Former Houston Rockets star Charles Barkley has no love for the team today when asked about their chances to contend. Houston traded for Kevin Durant last offseason to progress from an exciting rising team into a real NBA title contender. However, they failed to reach that level and now hope for the return of Fred VanVleet and signing of Marcus Smart to provide more leadership.
Barkley flat out said Houston has no chance to contend due to the lack of leadership:
“I don’t think about them at all… They’re not any good. They’ve got no leadership, and they don’t have a style of play. It’s over with. It’s all about OKC and the San Antonio Spurs for the next few years in the West.”
Two strong statements were made by Barkley about the Rockets and the rest of the West. Firstly, Barkley removes Houston from contention due to not trusting Durant or Alperen Sengun to be leaders. The bigger point was that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Spurs are on a different tier from the rest of the Western Conference. Barkley’s claims are not too far off from what the general consensus is. The Rockets are forecasted to finish between third and sixth in over/under projections.
Why Kevin Durant Is The Main Reason Why
Barkley did not name Durant specifically, but he has said it in the past that he views KD as a poor leader. Last season saw the Rockets falling off in the second half of the season after Durant’s alleged social media account insulted teammates Sengun and Jabari Smith.
The two previous tenures of Durant with the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets also featured stacked teams failing due to a lack of leadership. Barkley has blamed Durant for those two situations fizzling out, despite having future Hall of Famers on each roster.
Durant remains one of the best basketball players on the court, but his teams have lacked leadership. The Golden State Warriors are the only team to escape that, and he joined them when they were already established as former champions and a team that won 73 games.
Kevin Durant Must Prove Barkley Wrong For Rockets
The only chance that Houston has to make up the ground in the West is if Durant and the other veterans lead them. Teams like the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves are on the same tier with the Rockets, but both have experienced far more success with their core talents.
Durant must step up as a leader and leave all drama in the past. The young talents like Sengun, Smith, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard must all play their best basketball. Durant is the most respected name on the roster to provide more leadership and be there for the younger stars.
Barkley said nothing unfair and backed up his points that the average fan agrees with. Ime Udoka must convince Durant, VanVleet, and Smart to take on vocal roles in the locker room. Houston has the talent to contend, but they must work in countless other areas to make that a reality.
Charles Barkley Says Kevin Durant’s Leadership Cause Rockets Failure