The Thunder 5 will miss the first show. US media predicts a 62% probability of beating the Rockets. The average height is 2.09 meters. Are the top five underestimated?

On October 21, Thunder reporter Brandon Rahbar reported that Thunder general Jay Wei is still recovering from a wrist injury and he will not be able to appear in the opening game. Jiewei underwent surgery to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist on July 2 and is expected to be absent for 12 weeks. The Thunder management has not yet discussed a specific timetable for his return.

In addition to Jiewei being unable to play in the opening game, the Thunder's Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sauber will also miss the opening game. That is to say, five of the Thunder's players will not be able to play against the Houston Rockets at home.

VanVleet is the only one on the Rockets' injury list. VanVleet has been reimbursed for the season and cannot appear in the opening game. Generally speaking, the Rockets' health is better than that of the defending champion. The Thunder will receive the 2025 championship ring in the opening game, and KD will definitely be very worried by then.

Although five members of the Thunder are absent from the opening game, ESPN still predicts that the Thunder's probability of winning as the home team is as high as 62.3%, while the Rockets' probability of winning as an away team is only 37.7%. Perhaps this is due to the hard power of the defending champion?

Uduka has made it clear that the starting lineup for the opening game against the Thunder is: Amen 2.01 meters, Durant 2.11 meters, Xiaojia 2.11 meters, Shen Jing 2.11 meters, Adams 2.11 meters, which is the ultimate five with an average height of 2.09 meters. Shen Jing said that the team felt that the five lineups were effective during training, so they continued to use them in the opening game.

But ESPN only gave the Rockets a 37.7% probability of winning, which shows that the outside world is not optimistic about the ultimate five. Although this starting lineup has a size advantage, it lacks speed and offense-defense transition speed. The offensive end will rely more on Shen Jing's passing ball. Once Shen Jing is in a tough battle, this lineup will be difficult to defeat the enemy.

Although the Shenjing + Adams twin towers were points-winners in last season's playoffs, the team's offensive weakness was a serious problem. This season, with Durant's arrival, I don't know if the Rockets can really solve the problem of offensive fatigue. The preseason games have no reference value.