Rockets Expected to Fully Utilize 'Double-Big' Lineups Next Season

This past season, the Houston Rockets made an incredible jump due to multiple factors. Under the core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson, the Rockets made the jump to a 52-30 regular season while snatching up the second seed in the Western Conference.

An elite defense was the main reason for Houston's success, but one decision by Ime Udoka turned the on-court lineup into one of the best in the league.

Alperen Sengun, the starting center, would often get moved to the power forward position while Udoka would slide Steven Adams in at the five, creating the 'double-big' lineup that has taken the league by storm. With a 6-foot-11 duo of Sengun and Adams on the floor, Houston's rebounding issues were nearly gone by the playoffs, and created even more defense.

When Sengun and Adams were on the floor this season, the Rockets displayed a 32.7 net rating, a +12.7 offensive rating, and a -20 defensive rating. More teams started to adapt to the double-big lineup, including the New York Knicks with Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Now, the Rockets should look to utilize this even more with the free agency addition of Clint Capela. The 6-foot-10 center was brought in as what would be a third-string center on the surface, but in reality, he's another piece in Udoka's double-big agenda.

We could see Adams and Capela alternate to be the first big off the bench, but perhaps Udoka could even more Sengun to the four to start games, going with a Sengun-Adams or Sengun-Capela lineup right off the bat. The one thing this group has is flexibility, in that regard. Keep an eye out for how the lineups evolve over the course of the preseason and regular season

Houston still has some questions when it comes to its guard depth. Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and Reed Sheppard round out what should be a three-guard rotation. Despite some dryness at the one and two, the Rockets' three, four, and five spots are overwhelming filled with Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and the three centers.