 24 turnovers and scored two out of his 18 points in the second half.

Looking at the situation in the Western Conference, McMahon also highlighted how Houston are looking more vulnerable than ever. “The Lakers have gotten themselves into the three-seed now and want to stay there. The difference between three and four, we can all figure out, it’s pretty significant assuming OKC hangs on, which looks like they very likely will up three and a half games. You’d much rather wait until potentially the West Finals to see OKC and deal with an inexperienced San Antonio team in the second round. Also, if they can get the Rockets a couple times, you might be bumping the Rockets down to six. And I’m pretty sure of the possibilities here. The Rockets are the team that these other teams in this three-six mix would most like to see,” McMahon analyzed.

Houston have not been able to close out games in the fourth quarter. It has been a problem for them before head coach Ime Udoka came to power, and weirdly, Udoka has had zero answers to this problem. This mainly happens when the opposition double teams Durant and forces the ball out of his hand. With Sengun out of this game with lower back soreness, the sole offense was dependent on Durant. The 37-year-old has shared his doubts about whether Houston gets any benefit from him being the primary ball-handler, especially during the final stretches of the game, as they have struggled whenever he has been double-teamed.

It is bold for a two-time NBA Champion to be so openly critical of himself when he is the main man for the Rockets. Even at 37, he played more than his teammates, who are more than a decade younger than him. Overall, if the Rockets are in a mess right now, the Slim Reaper has to be the answer for Udoka’s men and his teammates have full faith in their veteran star.

Houston Rockets star bats for Kevin Durant to be in MVP race

Despite all the recent struggles, Houston are still fourth in the Western Conference with a 41-26 record. And a lot of that credit goes to Kevin Durant for being the guardian angel of this team. He has been the main man for this team, and in terms of statistics, there’s a gulf between him and his teammates.

Considering his impact at 37 on the Rockets, teammate Jabar Smith Jr believes that Durant should be in the MVP race. “When somebody has been doing something for so long, you kind of get oblivious to it. Kind of like overlook it when he’s been doing it for so long. It’s been the same thing in your face for how many years, 25+ points, 50/40/90, you kind of overlook it, and your team is winning, and he’s leading. I think he definitely should be in the race,” Smith Jr highlighted.

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Durant was traded from the Phoenix Suns last summer, and it did not take much time for the sixth-highest points scorer in the NBA to fit into Ime Udoka’s system. It is true that despite his age, Durant has defied everything to feature in 64 out of the total 67 games for the Rockets this season. His consistency in offense and overall durability have been the highlight of this season. The two-time champion is currently averaging  25.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 51.4% from the field.

While it is difficult for the Rockets star to bag the MVP award this season, with players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Jaylen Brown contesting for the crown. They have been better than Durant this season. But still, the veteran big is expected to finish in the top 15 in the MVP race.

Overall, Houston may not be in the right rhythm at the moment, but they are still very much in contention to finish as a top-five seed in the West. While teams are gearing up to face them in the first round, with Durant’s presence in the mix, anything is possible for the Rockets. The Slim Reaper has built his reputation by delivering in clutch performances. Many believe that Durant needs to win a Championship outside his tenure with the Golden State Warriors to cement his legacy in the NBA folklore, so this could be an opportunity for him to flex his muscles in the postseason.