Jabari Smith on Kevin Durant: It's on him to find ways to get to his spots without the double team...we still need him to be KD

Benjamin Royer: LeBron James continued about Kevin Durant: “We don't have no satisfaction. That game is over and done with, but it's still a tall challenge — 7-foot tall, too. … He hates that. He might be mad at me if he sees that. He wants to be 6-9 or 6-10 so bad, but he’s 7-foot for sure.” — 4/22/2026 x.com

Benjamin Royer: I asked LeBron James if there is any defensive gratification to holding Kevin Durant to just 3 2nd-half points: “None. That just make him even madder going into Game 3. No satisfaction. … The guy’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he's gonna make way more great plays than not.” — 4/22/2026 x.com

ClutchPoints: With this bucket, Kevin Durant has hit 5,000 career playoff points ? He is just the 7th player to do so in NBA History! — 4/22/2026 Twitter

The 2018 NBA Finals featured a loaded Golden State Warriors squad that swept James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, back when the idea of doubling Durant regularly was foolish because of all the firepower and facilitating that surrounded him. Times have changed for Durant, though, and not for the better. “No matter what play is called, no matter what action is called, or what side of the floor, they’re gonna double-team, you know what I’m saying?” Kevin Durant said. “No matter if I catch it at the elbow or the block. So if a team doesn’t mind double-teaming at half court, you don’t think they’re not gonna double-team everywhere else on the floor too? “So … when I see those doubles, because they’re gonna come and guard me, and be aggressive, go to try to shoot over some of them, make the correct pass. But, yeah, I’m not expecting them to not double me in certain areas of the floor. Regardless of where I get it at, I feel like it’s going to be two to three people on me. I’ve just got to be smarter and make the correct play. And then we got to make shots out of it.” — 4/22/2026 New York Times

Sam Amick: Kevin Durant didn’t speak to media at today’s UCLA shootaround, but - from talking to Rockets folks in the building - there is still a fair amount of optimism that he’ll give it a go tonight. — 4/21/2026 x.com

Sam Amick: Kevin didn’t speak to media at today’s UCLA shootaround, but - from talking to Rockets folks in the building - there is still a fair amount of optimism that he’ll give it a go tonight. — 4/21/2026 x.com

Dave McMenamin: Ime Udoka on Kevin Durant for Game 2: “He’s testing it out right now.” Udoka added that if KD is cleared to play, he will not be on a minutes restriction. — 4/21/2026 x.com

Shams Charania: Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has been cleared to return for Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing Game 1 due to a knee tendon bruise, sources tell ESPN. — 4/21/2026 x.com

“Jabari is the ultimate pro and a selfless player,” Udoka said. “He understands what the team needs and provides a bunch of different roles for the team but as most young guys are, he’s ambitious.” — 4/16/2026 Houston Chronicle

Udoka had a different comparison for Smith Jr.'s development arc. “Reminds me of Kawhi Leonard back in the day,” Udoka said. He was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs for much of Leonard’s tenure. The forward started as a role player before emerging into one of the league’s best two-way talents. “When you talk to Kawhi now,” Udoka said, “he’s pissed about standing in the corner for three years. He felt like he wasted some years, but I think the growth and progression that we had in San Antonio — to become a spot-up shooter to a pick-and-roll guy to a post-and-isolation guy — was good for him, instead of just throwing him in there when he wasn’t ready for it. A little bit of that with Jabari.” — 4/16/2026 Houston Chronicle

“I came in the league thinking I was gonna be a scorer and thinking I was gonna be somebody who gets the ball every play, plays drawn up for him,” Smith Jr. said. “But that just wasn’t how it went.” Instead, the Rockets have used Smith Jr. as a complementary piece. He has started every game he played this season but is the clear fourth option on offense, often parked in the corner as a spot-up shooter. Some people would have sulked or pouted, letting the role change defeat them, he said. He chose to adapt instead. — 4/16/2026 Houston Chronicle

Varun Shankar: Rockets sitting Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson for tomorrow's game against the tanking Grizzlies. The result of the game does not matter for Houston's seeding. Rockets are locked into No. 5. Here's what will determine their playoff opponent. — 4/11/2026 Twitter

Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 119, Grizzlies 109 Rockets come away with a double-digit win although it felt like this game was much closer than it should've been most of the night. Kevin Durant had 25 points and 10 assists. Jabari Smith had 21 points and 16 rebounds. — 3/27/2026 Twitter @WillGuillory

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jabari Smith on Kevin Durant: It's on him to find ways to get to his spots without the double team...we still need him to be KD