Rockets' Double-Big Lineup Proved to Be Effective Despite Loss to Thunder

Houston suffered a heartbreaking loss on the NBA's opening night, but one strategy from Ime Udoka proved to be extremely effective against the defending champions.

Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket beside Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Last season, the NBA saw an interesting trend come back after an era of 'small ball' dominated the league. The Houston Rockets appeared to be one of the more prominent initiators of the trend, but it was picked up by many of the league's top teams.

Just when we thought the league was guard-centric, with the exception of a few big men, double-big lineups returned. Teams emphasized height over all else, and the Rockets saw this pay off, perhaps more than anyone.

Last year, Houston went 52-30, and a big part of its success later in the season was due to Ime Udoka utilizing these double-big lineups with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the frontcourt. When they were on the floor together, the Rockets displayed a 32.7 net rating, a +12.7 offensive rating, and a -20 defensive rating, according to databallr.

In this year's preseason, Houston had even more flexibility to implement double-big lineups with the addition of Clint Capela. Now in his second stint with the Rockets, Capela was featured alongside Sengun, and it created some efficient basketball.

Udoka revealed that he was fully leaning into height for opening night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Sengun and Adams were the starters, creating one of the tallest lineups in league history. Despite the 125-124 loss, Udoka's strategy proved to be effective.

Rather than trying to replace Fred VanVleet, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, Udoka went in the other direction. He could have started Reed Sheppard and gotten more ball handling in the starting five, but allowed Thompson to be the initiator with a major height advantage in nearly all sectors of the court.

A big reason why Houston pushed Oklahoma City to double overtime was the rebounding battle. The Rockets grabbed 52 boards to the Thunder's 38. 16 of those 52 were offensive rebounds, setting up second-chance opportunities.

Adams (13) and Sengun (11) combined for 24 rebounds. The Turkish center had a big night with 39 points and seven assists. A big reason for that was Adams taking on responsibilities in the paint. Sengun was able to get comfortable in the low post and on the wing, knocking down five three-pointers.

The Rockets will be one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA if Udoka continues with this double-big lineup for the season. Houston has some edges to smooth out early on, like most teams, but height could be the biggest reason for the team's success this year.