New Delhi, Sept. 26 -- Kevin Durant played 2,840 minutes last season. He is 37 years old, entering his 20th year in the NBA, heading into his second season as the centerpiece of a Houston Rockets team that wants more than another first-round exit. Every responsible basketball conversation about Durant in 2026-27 arrives at the same place: can they protect him from himself?

the gap between what Durant wants and what Ime Udoka will actually run.

The numbers support the argument he's making. Last season, Durant ranked second in the entire NBA in total minutes played and third in minutes per game at 36.4. Those are the numbers of a player who has not read the analytics literature on load management so much as spent 19 seasons building a liv...