The Houston Rockets are tipping off the 2025-26 NBA season with one of the most intriguing and tallest starting lineups in league history. Head coach Ime Udoka confirmed that the Rockets will open the season against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder with Kevin Durant starting at shooting guard, an unexpected twist that immediately sparked conversation across the NBA.
Point Guard: Amen Thompson
Shooting Guard: Kevin Durant
Small Forward: Jabari Smith Jr
Power Forward: Alperen Sengun
Center: Steven Adams
According to Vanessa Richardson, the Rockets’ starting five will feature Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, and Steven Adams. That lineup makes Houston’s average height a staggering 6-foot-9, with Durant (6-foot-11) sliding into the backcourt alongside Thompson.
Udoka explained that the move was both strategic and matchup-based, given that the Thunder also start two seven-footers in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.
The decision to start Durant as a guard surprised many, but the Rockets have been experimenting with the jumbo lineup since preseason. In limited minutes together, the group outscored the New Orleans Pelicans 39-23 in just over 12 minutes, showcasing an elite blend of length, spacing, and switchable defense. When Sengun and Adams shared the floor last year, Houston dominated the paint, and now with Durant added to the mix, that interior control extends beyond the post.
With Fred VanVleet sidelined for the entire season after tearing his ACL, Udoka had to get creative with his guard rotation. Amen Thompson will take over primary ball-handling duties, while Durant, one of the league’s best scorers and most underrated facilitators, will slide into a hybrid shooting guard role that allows him to handle, shoot, or post up depending on the matchup.
Udoka also highlighted how this structure benefits Sengun, who will technically play power forward next to Adams.
The Rockets’ lineup with Adams anchoring the defense, Sengun facilitating, Durant stretching the floor, Smith spacing, and Thompson pushing the pace: is built to overwhelm opponents physically while maintaining offensive fluidity.
Houston’s frontcourt depth, combined with Durant’s presence as both a scorer and playmaker, has turned them into a legitimate Western Conference powerhouse. After a strong 64-win campaign last season and the blockbuster trade for Durant, expectations couldn’t be higher.
Tuesday night’s opener against the Thunder will mark the first glimpse of Udoka’s bold vision: a modern NBA superteam built around size, versatility, and one of the greatest scorers ever playing shooting guard.
