Rockets, KD & Culture: Why Running It Back Might Be a Mistake

The Houston Rockets are reportedly open to running it back with Kevin Durant — but Rob Parker isn’t sold. Rob breaks down why he believes KD’s history of injuries, moodiness, burner accounts, and locker‑room tension makes this a risky move, especially as he gets older. Parker argues that everywhere Durant has landed over the last several stops, things have eventually gone south.

Kelvin Washington agrees, emphasizing that a veteran star can’t keep being a locker‑room disruptor everywhere he goes. Kelvin also explains how today’s NBA places a greater emphasis on culture, buy‑in, and development — especially with young rosters. With Houston building around a promising young core, Kelvin questions whether a steadier, mid‑tier veteran might make more sense than the Kevin Durant experience.

A candid conversation about leadership, team culture, and what modern NBA franchises should value when chasing contention.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rob g the Rockets. There's some talk about Kevin Durant
and his future there in Houston.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
That's right.

Speaker 3 (00:07):
On Monday, ESPN published their long form post mortem on
the Houston Rocket season about what went wrong, what went sideways,
what led to them getting bounced much earlier than we
all expected, And in it they explained that Kevin Durant
and his quote unquote moodiness played a big role into
why things didn't work out the way they thought they would.

(00:29):
They also pointed out that despite even though we made
it a big deal on our show and other shows,
the whole Burner account tweets was maybe not as big
of a deal as you might expect. But Katie's moodiness,
the lack of a second veteran presence in the locker room,
Van Vliet was hurt, Steven Adams was hurt, kind of
led to them spiraling out of control, especially in that

(00:50):
first round series against the Lakers. Having said that, however,
the expectation from sources in Houston is that not only
do they expect Kevin Durant to be back next year,
Emi Udoka's going to be back, and all the young
core is going to be back. Houston wants to run
it back with KD and Company in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
No way, no, how, No, I'm not with it, Kelvin.
We want to go back to archives and talk about
what I thought about KD and Houston. I wasn't buying
it back then and I'm not buying it now. Here's
the problem. The burner count, the moodiness, you know all that.

(01:34):
I'm buying that, but his availability too. Did not talk
about that. When you have an older guy, look at
a look around, look at what's happened to him time
and time again. It's always something happening, right, there's always
uh an injury, can't play. They needed him in the
biggest spot. It just didn't work out. You think he's

(01:56):
going to get better and healthier as you go along
or does it get worse as he ages?

Speaker 4 (02:03):
Yeah, he's gonna I mean that's just human well allegedly Lebron,
but you're supposed to.

Speaker 5 (02:07):
But but you get my point. I don't know. I
mean I understand.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I guess they've invested so much and they feel like,
what else are they gonna do? And let's run it
back when we get everybody back and healthy. It's just
that he's getting older and and everywhere he's gone things
have gone south.

Speaker 4 (02:24):
Like really, that that's my issue, Rob, more than the talent.
He's a walking bucket. He's gonna be efficient. Mark him
for next game. Sixty eight games twenty four points a
game five and five, you know what I mean? Something
like that's just he's just what he does. But the
issue I have more than anything, and I'm disappointed in him.

(02:44):
And obviously Fred van Vliet there might have helped. But
my biggest thing is it can't be a locker room
disruptor all like there's something all the time, and everywhere
he leaves there's something.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
It's just the Warriors think Mabe. The Sons get got
after he left and that was a shocker.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
Now and it's weird this is going on and some
weird stuff with the nets, and it's weird stuff with
the Suns, and we know how it ended in Golden
State and now we're here in the locker rooms where
were Houston? And I don't know if he cares too much.
I don't know if he's too much of a recluse
or like an is I like to be a lone
kind of guy. But to me, what you see the NBA,
and I've mentioned this before. You see the NBA has
become it's become a bunch of young guys you bring

(03:23):
in when you finally find your core and you grow
and you grow. The Pistons are doing it. The Warriors
actually did it ten twelve years ago. The Celtics did it.
The thunder are doing it and to the tune of
winning but also doing it. The Nuggets did it with
Jamal Murray and and Joker and so you know, growing
that team there. That's what you're saying. Orlando Magic are
doing it. That's the Spurs are doing it. So to me,

(03:46):
that's what the Houston Rockets have. They have a nice
young core Brother Shangon and Thompson, Shepherd Easton, Jabari Smith, Junr.
They got a nice cores and I think there are
too something to letting the letting that core grow. Now,
what you might want to go do is find your
deeron Fox. You know, find that middling veteran like he's
twenty eight years old, is you know something like that

(04:07):
that that veteran been around, been in a couple of
post games, post playoff series. Not necessarily this thirty seven,
thirty eight year old But I think that's kind of
what you're gonna need. Your d Aaron Fox, your guy
that that's got some experience, you know, if he were
just an example, somebody like a Jamal Murray.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
I know he had a bad game.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
But somebody who can get you a bucket, can create,
can get shot something where you're like, we got a
guy who's a veteran, can score, but doesn't have to
be the old head again because most importantly about all
these teams I named, you know what, they all have
great chemistry locked in. Have you ever seen an interview
with the Thunder? You can't even interview? How are we
gonna interview SGA after get it is twelve of them

(04:49):
there just interview this person. The whole team is there,
the Pistons, everybody's there, the Spurs, They're locked in, and
so I need that. If I'm the Rockets, I want
that unity so as we do. And I'm trying to
find somebody.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Is there a.

Speaker 4 (05:06):
Do the your man Joe Dumars and then want to
get off of Zion? I know no one might be
a little crazy. Do the Raptors want to get rid
of a brandon Ingram? Do the you know, uh, just
looking around, like, is there like that middling star, not
a soup like a big name like a KD. But
somebody a little little And there's some other guys too
that you can find, but just that kind of guy

(05:27):
to help you solidify your roster for the Rockets, because
they definitely still need an actual score and a creator
and they don't have that right now. And that was
the problem whereas the Lakers had it. Lebron canprob he
can get guys shots, get Ruy shots, get Canard shots,
and Austin Reeves can do the same thing.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
They don't have that guy right now.

Speaker 5 (05:43):
But the other thing too is his availability and injury.

Speaker 4 (05:47):
Well, he played I think the second most minutes in
the league this year, which is crazy, but when they
need it, yeah, right, And so I mean he was
there for the postseason. I thought, right, yeah, well, well
that's exactly what he was there for. But you're not wrong.
He only gonna get older, probably only gonna get more
broken down. So I'm just disappointed that this season for him,
this was supposed to be that season where and obviously

(06:07):
again Fred Vvliet.

Speaker 5 (06:08):
Cause yeah, I mean that was a big bloke.

Speaker 4 (06:11):
But so the same thing the Pistons and the Rockets.
You knew your flaw and you did nothing to improve it.
You knew you needed a score shooter, and you didn't
go get that guy. The Pistons knew they needed the
same thing, and you didn't go get that guy. So
that I do find out to be peculiar as well.
But yeah, I'm I'm yielding some calls. I'm seeing what's
out there that can fit this young group, that can

(06:33):
get us to the next round or two, maybe a
Western Conference final, you know, something competitive because they got
a bunch of young talent. I'm and Thompson, this spectacular
Shangoon is an all star caliber guy, Shepherd. I think
there's more to be the determined. But you got Easter
and you got gab Jabari Smith Jr. You got some
pieces there. You just need that one more guy, you

(06:53):
know what I mean, that can help solidify it. So
I'm making some calls, see what's out there.

Speaker 5 (06:58):
Yeah, I don't know like this.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
This was a bummer because you would have thought that
he was gonna pick up the slack or deliverer during
that time and and wound up being kind of a
wasted season.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
And I got people.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
The people had them favorite over the Lakers them banged up. Yeah,
because they got the guys, the horses. They just when
you watch the games, you just and it happens often
in the postseason, right, every possession matters.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
We thought about it.

Speaker 4 (07:25):
We saw with the championship winning team in the Celtics,
how are you closing?

Speaker 2 (07:30):
How are you getting a bucket when it matters most?

Speaker 4 (07:32):
And teams struggle with that and you get exposed in
the postseason. And the Pistons they don't have a lot
of guys who can do that, right, And so that's why.
So is this ends up being okay? Is this his last?

Speaker 2 (07:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (07:44):
You think they're like, like.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
No, I think they're gonna run it. They're gonna say
Fred's gonna be healthy one more year. Oh yeah, this coming.
I think they're gonna do it. I don't think they're
gonna move off of them, but I would be looking
just to see an email. I think they're gonna stick
with this whole They're gonna say, we didn't get the
whole thing in there. You go, Fred's gonna be healthier.
We're gonna go pick up a nice free agent, you know,

(08:07):
some not some huge signing, but a guy like they
had Dylan Brooks. I know they had him, but they're
gonna go get an Aaron Gordon type guy and then
they're gonna say we can. Then my horses will grow
another year and we'll see what we got. So I
think that some version of this is what they're gonna
run back next year.