The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Ime Udoka On The Biggest Goal For The Rockets This Season: 'Being No. 1 In Offensive Rebounds'

Episode Date: November 13, 2024

The Houston Rockets are off to their best start through 11 games since the 2019-20 season following Monday's 107-92 victory over the Washington Wizards, improving to 7-4. The Rockets won the fourth of their last five games without Fred VanVleet, who is dealing with a hamstring injury. Amen Thompson entered the starting lineup and recorded 13 points. Tari Eason provided a spark off the bench, scoring 10 with six rebounds, three steals and two blocks. When asked about his preference to playing the hot hand, head coach Ime Udoka said, "We're going to play the guys that play best... We have a ton of options, a ton of versatility." Jabari Smith Jr. has struggled offensively, especially from beyond the arc, shooting 25% so far this season. Until the shots come back around, "we want guys to stay confident," and Jabari "can still impact the game in many ways," Udoka said. VanVleet has also gotten off to a shaky start, averaging 37.9% from the field. "Until the shots do fall...We always want to rely on our defense." VanVleet is questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, but Udoka said "he felt good today" at morning shootaround. The Rockets are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for fifth in the Western Conference and will look to maintain a winning record by working towards a big goal: "We've really stressed being number one in offensive rebounds this year," Udoka said. The Rockets are currently second in the league in total offensive rebounds.

Our weekly Wednesday visit begins with the head basketball coach of your Houston Rockets. Tonight, the Rockets at 7 and 4 take on the Los Angeles Clippers for a matchup tonight. And they'll also play each other on Friday. It'll be a part of the in-season tournament. Coach Adok is with us here on the show. Coach, thanks for the time. Congratulations on the recent good run. Nice streak for the guys.

I got to be honest with you. And you're not talking about this almost every single night. You got a couple of guys off your bench. And I know men started for Fred the other day, but have been tremendous spark plug. for your squad. That's no surprise to you, but the emergence they've had has been quite special that so far this young part of the season. No, it's good to have

guys back healthy. You know, they both missed some time last year and having those guys as a tandem coming off the bench, reeking habit, the defensive things that they do, obviously, have given a huge part. Does that not necessarily motivate, but just keep everybody knowing that you may

start a game, you may start a second half, you may be a part of a fourth quarter, but you're definitely as a coach, not afraid to go the hot hand, correct? Yeah, I mean, I kind of laid that law down last year where we're going to play the guys that play best and finish the game with those guys. And so guys understand

that. It's not about starting as much as you know who's going to be in there at the end. And we have a ton of options, a ton of versatility and a ton of different guys that have stepped up at different times. And so we're comfortable, you know, going 14 deep with all our guys. And we understand the sacrifice that's going to take every night for a different guy to step

up and lead the team. And I think we have very capable guys and they've shown that so far. So honestly, when most teams shoot the way we've shot so far this year, where it's been lower third in the league, you're not supposed to win a whole lot of those basketball games. So it becomes the intangible. So if I told you that this squad was not shooting as well today as it did maybe a year ago at this point,

you would say we're doing these things to win basketball games. What are the types of things that you are seeing that are helping you get over the hump when the team has not been overly hot from the floor? Well, first off, we always want to rely on our defense, and we've been playing really good defense. overall. We've had a few quarters where we've given up 38. But other than that, we've been solid for the most part. So we always know when the shots aren't falling. We can rely on the defensive end and still hold teams down. The second part, you know, we emphasize offensive rebounding this

team and this year. And it's not due to poor shooting. It's just an added bonus that we have some guys that can really do it naturally. And so I think we're second in the league right now on offensive rebound. So those extra possessions count on, especially with the missed shots. But once the shots start to fall, we'll defend at the same level, play at a faster pace, get some offensive rebounds. We'll feel like we'll be a much more complete team. But in the meantime, until the shots do fall, we can rely on those things to maintain the winning record. How much is that the play of the players and then you guys coaching as far as guys crashing and telling certain guys to crash for offensive rebounds or telling some other guys to get back in transition?

No, we've really stressed that we want to be number one in offensive rebounds this year. We finished eighth last year and it wasn't a real emphasis of ours, but you had Tari back into the mix who's naturally great at it. I'm in who's there. You get Stephen, you get Alpi, and those guys that do it well. Jabari, you came on last year. So for us, it's really something that our guys do well already naturally, but we definitely stress that, and our goal was to be number one. And so we're one away from that right now,

and we understand the impact it has on our game, and we don't say any direct correlation with poor transition defense. It's almost our first layer of transition defense. Teams don't want to leak out. They have to get a body on the body, and us attacking the glasses has proven that so far. Rocket's head coach, Emo Odoco, with us here on Sports Talk 790. You mentioned Jabari-Smitch.

Jr. The shooting numbers have not been there, but how are you feeling about the shots he is taking and working within the offense and about how are you feeling about the other aspects of his play? Yeah, the shots, I mean, I think him, Fred, you know, I think Jalen's been okay, but some guys have been off to start the season, and we understand those numbers are going to come back to form eventually, and so we encourage them to be confident take the correct shot and we'll live with the result, but he can do other things to impact the game. It's not just relying on a jump shot. He obviously he's versatile defensively, but we want him to crash the glass area. He really improved in last year. Get out in transition, try to get himself something easy, but so it's just not relying on

jump shots. He still can impact the game in a ton of ways, playing at a small ball five, and put a bunch of guys around him that we're switchable and can do all those things. And so until the shot comes back around, we want guys to stay confident, continue to hunt the right shots and we'll live with the result. You went with some different guys in the fourth quarter of some games about a week, 10 days ago. Alpy was not out there. Since then, He's put up some huge numbers, back-to-back 27-point games. Where have you seen Alpi just in the last two weeks kind of a step his game up?

Because he's been, it feels like to me, he may pretty much automatic 10 feet inside. Yeah, I think, you know, we didn't get tricked by the easy miss shots at the start of the season. Like I said, Fred had missed them once. He missed Jaylon missed them in the Charlotte game, specifically Jabari has missed him as well. But Alpi was missing point blank shots that he normally always makes. And so we're going to take those shots every time. We understand that's going to come back. around and when it does he has these huge games and so he has the advantage pretty much every night we

want him to stay aggressive and understand when he gets in better conditioning gets up and down he's a matchable problem for every lineup and so that came to form the last few games against new york and then last game obviously and he's had the huge game so with him he's never going to lack confidence scoring he gets the looks that we love and obviously he's going to start to put those in as the season goes how's fred feeling right now fred's okay he felt good today he's going to test it before but Fred's a warrior that pushes through almost everything, so you don't expect him to be out long at all. He can play through some things, high pain tolerance,

but he looked good at this morning and shoot around and we'll see what he feels like before the game. Is the hamstring the cruelest part of a basketball player's game that once you hurt it during the course of the year, that you've got to do everything you can to rest, but you guys play three, four times a week. It's hard to have that day or two to rest. Yeah, I mean, it depends on the severity of it,

and it seems like it's settled pretty quickly. He felt some tightness in the day. Detroit game. And so sat out last game, obviously, and sometimes for some guys, they're quick healers, and he's back that soon. And so that's where he's trending, but we'll see how he feels before the game. And obviously, the severity wasn't that bad, where it's going to keep him out long term, and hopefully have him back soon and later. Paul George, not a part of the Clippers anymore. You've had a chance to look at them a little bit on tape. You'll see them tonight and Friday, a glimpse of what they have been without him.

A different team led by different guys. Obviously, Kwai Leonard's out as well. But, James Harden's going to do what he does and Norman Powell has really emerged in that PG role and so you know average in 26 on the year he's a 12th leading scored in the league and he's taking advantage of those opportunities so a guy that's super confident, aggressive looking to score

and he's really taking on that scoring load that's missing with Kauai and Paul George and so still guys you have to worry about Zubak's a little more aggressive in the post this year and so we'll have our hands full obviously James is going to dictate everything but those guys are really looking to be aggressive as well you know Zubots is a

guy that just kind of under the radar in terms of big physical guys, but I kind of look forward to seeing when him and Alpi will do with each other tonight in terms of competing with each other. Yeah, they've gone out over the years. Alpi's had some really good games against the Clippers. He's one of the most solid post defenders, so Alpi'll have his work cut out, but we feel good about Alperin every night against whoever he's guarding him. And so no different tonight. Like I said, they are posting Zubak up a little bit more, and so he'll have his challenge on that end as well. But, yeah, we're happy with Alperin'all. I'll be against everybody and we'll take advantage of whatever match with he has.

And I'm assuming you were talking about, we're talking about day-to-day situations. Stephen Adams is still for you, for at least foreseeable future, kind of like how he wakes up and how the schedule looks, that kind of thing in terms of when he's going to play and when he's not? Yeah, until he feels 100% normal, you know, we'll be cautious with him, the shorter stints in the game, but also one day of rest might not be enough at times. And so anytime we have a chance to give him a few days, he feels much better. And we'll play it by ear and how he feels until he's 100%. All right.

the visit as always. We'll see you tonight at the arena. Good luck against the clips. I said, thank you guys. You got it. That's him A Doka joining us here for his weekly Wednesday visit on Sports Talk 790.