The Houston Rockets started 2025-26 by starting Alperen Sengun alongside Steven Adams. They quickly changed the starting lineup, but against the Cavaliers, they went back to the well - and it worked.
It seems Ime Udoka has a handle on how to use this lineup. It's situational. Starting these two conventional big men isn't going to yield enough benefits against some teams:
But against the Cavs, it was a perfect decision.
The Rockets needed size to beat the Cavaliers
There's been some debate on social media between these two fan bases. When the Rockets are credited with reinvigorating double big lineups, Cavaliers fans take notice:
"We've been doing that for years!