If the Rockets had not traded for Durant, would the original team be more capable than they are now?

The Rockets finally won their first victory in the regular season. It can be said that before this, the Rockets had chilled all fans. After all, in the summer, Jaylen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick were exchanged for Kevin Durant, and Capela, Finney Smith and Okogie were acquired. It can be said that on paper, such a lineup is indeed superior to the league. Although VanVleet was injured for the season at the beginning of the game, this lineup still gives fans a lot of expectations.

However, things went counterproductive. Since the start of the game, the Rockets have exposed many problems on both offense and defense. Although Talisin broke out in the Nets game, people still saw that he was lost. Shepherd also couldn't produce a more consistent performance at point guard. Without Dillon Brooks to lead defense, Amen Thompson can be said to be a mess on the court. Recall that after VanVleet was absent last season, the Rockets often used Jaylen Green as a guest point guard, and achieved good results. Many people complained that VanVleet should be traded. Now that VanVleet is missing, there is no stable defender, which is disappointing. Of course, after Durant came to the Rockets, he did have someone to rely on at critical moments. But the overall chemical reaction is not as strong as that of the Rockets last season.

If the Rockets had not traded for Durant and kept the original team, I personally feel that the start of the game would have been better than now. But in the playoffs, it will not be as good as the current lineup.