Oct 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) looks up during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets Jumbo Lineup Open the Door for Jabari Smith’s Big Game

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Lachard Binkley | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Houston Rockets were back in action Wednesday night as they traveled to Birmingham, Alabama, to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in preseason game three. The Rockets came into the matchup winners of the first two preseason games. Throughout the preseason, the Rockets have had two different starting lineups as they continue to experiment before the start of the regular season.

The Rockets wanted to use game three of the preseason as a dress rehearsal for their opening night game against the defending NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets went with their third different starting lineup as Steven Adams joined Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, and Kevin Durant to form the Rockets' jumbo lineup.

The Rockets had great success in the second half of the season with the double big lineup of Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun as teams struggled to adjust to the Rockets' length in the front court. The Rockets also experimented with an even bigger lineup at times, with Jabari Smith playing small forward in the double big lineup.

The Jumbo Lineup Gives Jabari Smith an Advantage on the Offensive End

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Last season when Smith was able to play at small forward, he was able to take advantage of teams switching smaller forwards and sometimes even guards onto him as defenses shifted most of their focus to the Rockets' two centers inside. That led to Smith being able to score easily in the paint or draw a foul.

Smith was able to retake the advantage on the offensive end in the Rockets' third preseason win. Smith scored early and often as the Pelicans focused most of their attention on the double bigs inside and Durant. Smith darted to the basket as soon as he saw a smaller defender repeatedly on him, which led to easy passing lanes for Sengun and Durant.

Smith led all scores with 26 points and was aggressive all game long. His aggressiveness led to Smith getting to the free-throw line eight times, which is a rarity for Smith, who usually operates on the perimeter or midrange.

There was some question before the start of the preseason about who would be the fourth starter alongside Thompson, Sengun, and Durant. Smith spoke about the possibility of starting during media day and said he felt he deserved to be a starter. Udoka announced Smith would be the fourth starter this season and has made Udoka's decision seem like a no-brainer so far this preseason. Smith has shown he can thrive at multiple positions.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: