Suns patiently waiting for Rockets to make Durant realization they know is coming

The Phoenix Suns might be bounced quickly from the playoffs this season, but the fact they made it there at all when they couldn't manage that with Kevin Durant in town is not lost on The Valley.

Durant's only postseason experience with the franchise coming after the midseason trade that brought him across from the Brooklyn Nets.

Rockets are slowly learning they can't rely on Durant in playoffs

The Durant experience is one that the Rockets talked themselves into last summer, and the reality of what that means is slowly enveloping them in their series with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Yes they made the playoffs, but the vibes around that roster have not been good all season. In fact you could argue both Alperen Sengun and certainly Amen Thompson have taken a step back.

But the reality of having Durant in Texas reached a new low in their Game 1 loss versus a Lakers team that did not feature either Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.

That's because Durant didn't play at all, sidelined by a mystery knee injury that may yet impact his postseason further.

This was the other major drawback to having Durant on your roster that the Rockets chose to overlook when they traded away both Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks for his services.

He is now 37-years-old and if anything the Suns were lucky with how healthy the superstar was during his run with the team.

Contrast that with Brooks, who despite breaking his hand earlier in the campaign is out there when it matters and has willed his team to wins all season.

The same cannot be said of Green after his own hamstring issues, but he is at least healthy at the right time for the team.

It may also be that as a result of getting off Durant when they did, Phoenix could yet be a destination for Giannis. Exciting to think about, but there's a playoff series to lose gracefully first.

During Durant's time in Phoenix, the offense was never fluid and the pecking order of the players was never clear either. Devin Booker deferring to the two-time champion often.

The fact that those same issues followed him to Houston, while the dark clouds also left The Valley at the same time, is a reality the Rockets are slowing coming to at the worst possible time.

Good vibes will only get you so far, and perhaps 12 months from now the Suns will be crying out for another star to help Booker in his prime. It won't be Durant that they are longing for though.

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