The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Head Coach Ime Udoka On NBA Cup Experience: 'Good To Have Those High Pressure Situations' For Young Rockets Squad

Episode Date: December 19, 2024

The Houston Rockets return to the Toyota Center on Thursday to host the New Orleans Pelicans in their first game back since being eliminated from the NBA Cup. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Rockets 111-96 on Saturday. The Rockets and Thunder have two of the three best records in the Western Conference, so the semifinal matchup might have been a potential playoff preview. "It's good to have those high-pressure situations," head coach Ime Udoka said. "The pressure of win or go home" is good experience for the young core of the Rockets, who haven't played in those types of games since the NCAA Tournament. The Rockets have had four days off but will now host a Pelicans team dealing with multiple injuries, with Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Jose Alvarado, Karlo Matkovic and Daniel Theis all ruled out. "This is a classic trap game with guys missing," Udoka said. However, the Rockets might be without Tari Eason, Steven Adams and Alperen Sengun, who are all listed as questionable. Rookie Reed Sheppard could return to the court after not playing any minutes the past two games. "We're not worried about Reed at all," Udoka said. "He's a young guy going through a lot of things right now," but "we want to get him back in the mix."

All right, let's take a few minutes to talk to E. May Adoka, head coach of your Houston Rockets, Rockets and Pelicans tonight inside Toyota Center. Coach, it's Matt. Thanks for joining me. Congratulations on the NBA Cup. I know that their end result. But losing the semifinal game is not what you wanted to Oklahoma City. But what do you take away from the experience of not only playing those games, but the knockout win against Golden State and just being around the LV atmosphere for a few days? I think it was great for our team, especially a bunch of young guys that. haven't had playoff experience or at times meaningful games.

It was good to have those high pressure situations. You know, the atmosphere was different somewhat like an all-star game slash playoff game. And so that's great for guys to experience that for the first time. But the pressure of winner go home, you know, guys haven't had that since, you know, NCAA if they've been in college at all. But it was great for our guys experience-wise. I think an achievement for us obviously fell a little bit short, but the achievement and experience will help us out down the road.

And the fact is, and I don't know if it's fair or not, but when you play these extra games, you're playing against the upper echelon games, and they do count towards your standings. Is there anything of adjustment you would make to this NBA Cup if they were to ask your opinion about who you play, how you play, and the event itself? Well, I'd say for me, I enjoy it.

I think it takes away some of the monotony of the early season. You know, it gives us something to go after. But like you said, they all count, except for if you make the championship game. But still high-seating teams. teams that are in front of us and obviously at Golden State and OKC are two of the best in the Western Conference so a good test for us

across the board. What was it like especially for some of the younger guys to face I mean you're going to want to playing Golden State five times, you're going to have another game with Oklahoma City you already had, now you get two more so with them. What's their take of this experience because

let's face it, Tari, Amin for the most part, have not played in these types of meaningful games. Did you see something from an energy standpoint, from a focus that maybe you wouldn't have normally seen in a regular, say, November or December, a regular season game? Yeah, I would say they saw the atmosphere and the environment. Obviously, you want to win the cup and, you know, not only financial reasons, but ragging rights and all the stuff, especially in the second year.

So I think our guys got extra motivated for it. You could see Golden State and some of the teams that didn't make it, how disappointed they were. So understanding that it's a big deal to guys. already. And so for them, it was a great experience, like I said, you know, a must-win game against a team that's had some success against us Golden State in a high-pressure game here to get that win at home was great. And then obviously our first half against OKC was pretty good. And then we kind of lost it in the second half. But saw some things that worked well for them, a team that we could see down the road as well. So like I said, any time you can play those high-level teams in the

conference gives us great experience and exposure and chance to feel that pressure of a playoff atmosphere. Highlight the time off. Games. I know you play a bunch of games in a very short period of time and you have a little stretch. Your injury report is rather lengthy tonight. How's Tari, Alpi, and Stephen Adams right now? They felt okay this morning. It'll be a game time thing and, you know,

went through some stuff to shoot around this morning. So Stephen, the swelling went down pretty significantly in the ankle, so we're hopeful with him. And Tari, it's a weird thing with some guys. The more time you get off at times, the more achy they get, it feels like. And so, you know, that pattern got broken a little bit with the in-season tournament, but back to regular season games now, and the rest was needed,

but we're ready to get back after it tonight. This New Orleans team is, I mean, you can't even scout them because they're missing three key cogs. You do not want to have any sort of letdown because you have been playing all these excellent teams to play a New Orleans squad that's 5 and 22. That has to be probably part of your message before tonight's game. Absolutely. This is a classic trap game, you know, guys missing.

But they obviously got Desonté Murray back, McCollum. back, you know, Murphy, some really good shooters. And so they have some great defenders, Herb Jones as well. And so still a very good team on paper they've had, you know, a ton of injuries, so it had not a lot of continuity, but we know they're still dangerous. And so for us, you know, after a lengthy break, team with some guys missing, that's all the stages for a letdown, but we're trying to avoid that, obviously, and get back to what we're doing and continue to build throughout the season. So that was a message to the guys today was a lock-in focus on what we need to accomplish. And the, uh, the kids.

cup is behind us, just let's get back to conference basketball. A couple of questions for let you run asked from listeners. One about Cam Whitmore, his time down at the RGV. He's back with you now. What experiences, has he told you about that time down there? And is there a possibility for him, especially if

you've got some guys that are less than 100% getting a little bit of playing timing the next week or so? Yeah, for Cam, I think it was a great experience. Much needed. He needed live game reps where he wasn't getting as many minutes or not in the rotation at times with us. So for a young guy that needs to develop and continue to grow as the games pile on and the practices lesson,

he needed to get that live game action. And so it was great for him to get down there, get some work in, kind of reiterate the points that we want him to work on while he's here with us. And obviously with guys in now, he was obviously in the rotation to start the season. So have a ton of confidence in him. It's, you know, a log jam at that position. So you're trying to find extra minutes for Tari. I'm in and these guys, it's going to trickle down to some of those guys. but obviously confident in him.

We've seen what he can do when he's locked in and focused. And if the opportunity presents itself, we have all the confidence putting him in and seeing him work. You know, I've seen it firsthand. Your interpersonal communication with your players is exemplary. And I'm curious what conversations you've had with Reed in particular. A couple of DMPs for him the last week or so. He has not been able to find his shot right now at the NBA level.

What are your takeaways from him? What is he addressed with you? And I'm sure he wants to get back in your rotation as soon as possible. Yeah, with Reed, it's a matter of getting an opportunity to get out there and play consistent minutes and get some reps in. And for him, he's a young guy that's going through a lot of things for the first time. Teams are really focused on him when he comes in the game. His reputation has kind of perceived himself. So third pick and the shooter and all those things and the accolades he has, so guys are guarding him tight.

Our thing is stay confident, learn from every experience and take advantage of all the opportunities you get. And so for him, we're a guy that we're not worried about Reed at all. he'll figure it out when he does at his own time, but the chance to get him off between any of reps out there is big for him every time he gets the game action. And so I want to get him back in the mix, obviously, very confident in him as well as a young guy, but, you know, those high pressure one-off situations,

the end-season tournament, you know, we felt comfortable with another lineup, and that doesn't take anything away from Reed. It's more so to the depth of our team and what we liked against Golden State and OKC specifically. How much pickleball did you play the last 48 hours? Two and a half hours yesterday So got a good amount in Me and Rafael

Played some pros and got dominated Wait a minute Who'd you all play? Can you say? I don't even know honestly It was some Raffel's guys And they're pickleball pros And it got ugly quick What? Come on now

Yeah We're not pros Yeah but I mean You and Rofel always partners Most of the time yeah Yes That's what we do. Chemistry is okay, I'm assuming, yes.

Oh, good. We were a little dejected after, but we'll bounce back next time. Very good. Thanks, Coach. We'll see you at the arena later tonight. All right, thank you guys. All right, you got it. You made him with us here.

Those guys are pickleballaholics. Have you ever played? No. It's like the one fad I haven't gotten into. You know where it got super popular was for everybody in the bubble? Because they were playing at Walt Disney World. and they couldn't go anywhere. And so.

Because to me, it's only cropped up in the last, like, year, year and a half or so. Yeah. I first heard about it. And ironically enough, you know who Scott Foster is, or one of the officials in the NBA? He ran the pickleball league for everybody down in the bubble. He is the, he is the OG of pickleball. And Scott Faw, that's the one that none of the Rockets fans like.

Nobody likes Scott Foster. Okay. But so he, he like was the kingpin of the, of the, he ran the leagues. Yeah, and that's where everybody in the NBA became fans. Because, I mean, if you've seen EMA, EMA could probably run a full court and have a zero problem playing a full game of tennis. But this pickleball thing is, they're infatuated by it.

I would not want to cross EMA in a dark alley at any point. Man, he's my guy. He is, you would, for someone who appreciates a good quote, he may, he's very monotone, but his, when he wants to tell you something and pass the message along, he does it. A couple times, like I've been this year to watch them play, he, he gets on him man like he

I was at okay so I went to the season opener the uh which was not a oh Charlotte yikes not a good showing right he tore them apart yeah like and look normally you don't see that at the professional

very few coaches can get away with it you don't see it really at any level of you don't see it in public much at a professional level of really any sport right and to watch him I remember there was once I think shingoon like had a had a tough defensive possession or something.

He called a timeout and he met Shingoon. Before Shingoon even got to the bench and just tore him a new... And I appreciate that. And I appreciate it more that he's gotten to the point with this team where he knows they can take it. Yeah. Like that speaks about... Because very few coaches in the NBA, and I don't know if it is the same thing in Major League Baseball. Very few coaches in the NBA can get away with that because it is such a players league.