We’re still a few months away from the year ending, but the NBA schedule-makers might have the fictional ‘Instigator of the Year’ award under wraps.
After the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the 2025 NBA championship, they were in line to be the first game of the 2025-26 regular season, as is league tradition. They will host the Houston Rockets for an Opening Night filled with daytime TV drama.
When the Thunder drop their championship banner and hand out rings, Kevin Durant will be in the building. He will make his debut for his new team after being traded there on the same day OKC won Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
The Rockets are viewed as one of the Thunder’s biggest foes for their repeat aspirations. Once Fred VanVleet was lost to a torn ACL that he suffered in the offseason, they will fully lean into a jumbo-sized lineup. Amen Thompson, Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams will be your starters.
That’ll be a fun test for Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Thunder relied on the double-big lineup to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy. They were the starting frontcourt in both of their Game 7 blowout wins in these past playoffs.
Holmgren discussed Durant’s addition to the Rockets. The 37-year-old being traded was arguably the biggest offseason move. Both players have a long-established relationship together. They’ve sweated in plenty of summer workouts together. What does Holmgren think of the blockbuster deal?
“Same thing he adds to any team he joins. “18 years of tough shot-making, greatness in the game of basketball,” Holmgren said. “We talk about Sengun and Adams being great players. He’s one of the great players.”
The Rockets are the latest team to join the large lineup trend. Except they took up a notch. They also added Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith in the offseason. With no real point guards on the roster, Thompson is the de facto starter. Durant will play at the two for the first time in a dozen years.
“It’s kinda crazy. Just from when I was in the league, everybody wanted to be 6-6 all across their starting lineup,” Holmgren said. “Now you see the Rockets are almost 6-11 across the lineup. It’s weird how basketball trends like that.”
It’ll be fun to see the clash of styles. The Thunder will rely on creating a bunch of turnovers against a team with no true playmaker or ball-handler. Meanwhile, the Rockets will rely on eating on the glass and getting a bunch of easy second-chance looks.
