Opening-night lineups signal a franchise’s stylistic aims, but rosters are fluid. Five NBA teams—New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, and Dallas—are weighing how to start the season: who anchors, who spaces the floor, and who grows into a longer-term role. The Knicks face a Hart slot crisis; the Rockets eye Reed Sheppard as a shooting-and-playmaking answer; the Lakers debate defense vs. offense around Dončić, LeBron, and Reaves; Portland prioritizes youth; Dallas tests a double-big path with Davis and Flagg.