6 days ago
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The Houston Rockets were praised as one of the biggest winners this offseason.
After swinging a blockbuster trade to bring Kevin Durant to Houston in a deal that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to the Phoenix Suns, that praise was justified. The Rockets would be adding Durant to a young core that had just helped Houston win 50 games and earn the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
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Approaching the halfway point of the season, the trade for Durant hasn't provided the immediate results some expected. Heading into its matchup against the Suns, the Rockets have the same number of wins as Phoenix.
Tied in win column with Phoenix
Houston's core has dealt with numerous injuries through the first 32 games. Fred VanVleet tore his ACL before the season even started, Tari Eason has missed time with a strained oblique, and Alperen Sengun just went down with an ankle sprain.
In Phoenix, Brooks is second on the team in scoring with a career-high 21.4 points per game. The Suns were expected to bottom out, but behind Devin Booker and the former Rocket, Phoenix is firmly in the playoff race.
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That brings us to tonight's matchup, where the Rockets and Suns will face off tied in the win column. Numerous factors have played a part in Houston not living up to its preseason hype, but there's no denying that the Rockets have underperformed. After trading for Kevin Durant, the Rockets entered the season with championship aspirations. The trade also ushered in a full-scale rebuild in Phoenix, but three losses are all that separate the two teams.
With a win against Houston, which will be without Sengun, the Suns could pull to half a game back of the Rockets. Heading into the season, few could have predicted the two teams would be so close in the standings.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Houston Rockets face sobering reality on Kevin Durant trade
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