The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Head Coach Ime Udoka: Steven Adams 'Has Been Invaluable' To Rockets Young Core

Episode Date: October 30, 2024

The Houston Rockets have started the season 2-2 after Monday's 106-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Jalen Green scored 34 points, and the Rockets never trailed after losing to the Spurs 109-106 on Saturday. Head coach Ime Udoka joins "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" to discuss the Rockets struggling with consistency early in the season. "So far after these four games, we've been up and down," Udoka said. The Rockets hope to go on a run early in the season with a softer schedule ahead, and the addition of Steven Adams will certainly strengthen the rotation. After missing the first three games of the season due to a left calf strain, Adams made his Rockets debut in Monday's win over the Spurs, recording six points and three rebounds in 14 minutes of play. "His IQ and communication have been invaluable" for the Rockets young core.

Time for us to spend 10 quality minutes with the head basketball coach of your Houston Rockets off to a two-and-two start. The boys will be heading up to Dallas here shortly for a game tomorrow night. With the Mavericks, every Wednesday around 1 o'clock, we will spend time with Rockins' Head Coach Emaidoker. Coach Matt Ross, how are things today? Good. How are you guys doing? Man, great to have you with us. Two-and-two start of the season. Give me the super high and the super low through the first four if there's such a thing.

The highs would be that we battled back in some games and obviously got out to some really good leads and so we've done some good things to get those leads or fight our way back into a game. The lows would be the inconsistency that got us in that deficit or ended up losing a lead at times. And so, you know, consistency was a theme coming into this season, how we can improve in that area.

And so far after these four games, we've been up and down, but had some really good stretches that were laid. looking to build on. You know, I mentioned this to you a couple nights ago, but you're still looking for that first kind of complete 48-minute game, and you kind of tease that to a byproduct of it's early in the season. You still staying with that philosophy, you think? How long does it take to kind of get past that and go, you know what, we need one of those nights where we can play four complete quarters? Well, I mean, that's been the case for sure. I think, you know, we've, at times last year, went through that a little bit, and then we really kind of hammered down on some

things late in the season that made us more consistent, obviously, with the winning streak and things like that. But for us, it's really, you know, defending at a high level initially. You know, we had some 38-point quarters given up in the last two games, but we're scoring enough, and so we want to obviously play better defense there. And then when we do get those leads, how can we maintain those? And for instance, the other game, the second game with San Antonio, you know, they got 10 offensive rebounds in the third quarter that allowed them to go from a 20-point deficit to down to 13 or 12 going into fourth quarter. So small things like that, the little details that we go back and look on and how we built

the lead and then how we lost it and how we can improve in those areas. You know, part of the fun of watching Janlin during the last couple months of last year where those nights where he would take over games where he'd make four or five, three pointers in a short period of time. The second quarter, he was unconscious against Spurs. And you've seen more of that, at least early going on so far this year. What did he do for you in the offseason? in training camp that maybe better prepared him for nights where he can kind of take over

offensively. Yeah, I think in general, you saw his growth last year, and, you know, the game is really slowed down for him. He's not only scoring, but he's, you know, become a secondary playmaker with Fred and, you know, and Alpi. And so I think his reading of the defense has been night and day from last year. He's taking on chief chances. I'm taking on the challenges defensively on that end, but I would say, you know, he was a

the other night they went zone quite a bit and he was the guy that got the open shots and knocked those down but overall his confidence in the game kind of slowing down for him is the thing that's most noticeable for me uh three point attempts for him ticking upward is that something that has been a situation where it's been the matchups and what the defense has been giving him is that something that is targeted that you guys want to do and are you okay with the shots that he's taking from there yeah i would say a little bit of both um last year him reading defenses, you know, he has such a quick first step and he's so explosive that teams

will try to go under a lot of pick and rolls to, you know, stay in front, keep him out of the lane. And so we want him to be confident and knock down those shots, knowing it'll open up everything for him on the drives and bring the big up a little bit higher. And so this is a combination of that they're going under, but as well as E.D., for

example, and Webbyama being back in a deep drop, you know, they're obviously two big guys that are good rim protectors. And so for them, they want to funnel everything to those guys. you know, he has that shot when those guys are back as long as Alpy, Jock, Stephen, get a good piece. He has those white-up looks.

We know we can knock him down a high clip. Rocket's head coach, Emo Doca, with us here on Sports Talk 790. Mavericks in the next game, and we could ask you probably 100 questions about how to defend Luca Donchish, but I want to be specific, when you have a player like him who pump fakes like a hundred times a game,

is there like a message or like something you can do in practice to try to help the team, not bite on somebody like that who pump fakes so much? Yeah, I mean, it was something we did drills with during preseason. It felt like every game in the preseason we're going for too many shot fakes. We're going to be second off the floor. And, you know, it's a big thing with KIP, knowing your personnel, knowing who you're going against.

I think we did a good job the other night on Harrison Barnes, where he got some guys in game one with some pump fakes. And then you saw Cam, Jabari, and some of those guys stay down and really challenge the shots there. So we go deep into the personnel. And obviously, he's a big one as far as that before and after the shot. after the dribble. And so you got to stay down on him. He loves to get the fritho line, loves the big guys. And for us, it's that game plan of discipline. And we've worked on that

in preseason, staying down, being second off the floor and using our length. Reed got a couple of early good looks in the first couple of games. Didn't play a whole lot in that San Antonio stretch of games. It's going to be Evan Flo. I mean, that's what a normal rookie does, correct? It feels like to me, no matter what draft spot or where you're expected to be in the lineup? Yeah, I mean, they're going to have some ups and downs at times, of course, and we know that.

And the guys went through it last year with our young guys and all of them have over the last few years. But as many consistent minutes we can find them, we'd love to. You know, a game kind of was dictated by matchups last game. We pretty much matched Dylan with Webbynama's minutes, and that threw off our normal rotation. So when Webbyama went out, Dylan went out and came back and that kind of squeezed read a little bit there.

But a guy that we know has a high IQ, we're super confident and looking to get a more opportunity him impossible and he'll continue to grow because of that. You know, you had Fred guarding Wemby a little bit. You had Dylan doing it a lot. I mean, you obviously, that's intentional. When you go to those guys and say, here's what we're doing the defensive switch, I mean, they're going to do whatever they want,

but in terms of doing what's best for the team, but that has to be still a challenge for those guys going against a guy of his height, of his frame. Yeah, I would say we're comfortable with all of our guards and wings on him, especially on the perimeter. You know, we switch a lot of their pick and roll actions or him getting a walk away. They set some downscreens for him. So we're fine with our guys crowding him, taking up his space on the perimeter. It doesn't matter if you have Alpi and Stephen or a guard on him.

He's going to be able to shoot over. It's just being physical and getting him off his spot. And I think we did a great job of that, especially in game too. We were much more physical. When he starts to roll down to the post, obviously we have our bigs ready to kick our guards out. And we can guard them from there as well. So we have a few counters. But when he's on the perimeter, I think a lot of his advantages are against five men that, you know,

can't take up that space. He can shoot his threes. He can kind of handle and go around. But we love our guards taking the space and being physical with them. And Dylan was ahead of that. A couple more minutes here with Emaidoka getting ready for tomorrow night's game with the Dallas Mavericks. You've Jacques a little bit early on. Stephen Adams got his first appearance for you in the second game against San Antonio.

Just give us a little glimpse into Stephen as a competitor. and now with you, him in your group and working with the guys. And more importantly, just being what exactly what you thought he would be is, a guy that would set a bunch of good screens and would get a bunch of offensive rebounds for you. Yeah, I mean, he is working his lamb to shape. You know, I saw a number where he hadn't played in 646 days, I think. So he's been out for quite a while, obviously, and he needs to get his conditioning, down, timing, down game shape. And so even with that being said, while he figured,

out his rhythm and gets his body back in shape. I think his IQ and communication has been very invaluable for our young guys. It's another coach out there, just like Fred and Dillon were last year. It's just another guy to throw out there. And obviously he sets screens and gets guys open, but the talking, teaching, extra coaching he's been doing guys has been really good. And so as he gets his way in the shape, we understand what he brings the team. Whoever he sets the screen on is going to get space to operate.

And then you have to account for him on the offensive glass. So he's done those little intangibles that he's done. whole career, but we'll only get better going forward. And lastly, it looks like Tara Easton is really enjoying himself. You know, here's a guy in his rookie year played all 82 games. The injuries got to him a lot last year, but for a guy that can do so many different things for you, offensive rebounds, stealing and an occasional three, just to have that kind of versatility from a guy off your bench, it's got to be something you like right now.

Yeah, you just plug him in with a man, Dylan, and some of those guys, and you don't miss a beat as far as his defensive versatility, very instinctual, gets his hands on everything, and pretty much comes up with it. And so we love what he's bringing. He's another guy that had been out for a while, and so we had to move him along slowly in the preseason. But now that he's had a minute increase lately, we can run it for some longer stretches and finish games if we'd like to.

You know, it's tough on him and us at times when he's playing so well, but you were restricted some, you know, to a certain amount of minutes or stretches he can run. but I think as he gets himself back in shape, same with Stephen. I think those guys will play more and more, and what they bring to our team is obviously very noticeable. Coach, thank you for the visit. Safe Travels of Dallas. We'll see you later on tonight, and thanks to the time as always.

Thank you, guys.