Rockets Roll Out the Heavy Artillery: VanVleet and Thompson Cleared for Monday

The Houston Rockets are officially done playing games with their injury report, rolling out a starting five on Monday that actually looks like a finished puzzle.

According to Underdog NBA, Houston is starting Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

"Underdog NBA reported the official lineup: VanVleet, Thompson, Durant, Smith Jr., Sengun."

Thompson had been carrying a questionable tag with shoulder soreness, which is usually just NBA medical code for a potential rest day. Instead, the second-year wing is lacing them up. He has been a massive piece of the rotation this year, averaging 13.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while only missing three contests all season.

Getting VanVleet out there is just as crucial. Despite some conflicting noise about his health status recently, he just reminded everyone who runs the offense by dropping 11 assists with zero turnovers in a return game. That is the exact kind of floor-general stat line that makes a coaching staff sleep peacefully.

Having Durant, Sengun, and Smith Jr. on the floor is great, but they need someone to actually get them the rock. Without VanVleet and Thompson initiating the offense, this team can occasionally look like five guys who just met at a YMCA open gym trying to figure out a pick-and-roll.

This lineup drop is also a massive swing for anyone staring at the betting boards. Houston was catching double-digit underdog odds in some spots when it looked like half the rotation might be in street clothes. With Thompson and VanVleet officially active and ready to run, that math changes completely.

The Rockets are coming off a brutal 102-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns and desperately need to get back in the win column. They get the Denver Nuggets on Monday before the Golden State Warriors roll into town later this week, meaning this fully loaded starting five is about to get a very real stress test.