Leading the league in offensive efficiency of 123.2. How did the Rockets do it? The answer is still a double-high lineup.

Translator's Note: This article was originally published by SBNation and the author is HollySturm. The data in the article are as of the time of publication of the original article (November 6, local time). The opinions in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

Nowadays, this is no longer an absolute secret, but the Houston Rockets' double-height lineup is still one of their top winning weapons.

Before the start of the season, with the addition of Kevin Durant and the injury of VanVleet, fans and media were speculating on what kind of performance the Rockets' offensive end would perform. After all, the team has lost a key backcourt organizer, and it will take some time for a superstar like Durant to integrate into the new lineup. However, according to statistics from the NBA's official website, the Rockets currently top the league with an offensive efficiency value of 123.2. This performance far exceeds outside expectations before the start of the season. So, how does this happen? How did the Rockets go from a mid-range offensive team to one of the top offensive teams in the NBA? The answer is simple: a double-height lineup.

After the Rockets acquired a healthy Adams, not many people initially expected that Uduka would try to let the two big players Shen Jing and Adams play at the same time. After all, with the trend of modern basketball emphasizing speed and space, the lineup of two traditional big men on the same court is not generally favored. But late last season, coach Udoka boldly used this combination of lineups and gave full play to the offensive rebounding advantages of this lineup. It is precisely because of the outstanding performance of this lineup that the Rockets performed strongly in the final stage of the 2024-25 season and achieved a brilliant record.

After the introduction of Durant in the summer of 2025, it was generally believed that the Rockets' offensive system in the 2025-26 season would become more routine. After all, Durant's arrival will undoubtedly greatly improve the team's outside firepower and offensive diversity, and people expect the team to develop tactics more around the outside core. However, things took an unexpected turn. VanVleet's reimbursement completely changed the team's original tactical deployment. In this context, the double-high combination of Shen Jing and Adams once again stepped forward and became a key support for the team's offensive end. In this way, Adams once again became the core of the Rockets' tactical system.

This double-height lineup has brought significant advantages to the Rockets in many aspects: first, the solid ability to protect the basket. The two big men have formed a solid defensive barrier under the basket with their outstanding height and wingspan; second, the overwhelming height advantage allows the team to take the absolute initiative in rebounding competition and inside confrontation. At the same time, this lineup can also create an obvious mismatch advantage-when two big men are on the court at the same time, the opponent must face the Rockets' more oppressive inside presence, which makes it difficult for the opponent's defensive deployment to take into account all aspects. According to the latest data from the NBA's official website, so far this season, the Rockets' offensive rebound rate has reached 42.1%, ranking first in the league. This data means that for almost every two missed shots, the Rockets can get an extra offensive opportunity.

In addition to its advantages on the offensive end, the double-height lineup also performs well on the defensive end. The extra height advantage not only helps to improve the quality of rim protection and makes it more difficult for opponents to finish inside; it can also effectively interfere with the opponent's shooting movements, which plays a very good deterrent effect on breakthrough impacts. In addition, when the opponent uses a small lineup or lets the defenders switch to guard the Rockets' big players, the Rockets' wings or forwards can seize the opportunity and use their height advantage to create mismatch offenses. For example, wing players like Jabari Smith can often successfully break through the defense of small defenders and easily complete scores or passes; when Shen Jing plays the fourth position, he can also rely on his height and technical advantages to gain a clear advantage when facing smaller defenders.

However, no matter how outstanding the advantages this double-height lineup has, it is not perfect and still has its own shortcomings and limitations. First of all, when there are two big men on the court at the same time, there is usually a lack of shooters in the team's lineup, which allows opponents to safely shrink the inside defense, or more boldly interfere with the Rockets' mid-range shots, making it difficult for the Rockets' outside offense to unfold smoothly. Secondly, those extremely small and fast lineups are often good at rapid breakthroughs, accurate three-point shooting, widening the offensive space and accelerating the pace of the game. Such a team will be a big challenge for the Rockets' big man lineup. The Rockets must ensure that their guards and wings have enough movement speed and defensive coverage to keep up with the opponent's fast break rhythm. If there are holes in the perimeter defense, the defensive shortcomings of this double-height lineup will be infinitely magnified when facing teams with multiple top shooters or speedy guards. Therefore, from the actual use effect, the double-high lineup is more suitable for use in a short period of time, or the timing of use can be flexibly adjusted according to the opponent's lineup configuration, so as to maximize its advantages.

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