Rockets' Ime Udoka should continue to experiment with these insane lineups

The Houston Rockets are in a downward spiral.

For some time, they looked like bona fide title contenders in 2024-25. That time has passed. Having dropped 11 of their last 16 contests, the Rockets look weak.

The sky is not falling. At the fifth seed, the Rockets are in a better position than preseason expectations would dictate. There's no reason to panic.

There is every reason for Ime Udoka to experiment. It's time to start tinkering with new lineups. Udoka did that against the Pacers on Tuesday.

The results were encouraging.

Rockets try bold lineup vs Pacers

That's right. The Twin Towers are back in Space City.

That's interesting. The headline here isn't strictly that Udoka paired Sengun with Adams. The point is that he paired them with Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. Perhaps that foursome performed best with Reed Sheppard, but if you swap Dillon Brooks in for him and have Thompson run point, you're looking at potentially the biggest lineup in the NBA.

That said, size alone doesn't automatically translate to success. The lineup with Brooks is dreadfully light on shooting. Even if Sheppard developed into the shooter he's supposed to be, the lineup including him could use more spacing.

Is it worth exploring these lineups?

Rockets should experiment with jumbo ball

Yes!

Firstly - the Rockets have little to lose (besides 11 of their last 16 games). Nobody is suggesting that they should switch to a full-time Adams/Sengun frontcourt, but going to those looks in short bursts could allow the Rockets to dominate the glass.

If there's a flaw here, it's in that specific pairing. Sure, Sengun and Adams have had success in a small sample. The combined rim protection between that duo is practically non-existent. One of the main benefits of running a Twin Towers lineup should be surplus rim protection, so that's problematic.

What's the long-term answer? Who knows? If he falls in their draft range, the Rockets should take a hard look at Duke's Khaman Maluach in the upcoming draft. They could consider starting him at the 5 and moving Sengun to the 4 on a full-time basis.

Is Maluach/Sengun/Jabari Smith Jr./Eason/Thompson a viable full-time lineup? I'm not sure. It's bold. It's certainly enticing.

It's also the worst shooting starting lineup in the NBA.

Still, it's worth wondering if the Rockets could simply dominate teams on the glass and defensively to such an extent that it offsets their shooting. Let's avoid putting the cart before the horse. For the time being, Udoka ought to continue experimenting with these massive lineups to see if these guys can thrive at a position down from where they've traditionally played. What's the worst case scenario:

The Rockets lose some games?