The Rockets unleash their “Ultra Tall Ball” to challenge the Thunder

For the first duel of the season against the Thunder, Making Udoka decided to meet the physical challenge proposed by Oklahoma City… by bringing out the heavy artillery. Very difficult.

The coach of the Rockets has indeed announced the starting five composed ofThompson Amen, Kevin Durant, Smith of Smith, Alparent Smothered etc Steven Adams. A team in the XSL format, with an average height of 2m09, and four players at 2m11 or above. Quite simply, one of the greatest fives in NBA history.

“It’s a personal choice, but also motivated by the opponent” ekplikue Name Udoka. “It’s not just based on what (the players) have shown together, but how OKC builds its game.”

Conversely, the Thunder regularly line up two pivots, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren to protect the racket. The duo as long as they’re mobile, which Houston intends to neutralize with muscle and bulk.

This Rockets top five isn’t brand new: we’ve already seen it in the preseason against the Pelicans. Tied twelve minutes together, they went through the debates: 39-23 in their favor during this time period. And when Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun shared the floor for 22 minutes, Houston dominated 71-47.

Take advantage of the creative qualities of Alperen Sengun

“It seemed quite natural to me” says Stephen Adams. “We have some new elements, but we continue to build on what we did last season. So it all feels very familiar to me.”

In this system, Alperen Sengun slides into the 4 position, as was the case at times during the last playoffs against Golden State. A decision that allows the Turk to use his creative talent, especially in the absence of Fred VanVleet, who is expected to miss the entire season with a torn knee ligament.

“Offensively, he’s a good passer who combines well with the rest of the interior.” in the ‘Dunker Spot’ »Develop Udoka Name. “Either way, he’s all over the field because we move around a lot. When he plays the 5 position, he doesn’t play like a traditional pivot, so we’ll continue to do the same thing.”

A strategy that appeals to the person in question, very confident after his successful EuroBasket: “I can play all positions. Sometimes last season I brought the ball up, but now I have more responsibility. I can help my teammates even more to find the highlight guy and the easy shot.”