Rockets’ singular quest to beat the Warriors is already in question

HOUSTON — In his quest to unseat the Warriors as Western Conference heavyweights, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has tried to build a team capable of doing what seemingly no other could: stop Kevin Durant. Last summer, after telling ESPN that "we might up our risk profile" to chase Golden State, Morey added two proven wing defenders in P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute to pair with Trevor Ariza. Houston also pulled off a blockbuster trade for nine-time All-Star Chris Paul, who has had some success guarding Durant on double-teams. No offseason acquisition, however, can contend with one of the best scorers in NBA history using his 7-foot wingspan to drain fade-away jumpers from near-endless range.