Striving for a good start! Two generals of the Rockets and Hawks are absent, Uduka takes the wrong direction, and two players are the key

The Rockets will usher in the preseason opening game at home, and their opponent is the Atlanta Hawks whose lineup has been upgraded in the offseason. Although this game is only a preseason, since both teams have made major adjustments in the offseason, and the Rockets' point guard unexpectedly, Capela will also face the old master Hawks, so it's full of highlights.

First, let's take a look at the absence of players from both sides. The Rockets can be said to have suffered a significant blow. The team's core point guard Van Vreet has basically been reimbursed for the entire season due to torn ACL, which directly led to a huge vacancy in the team's core position in the organization. To make matters worse, the 3D champion Finney Smith, who was just introduced during the offseason, is still in the postoperative recovery stage. He will definitely not be able to play in this game. Ethan and Adams can play, but will be arranged to rest and miss the next game against the Jazz. Van Vreett and Finney Smith's inability to play not only affected the team's organizational skills, but also greatly weakened the offense and defense depth of the front line. In contrast, the Hawks' absence is relatively lighter, mainly focusing on rotation players in the inside. The team's center Dante is also an old Rockets player and Faye are very likely not to play in this game. The inside can only rely on new player Porzingis to support them alone, which will cause obvious loopholes in their inside rotation. However, the core lineup of the Hawks is basically kept intact, with main players such as Trae Young, Jaylen Johnson and No. 1 pick Rissache, who can play, and the overall lineup integrity has an advantage over the Rockets.

Review the record of the two teams in the 2024-2025 season. Both sides can be said to have their own victory and losses and their strengths are relatively close. In the last three matches, the two teams showed an alternating victory: in the regular season on March 26, 2025, the Rockets defeated the Hawks 121-114 at home, and Shin Kyung scored a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, dominating the inside; on January 29, 2025, the Rockets narrowly defeated the Hawks 100-96 away, showing good key ball handling ability. It is worth mentioning that in the summer league in July 2025, the Hawks defeated the Rockets 111-108, but the intensity and lineup configuration of the preseason are essentially different from that of the summer league, so the reference value of this game is limited. Judging from the historical confrontation records, the Rockets have won the last two times against the Hawks, and they still have some psychological advantages. After Van Jordan was reimbursed for the season, how coach Uduka arranged the team and determined the starting lineup became the biggest suspense at present. Combined with Uduka's previous statement that "each game may be equipped with a different lineup" and the current situation of the team, there are currently two more credible speculations. The first one is to focus on the "giant tower lineup" and make full use of the team's height and wingspan advantages. The starting lineup may be Amen Thompson as the point guard, Durant moved to the second position, Jabarry Smith as the small forward, Shin Kyung as the power forward, and Adams as the center. Amen Thompson replaced the starting point guard last season in the game where Van Vreet was absent, averaging 15.5 points and 6.3 assists per game, and has proved his ability to control the field in the game.

Another guess is to line up a more focused lineup on rebounds and defense, with Amen Thompson playing the No. 1 position, Yoonson playing the No. 2 position, Jabarri Smithing three position, Durant playing the No. 4 position, and Shin Kyung playing the center. No matter which lineup Uduka chooses in the end, it will be a deviant move. There is no need for pure point guard players like Shepard and Holiday. The core idea is to revolve around the two core cores of Durant and Shin Kyung. Shepard is likely not to start for the time being, and Uduka will also focus on Amen Thompson's field control performance. After all, he is likely to become the main candidate for the Rockets' No. 1 position in the new season.

From a tactical perspective, the Hawks have a more complete lineup and greater advantages. Although the Rockets have a terrifying configuration of up to 10 players with a 2.13-meter arm span and are extremely oppressive in defense. In theory, they can limit Trae Young's pass and Porzingis's inside offense, but after Van Vritte was absent, the Rockets' offensive organization became a big problem. At present, Durant and Shin Kyung can only be relied on to connect the attack. Although Amen Thompson has certain organizational capabilities, its stability remains to be tested. Once the offensive end is stagnant, it will be difficult to make timely adjustments. On the Hawks, Trae Young, as the league's assist king, can create a large number of open opportunities for his teammates through pick-and-roll. Coupled with Jaylen Johnson's impact and Rissache's talent, the offensive sense of layering is richer, so the Hawks have a greater chance of winning.

However, the Rockets are not without opportunities, and Durant's personal ability is the biggest variable. As the former scoring champion, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game last season, shooting 52.6% from the field and 43.1% from three-point shooting. As long as he can maintain such efficient output, he can provide the Rockets with a stable scoring point. Moreover, Shin Kyung's ability to confront the inside is also quite good. He averaged 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season. Facing the Hawks, only Porzingis supports, he may be able to gain an advantage, just as he dominated the inside in March last season.

The Hawks have a certain advantage in the first game of this preseason with a more complete lineup and more mature tactical cooperation. If the Rockets want to win, Durant needs to play a dominant performance, and at the same time, Amen Thompson also has to withstand the pressure of controlling the field. But no matter what the result of the game is, this game is an important touchstone for the new season for both teams.