Overview
- Reporting from Houston beat and national outlets indicates Ime Udoka plans to start Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams in the opener.
- The projected group features five players listed at 6-foot-7 or taller with reported 7-foot-plus wingspans and a combined height of 411 inches.
- Udoka is leaning into a Sengun–Adams frontcourt to punish the boards after Houston led the NBA in offensive rebounding last season.
- VanVleet’s season-long absence shifts primary ball-handling to Thompson, with Durant also creating and rookie Reed Sheppard expected to see opportunities.
- Analysts frame the move as part of a broader league tilt toward size, with comparisons to the 2020 Nuggets’ jumbo unit and late-1990s Mavericks lineups.