"with three arguably power forward-sized payers occupying the nominal backcourt and the twin mashers of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams playing under the basket. Across from them stood Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, the double-big combination most recently seen hoisting the championship trophy. In a timely throwback, the first games broadcast on NBC in 23 years highlighted the fact that a few years after the discovery of the three-pointer revolutionized basketball,"
"The final Daryl Morey-era Rockets team began the season with Clint Capela at center and ended it with, well, nobody. They traded Capela for the 6-foot-7 Robert Covington, and the team won a playoff series despite fielding zero players that could be thought of as bigs. They did so against a Thunder team whose whole thing was playing three point guards at the same time, and while Adams played a bit for OKC, this was as small as basketball could get."
An NBA game featured the tallest starting quintet in opening-night history, with three power forward-sized players in the backcourt and Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams at center. Opposing Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein formed a recent championship-winning double-big pairing. Broadcasts on NBC underscored a tactical return to size after the three-point revolution. Six seasons prior, the Rockets traded Clint Capela for Robert Covington and advanced in the playoffs with virtually no traditional bigs, facing a Thunder lineup that played three point guards. Many teams favored shooting and spacing over rim protection, while others now prioritize imposing, switchable bigs.
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