The Phoenix Suns were ridiculed for trading away Kevin Durant for the package of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Khaman Maluach last season, but the inability of the Houston Rockets to make much noise in the Western Conference meant people quickly forgot about the deal. If anything, heading into this season, the Suns looked like they had actually won that trade. That is quickly changing.
Durant and Rockets look like legitimate contenders for title
The Rockets have raced out to a hot 5-1 start, with Durant looking like the final piece to a championship winning puzzle. His 23.3 points per game are a level below what we have come to expect from the future Hall of Fame player, but he has real help in the form of Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Fred VanVleet.
The balance around Durant in year two in Houston has reached a level that the Suns could only have dreamed of when he was in town. They sit 11th in defensive rating at 109.6, which is right around where the Suns finished last season. Only they currently have the worst defense in the entire NBA (125.8), while the Rockets lead everybody in points scored each night with 120.4.
Managing to have Durant be the guy who can bail out a bad possession, but also get his points in the flow of the offense, is a problem the Suns were never able to solve. Being above league average at stopping others from scoring on them is what gives the Rockets a chance to be great, and the timing is awful for the Suns because of how listless they currently look.
Head Coach Jordan Ott appears to have settled on a 10-man rotation as the season progresses, but it has gaping holes defensively and is not near the level required to be competitive. Contrast that with the Rockets, who are winning now and still own the Suns' first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. A Durant championship in Texas would set the fanbase over the edge.
True point guard in VanVleet rubbing Suns' noses in poor start
It is no coincidence that Durant currently has a true floor general alongside him in VanVleet, who missed all of last season with an ACL tear. The Suns still haven't figured out how to get one of those to pair with Devin Booker, and it could end up derailing their season. This was an issue that existed when Durant was in town, with Tyus Jones brought in to try and set the table. It did not work.
Now Durant has an All-Star-level floor general running the show and getting everybody involved, leaving him to be the cherry on top of the best offense in the league and pick his moments to save broken possessions and give opponents another problem to solve. The timing could not be worse for the Suns.
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