Kevin Durant
Durant is Houston's starting forward and top scorer, and he is still playing starter-level minutes early in the season, though the coach wants to cut his workload over the full 82 games.
Role
Udoka confirmed Durant in a projected starting five with Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Fred VanVleet (SI, citing Rockets Wire, about 25 days old). In the Hawks win on Saturday, the second game of a back-to-back, he played 36:33 for 22 points on 8-15 shooting (Houston Chronicle box score, 1 day old). SI puts his average last season at 36.4 minutes a game. The same Chronicle recap says Houston was shorthanded, and I did not read who was out. No source I found gives a usage rate. Reed Sheppard is named as a candidate for starter's minutes in the backcourt, not at Durant's spot. Our own data shows only 3 games and 333 minutes for Durant last season. That conflicts with the AP report that he started 78 games and was healthy all year, so I am not using those totals.
He is healthy and going 36-plus minutes on back-to-backs, scoring about 26 a night by one blog's count (The Dream Shake, 1 day old). Durant says he is better on the court and that the team is better with him on it. The AP reports he started 78 games in his first Houston season. The preseason skip against Dallas came with no injury report, and Durant said he had asked to play second-half minutes in the preseason opener.
He is 38, and Udoka said at media day (AP, about 32 days ago) that he hopes to bring down the minutes for Durant and Thompson, who ranked first and second in the league last year. Durant missed all but one playoff game with an ankle injury. SI and Yahoo both say a light minutes cut for durability is possible. Houston has added depth and Sheppard is getting attention, so he could lose some playing time and shots in blowouts and on the second night of back-to-backs.
Where analysts split
The question is how much Udoka actually trims Durant's minutes from about 36.4 a game, and whether he rests Durant on back-to-backs. Udoka and the preview coverage lean toward a cut. Durant opposes cuts made just to rest him, though he accepts sitting fourth quarters in games Houston is leading. Early evidence is the 36:33 on a back-to-back, which points against any real cut so far.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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