Striving for 2 consecutive victories! Three Rockets and Jazz generals are absent, Durant’s debut is scheduled, and Uduka shows off his killer move

At 8:00 am on October 9, 2025, the Rockets will usher in the second game of the preseason, and their opponent is the Jazz. In the last game, the Rockets defeated the Hawks 122:113 and got a good start in the preseason. Although Durant did not play at the time, Shen Jing showed excellent competitive status, and with the concerted efforts of other players, the Rockets won the game with a game of team basketball. In this match against the Jazz, the Rockets naturally want to pursue the victory, win two consecutive victories, and continue their good form. More importantly, this will be Durant's first show after joining the Rockets. Although the Rockets are also missing several generals, Durant's return has undoubtedly injected great vitality into the team.

The preseason game between the Rockets and Jazz has been buzzing with topics even before it starts. On one side are the Rockets, who have just introduced Durant and are aiming to compete for the championship, ushering in the first game of the superstar's comeback; on the other side is the Jazz, who are in the rebuilding period, but have lost most of their main players. But having said that, the preseason is not a place to fight for victory. It is more about running the lineup and testing the new players, but there is indeed a lot to watch in this matchup.

Let’s first talk about the offseason operations of the two teams. It’s a two-way street. The Rockets are obviously "betting now" and are making big moves to win the championship. Through a big deal involving seven teams, Durant was brought to Houston, and he was the league's top scorer. Not only that, but they also spent 21.5 million in three years to sign Capela back to fill the hole inside. Their young core Jabari Smith Jr. was also given a maximum salary, and capable veterans such as Adams and Jeff Green were also retained. But something unexpected happened. The newly signed point guard VanVleet was almost reimbursed for the season due to anterior knee cruciate ligament surgery just after he joined, which suddenly turned the point guard position into a weakness.

The Jazz are rebuilding steadily, focusing entirely on the draft. With the No. 5 pick, the talented wing Ace Bailey was selected. This young man is more than two meters tall and has a long wingspan. Scouts said that his upper limit can reach the level of Paul George, but he is still a little green now and needs to practice physical confrontation and technique. They took Walter Clayton Jr. with the 18th pick to supplement the backcourt. There was no messing around in the trade market. Veterans such as Love and Kyle Lee were introduced to lead newcomers, Nurkic was replaced to supplement the inside line, and Markkanen was retained as the core with a maximum salary. In order to make room for young people, old people such as Clarkson and Sexton were either sent away or laid off. Now the average age of the starting lineup is only 24 years old, a typical "potential-raising" model.

Looking at the injury situation of the two teams, it is like ice and fire. Although the Rockets injured VanVleet and Finney Smith, and Adams also rested, the biggest good news is that Durant is coming back. Head coach Uduka has said that with Durant here, the team no longer has to worry about scoring. Once he steps on the court, the offensive efficiency can increase by 10 percentage points, and he can also rely on him to end the game at critical moments. Moreover, the young players of the Rockets are also in good condition. In the previous game against the Hawks, Shen Jing scored 19 points and provided 6 assists in 13 minutes. His support ability is becoming more and more like Jokic's. Although Ethan is doubtful for the game, even if he is not included, the current lineup is enough to look at.

The situation is much worse for the Jazz. When the injury list came out, they were shocked. At least 5 people could not play. Markkanen has a wrist contusion and Kessler has shoulder inflammation. These two are the cornerstone players of the team. Without them, both offense and defense will be broken. The main rotation players such as Collier and Niang were also injured, and Love did not play due to tactical arrangements. This means that there are not many main players left for the Jazz, and they will most likely have to rely on rookies and fringe players to support the game. Although they won the last game and several players scored in double figures, the opponent's strength was limited and they were not at the same level as the Rockets with Durant.

If you look back at last season's head-to-head records, the Rockets already have an advantage. Last season they met twice and won twice, one of which was a 143-105 victory at home. At that time, the Jazz lost seven consecutive games and their record fell to 16 wins and 61 losses. The only game they lost was when the Jazz counterattacked 37-25 in the final quarter. However, last season's lineup was quite different from now. At that time, the Rockets did not have Durant, and the main players of the Jazz were also there. The reference value can only be said to be average.

Against the Jazz, Uduka will show off his killer moves again, and will most likely continue and upgrade the "large lineup" strategy, while integrating Durant into the system. After VanVleet was reimbursed, he has clearly given up on the traditional point guard, and has adopted the "Five Formations" with an average height of 2.08 meters, using his height and wingspan advantage to suppress the Jazz's remaining lineup. The core of the offensive end will be the pick-and-roll between Shen Jing and Durant. If the opponent is guarding Shen Jing inside, Durant can shoot from the outside; if there is a double attack, he will distribute the ball to an open teammate. At the same time, the "twin towers" idea will be followed, allowing Shen Jing or Adams and Capela to provide support in the elbow area. Amen will make air cuts and Smith will expand the space, and rely on turns to conduct to break the defense. On the defensive end, full-size coverage is used to limit Jazz rookies and substitutes. This game is also a key test to test the suitability of this "point guard-less lineup" and Durant.

But having said that, the outcome of the preseason is really not that important. Everyone in the league knows that this is a warm-up game, and scores and statistics do not count into the regular season. Superstars usually play for a few minutes to get a feel for themselves and avoid injury. The Rockets may want to try Durant's cooperation with Shen Jing and Smith Jr. to see how their offensive tactics can be adjusted; the Jazz probably want to give more penalties to rookies like Ace Bailey to see who can join the regular rotation.

The real highlight of this game is actually Durant's first official game after putting on a Rockets jersey, to see if he can get along with his new teammates; and whether the Jazz's rookies can seize the opportunity to express themselves when the main team is absent. After all, preseason is a stage for young people. As for the result of the game, just watch it for fun. The real battle will have to wait until the regular season begins.