Rockets Roll Out the Ultimate Boom-or-Bust Starting Lineup

Underdog NBA just dropped the Houston Rockets' starting five for Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, and it looks like a 2K MyLeague simulation that accidentally left the trade override on. Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun are officially getting the nod to open the season.

The biggest shocker here is seeing VanVleet's name at the top of the call sheet. He missed the entire 2025-26 season with a torn right ACL. Throwing him right back into the fire against a Western Conference contender is certainly a choice, though his minutes will likely be monitored closer than a teenager's screen time.

"Underdog NBA reported the starting lineup."

Then there is the Kevin Durant experience. Seeing him in a Rockets jersey still feels like a glitch in the matrix. He logged 16 minutes and dropped 11 points in a preseason blowout over the Oklahoma City Thunder last week, which is just enough run to prove his legs still work before the real games start.

For anyone looking at the prop markets, this lineup is an absolute headache. You have a point guard coming off a catastrophic knee injury, an aging superstar with an injury Wikipedia page longer than a CVS receipt, and three young guys trying to figure out who actually gets to shoot the basketball. Figuring out the usage rate for this group is going to require a whiteboard and a lot of guesswork.

Smith Jr. and Sengun are going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting inside while the veterans get their legs under them. Smith spent a good chunk of last year dealing with hand and ankle injuries himself, so keeping this entire unit on the floor at the same time feels like a medical miracle waiting to be tested.

We will see how long this exact five-man group actually survives the regular season grind. If they can stay healthy, Houston has enough firepower to make noise, but Wednesday night against Dallas will be the first real stress test for a roster held together by hope and athletic tape.