How Houston Rockets are Bringing Back Importance of Center Position

The NBA has transformed over the past decade, moving away from traditional post-oriented power forwards and centers towards perimeter-based offenses and a heavy emphasis on three-point shooting. The Houston Rockets were pioneers of this "three-point revolution." While the league leader attempted 25.6 threes per game in 2010-11, the Rockets set a then-record with over 42 attempts per game during their 65-win season in 2017-18. This trend continued, with the Boston Celtics leading last season at 48.2 attempts per game.

However, the Rockets are now driving another shift by reviving the importance of the center position. Last season, they transitioned to a traditional lineup and acquired Steven Adams (though injured initially). A key turning point came in a February game against Dallas. After Anthony Davis dominated the first half for the Mavericks, Rockets coach Ime Udoka deployed a double-big lineup pairing Adams and Alperen Şengun. Though the Rockets lost, the duo's effectiveness sparked a comeback and proved the lineup's viability.

The Adams-Şengun pairing became one of Houston's best lineups, exploiting opponents unaccustomed to two centers. Adams' elite rebounding drew multiple defenders, creating space for Şengun. This strategy was central in their first-round playoff series against Golden State, enabling a comeback from a 3-1 deficit to force Game 7, as the Warriors struggled to counter the size advantage. Despite losing Game 7, the Rockets demonstrated the double-big lineup could thrive.

This shift significantly impacted Houston's play style. They dropped from 12th in three-point attempts in 2023-24 to 20th last season while achieving their best rebounding performance in over 50 seasons due to Adams and Şengun's dominance. Committed to this approach, the Rockets signed Clint Capela as a third center this offseason, planning to stagger him with Adams and continue using two-big lineups. Their success has influenced other teams, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, to experiment with similar lineups, potentially reversing the league's trend towards ever-increasing three-point volume.