Durant on Rockets' "crisis": "We are angry, I like it"

The 2025/26 NBA season was supposed to start off on an exciting note for the Houston Rockets. The team had become a contender for the championship with the star signing of Kevin Durant, joining players like Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, among others. However, after 2 games, the Texas franchise has yet to secure a win.

Following two consecutive defeats—one in double overtime against Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night and another at home losing 115-111 to the Detroit Pistons—Kevin Durant's team is currently at 0-2, under pressure from a project aiming for the title.

Nevertheless, Durant, far from feeling defeated, conveyed a sense of positive discontent: "The coaching staff is angry, the players too," acknowledged the veteran forward. "We want a better outcome, and it's still early. So I like that energy, that we all feel that anger. It means we care."

The tone within the locker room reflects a group aware of their own expectations. The Rockets, bolstered during the summer and with a core of young talent led by Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, have set out to compete at the elite level in the West from day one.

Thompson, who has taken on a key role as an offensive generator, echoed Durant's sentiment: "We have championship expectations, so we try to play our best game every night. You know, there are bad games, but still we try to win them."

Durant defends Ime Udoka

The immediate challenge for the Rockets' coach is to find the balance between the team's defensive power and its offensive fluidity, an aspect that has not completely clicked in these first two showings. Durant, always thoughtful, acknowledged the inherent difficulties in that process:

"That's why coaches get paid so much; they have to make those tough decisions," he said with a smile. "It's good to have a versatile team, but when you throw out such different lineups, the job gets complicated. We will be patient, keep growing, and discovering things. Defensively, we are pretty solid."

One positive takeaway for the organization is that the starting lineup—composed of Thompson, Durant, Jabari Smith, Sengun, and Steven Adams—has won their minutes in both games, showing consistent performance despite the results.

Durant emphasized that the group is still adjusting the pace they want to play at: "That's the balance we need to find: when to play fast and when to slow it down a bit," he explained. "Offensively, the last two games haven't been what we wanted, but this has always been a work in progress. We will improve after two tough losses."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Durant, sobre la "crisis" de los Rockets: "Estamos cabreados, me gusta"