Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka expects star Kevin Durant to handle some of the playmaking load in the wake of Fred VanVleet suffering a torn ACL.
VanVleet would’ve opened as Houston’s starting point guard. Rather than having one player serve as a direct replacement, Udoka envisions a more fluid approach to facilitate the offense.
“I think it will be different guys kind of thrust into a role,” he told ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “For instance, [second-year guard] Reed [Sheppard], you take Amen [Thompson], guys that have done it some with Fred being out at times on a smaller stage. We really leaned on [VanVleet] the first few years to be that experience, that IQ out there at the point guard spot.
“But I think it’ll just be a committee, honestly, like different guys initiating offense. [Alperen Şengün] is a center that you can run a lot of things through. Kevin as well with the attention he attracts. So, it may not be the traditional point guard way, but we’ve got a lot of capable pieces out there to get it done.”
Durant is one of the greatest pure scorers in NBA history, but his impact has gone well beyond his raw point output. He has averaged 4.4 assists per game across a 17-year career, and he dished out at least five assists per contest in seven different seasons.
The 6’11” forward should have little trouble serving as an offensive fulcrum.
However, Udoka’s remarks sound a little like how the Phoenix Suns addressed their point guard situation when Durant shared the floor with Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
The lack of a true floor general — Tyus Jones provided some relief last year — was among the reasons why things didn’t fully click for Phoenix’s Big Three.
Of course, there’s a difference between the Suns deliberately not signing a point guard and the Rockets losing their starter to an injury. Udoka is a great tactician as well, so he might be able to make the experiment work.
Still, VanVleet’s absence could have a big impact on Houston’s offense, which would in turn put a dent in the franchise’s championship aspirations.
