Because you don't seem to appreciate or understand that he scored 26PPG on 41% 3PT shooting while constantly doubled team or blitzed. FVV and Adams are the vet leaders. Sengun emerged as a major voice as well. We never got KD to play that FVV role so lets stop with all that leadership crap. We got KD because he's an assassin not a leader. You're one of those people that actually believe the Stone press conferences? Santa Claus getting you something for Christmas too? He was brought here to score and he did that. He took a paycut so the Rockets can build out more of the team.
Losing Jalen, FVV, and Dillon hurt our defense. Our offense performed about the same. For all the talk of Amen’s defense regressing it was more about his defensive role having to cover the perimeter with 5 poor perimeter defenders in the rotation (Sengun, Durant, Reed, Adams, Capella). Durant’s offense did not make up for what it did to our chemistry on both sides of the floor. Amen was all nba when he could roam the floor and/or concentrate on stopping the other team’s best players. FVV, Jalen, and Dillon were all + defenders their last year playing here. I know they wanted to get off Jalen’s contract and I don’t blame them, but they should have just traded him for a frp instead of trading for a 38 year old great shooter that shoots primarily tough 2 point jump shots and only occasionally plays defense. Not to mention being a cancer and turnover machine.
I said scoring and shooting. KD was the Rockets only All NBA player (which doesn't involve fan voting). Have a good weekend dude
I call bull****! After getting knocked out the previous year, the consensus was overwhelming that we needed A CLOSER! We needed a scorer that could put up consistent points and score in the clutch - period. THAT'S what we were looking for. Now if u were under the impression that we were looking for a leader to guide and teach our young 'uns - then i fully understand your previous apprehensions to acquiring KD - cause that aint who he is. KD is not a vocal rally the troops kinda guy... he's a low-key professional assassin. At least thats what I thought we were in the market for - so i was (and still am) happy with getting him (aside from the Dickerson tweets... which again, this is who he was previously known to be...) Now if you had other expectations... idk what to tell you... like... Jazz legend Miles Davis, who famously arrived at the venue right at showtime, got out of his car (or limousine), immediately walked on stage, performed his set, and left the venue instantly without speaking to the crowd or staying for encores.
there's nothing "low key" or "professional" about the dickerson BS, and the only thing he successfully assasinated for us this season is our team culture.
I hear ya... and i am not making excuses for his tweets - it was outta line... but... these were tweets among his buddies... He wasnt going on ESPN.com and slamming guys... he wasnt going into a new conference and saying how we "just arent good enough..." It was stupid and immature... but who doesnt vent about their co-workers to their buddies?
This is revised history because I was afraid KD would cause chemistry issues and I voiced it here and I was met with "youre crazy, thats bullshit. He's a HOF hE LED THE waRRIORS" LOL Now that all he does is score and is pretty much a negative everywhere else including chemisty "THATS NOT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR. WE DIDNT NEED A LEADER FROM A GROWN MAN HALL OF FAMER. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT THAT HE'S JUST A SCORER". It's so stupid lol Clownish behavior with no shame at all. That is Clutchfans.
see, that's the big issue, they weren't his buddies. Like, if he was calling up Harden and Perk or even talking with Uncle Jeff, or whoever his real life friends are, then those guys would have kept that confidence, because that's how actual friends act. But he wasn't talking with buddies, he was talking with online sycophants who just like to sniff his jock on twitter and who he doesn't actually know in real life. He's not talking with his friends, he's gossiping online with twitter trolls -- of course they're going to act irresponsibly with the info he is giving them. That's the sad thing, dude isn't talking to a friend who would maybe give him good advice and keep his confidence, he's talking to online sycophants who are going to tell him whatever he wants to hear and then leak the chats for online cred. stuff is weird and sad.
idk what to tell u, bro... idk the conversations that u had... alls i know is that we were looking for a closer. I had no expectation of KD being a leader - but i also was blindsided by the Dickerson tweets... i always took KD as a low-key guy that didnt say much... u might get a sly smile every now and again - but he aint rallying the troops... and if he aint happy he gets quiet and more distant... i never viewed him as leader on GSW - that was Stephs and donkey's team - KD was a plug-in like Butler... Did u notice how after an early win, Alpi was all happy and hanging on him - i sensed KD was not about that... KD is not a leader... Harden is not a leader... Now Fred - yeh, that dude is a cheerleader... Dillon Brooks surely rallys guys... Adams too... Alpi wants to be that guy - but he's a lil too goofy imo... lol
Techinically KD wasnt even a closer this year. He often fumbled the end of games. Yes he scored the most and most efficiently but he also disapeared in the clutch and wasnt the closer that even I expected and I was not fond of him and did not want him here but I agreed jalen wasnt it. I dont see the point of keeping him he will be out of the league in two years and he doesnt move the needle even with fred.
What ur saying could actually be... i was under the impression that it was a few other players on other teams that all had anonymous handles but were known to each other and were using the thread to communicate within their group - although technically anyone could see the exchanges... If I am incorrect in this belief, then I am open to more information... I thought somebody on the outside was able to decipher who was who based on schedule vs comments... We knew KD was frustrated... threw the water bottle after Bari fouled a 3 pt shooter in the clutch... He had to argue w Alpi about last shots in Denver... dudes frustration was evident and it obviously surfaced in an unhealthy manner... I hope he had the sense to double back and apologize to Bari and Alpi... not so much for Curry and draymond - lol!
With all due respect, i think u are mischaracterizing... according to AI... During the 2025-26 NBA season, Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets was the most efficient clutch scorer in the league. Following the All-Star break, he led the NBA with a blistering 62.5% field-goal percentage in clutch situations. A detailed look at his clutch time efficiency highlights the following numbers: Clutch Field Goal %: 62.5% (ranking 1st in the NBA) Three-Point Clutch %: 57.1% Clutch Free Throw %: 76.2% (or up to 95.2% on higher-volume minimums) Points Per Clutch Game: 4.3 points Points Per Possession: 1.10 Effective Field Goal %: 59.3% I'm not saying that he didnt flub up sometimes when got blitzed... but overall, dude did his part - and i wish he had more support from his teammates... which he prob found pretty frustrating... lol The Predictability Flaw: Opposing defenses routinely threw double- and triple-teams at Durant. Because the remainder of the roster lacked high-efficiency secondary isolation creators, this predictability left the team struggling to finalize wins even when Durant shot at his historic 62.5% pace. The structural division between Durant's individual dominance and the team's late-game woes breaks down as follows: Team Advanced Metrics vs. Clutch Reality The stark contrast between Houston's full-game performance and their crunch-time execution reveals a team that fell apart without the ball in Durant's hands. Offensive Rating: Dropped from a robust 117.5 full-game average down to a sluggish 108.2 in the clutch. Defensive Rating: Ballooned from an elite 112.1 (ranking 4th in the league overall) to a porous 117.0 during late-game situations. Net Rating: Plummeted to -8.8 in the clutch, placing the team in the bottom tier of the NBA. Turnover Percentage (TOV%): Spiked to a league-worst 15.8% during clutch minutes, signaling severe execution issues.
I didnt say he missed in the clutch I said he disapeared often. I feel like it should be known that I know he's a great shooter as I keep saying it. Like Ive also been saying the only reason why people keep clinging to KD is his shooting percentages and nothing else. Its why he's overated. THERE IS MORE TO BASKETBALL THAN SHOOTING PERCENTAGE. Even KD's drawbacks are blamed on the rest of the team. His entire vibe is a cop out. His shooting percentage has people acting like we cant survive without him and its frankly ridiculous. They did the same with the Suns and the Suns are a more successful team and its because there's more to basketball than shooting percentage. We can get cheaper younger knock down shooters and be a more cohesive team.
The thread is what argument to make to keep him, if no argument, don't have to keep write it in, there are other KD threads. If Sengun, Tari, Amen, Reed, Bari, can have the shooting splits of that 'glorified shooter, this team woud have have gone further. People act like shooting well and shooting consistently is easy in the NBA. "If so-and-so prospect develop a shot." Rockets fans also point out players who can shoot in college and on other teams mysteriously can't shoot after they arrive on the Rockets. Guess the one recent guy who wasn't cursed after coming here. You don't have to like a player to understand the value of specific skills that is important but difficult to master.
I feel like if he disappeared, it was bc they were throwin 2 or maybe even 3 defenders at him - and making us rely on somebody else to score... and too often, the supporting cast didnt deliver... and I think we saw against the Lakers that it got even worse for our guys when they didnt have KDs gravity providing better looks... but i get your disdain for KD... I didnt like Harden for the last few years... i was done with that narcissistic sob after the Spurs elimination quit game... I didnt deny his talent, but having all our eggs tied to his ego as the "system" was fool's gold imo... Well I hope that we have a healthy season, and we dont have ask KD to play pg! lol!
Fair point. I think he's a tremendous player, no doubt about it. He's still got it. But you need to change the rest of the team to fit him. I don't think we drafted all these guys to dump them. I don't think we have any diamonds but we have a few rubys and emeralds I'd like to keep while we wait to get that YOUNG diamond who sets off the rest.
No one said shooting well is easy. Its just not the end all be all of everything. Meaning you can shoot well and **** up other things for the team. People are acting like KD's behavior is ok because he can shoot well. You can trade for a couple of shooters if shooting is all youre worried about you dont have to overpay KD for it. He's not the only shooter in the league lol
