Making their return to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in five years, the Houston Rockets were hoping to get off on the right foot. And by getting off to a 7-0 lead in the first couple of minutes in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, it sure seemed as if they were heading in that direction. However, things quickly fizzled for the Rockets after that.
The Warriors' experience, talent, coaching, and defense would take over the rest of the way as the "underseeded" Warriors jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in the way of a 95-85 Game 1 victory on Houston's home floor. Turning in a historically bad offensive performance, it may be quite clear that the Rockets could very much use a player like Kevin Durant, who they've been rumored to be openly pursuing this offseason, on their roster.
Overall as a team, the Rockets shot 39 percent from the field overall and 20 percent from 3-point range. Houston's starting backcourt of Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green finished with a combined 17 points on 7-34 shooting from the field. Alperen Sengun was the only starter who shot better than 50 percent from the field. Despite Sengun's 26-point, 9-rebound night, the Rockets didn't get enough offense to keep pace with the Warriors.
The Houston Rockets may need more offensive firepower
It was only one game, but the evidence was pretty clear that the Rockets may need another offensive weapon if they're going to emerge as a contender in the future. I wouldn't say the series is over, but they're going to need Jalen Green and/or Fred VanVleet to have a huge rest of the way to have a shot against the Warriors.
Looking into the offseason, no matter how this series ends, if the Rockets are going to continue to build themselves into a championship contender, they'll need to find more help offensively. KD would seemingly be an intriguing option. There's no question he wouldn't have helped in Game 1. Even at this point in his career, KD is still one of the best and most talented offensive players in the game.
If he can join a team and focus on that end of the floor, there's a chance he could still be a truly effective player. The question remains, how much do the Rockets want to invest in a potential trade of KD? You can't help but wonder if that will change any if the Rockets end up turning in disappointing performance after disappointing performance offensively in the NBA Playoffs.