The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Ime Udoka: Rockets 'Have To Play Through' Missed Calls Until Earning League's Respect

Episode Date: February 28, 2025

Head coach Ime Udoka joined "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Sacramento Kings to discuss Fred VanVleet returning to the lineup and the Rockets having to play through missed calls until they earn the respect of the league and its officials."You're going to have to play through some things," and "understand that you'll get there eventually," Udoka said. "We'll get those calls as well."

Right now, let's focus a little bit on what's happening with the local basketball team. Tonight, they're off tomorrow to be back in action against the Sacramento Kings. Looking forward to that. And then a three-game road trip, which will take the rockets to Oklahoma City, take them to Indiana and then New Orleans. And joining us right now for a weekly visit. And we say hello to E. Meadoka here on 790. Coach, Matt Ross, how are you this afternoon? Good.

How are you guys doing? No complaints. I just saw a word from Chronicle Beat reporter, Daniel. Neil Lerner that Fred Van Bleet has been cleared for tomorrow's game. That's got to be good for both you and him and the team as a whole. Yeah, everybody's happy, obviously, to have him back. You know, he's worked hard to be patient through some of the stiffness and things of that nature and knowing how competitive Fred is.

It's good to see him smile and be ready to get back out there. But guys have done a great job without him. We had our ups and downs, of course, but I think it will be good for us going forward with some of the experience that the guy's got. I have to ask you because it's the obligatory injury question. Is there going to be any sort of minutes restriction on him? How do you feel about him playing back-to-backs in the next couple weeks if that's a case? No, that's why we held him out a little bit longer was to have to avoid certain things.

And even he didn't want to come back for a game and have to miss another game or beyond restrictions. Knowing Fred, that's the thing he does not want to do. We won't jump back and put him in 3840, of course, but no restrictions, anything we need from him we can get. All right. The win against San Antonio was nice. It was an easy one for you. Those back-to-backs have not been that way. And you and I talked about it before the game, about that message being out there, getting off to a fast start. And look, San Antonio, no victor is out there. And Deerent's kind of just still getting his feet wet. But just from a self-evaluation, that had to be much more rewarding for you to see your guys go out there

and not make it a game as compared to maybe some of those games against some of those other teams on those back-to-backs, namely like Utah last week. Yeah, that was the message that regardless of who's in or out for teams, we've struggled at times against teams with some roster line of rotation things going on. And so that was a message. It was good to have carryover from Milwaukee. I felt we came out with the right intention in that game as well with our physicality and playing the way we're capable. And so it was good to do that. I mean, regardless, they still have Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes and some veterans out there.

and, you know, Vassel and Castle and Sohan, so you're still playing against a quality opponent. It was good to come out with the right mindset from the start, especially on the second night or back to back after a tough Milwaukee game. You know, San Antonio played as well, and so we understood the task of hand and wanted to do better than we did against Utah for sure. What is that messaging to the team as far as all the games down the stretch here

being very important in the West standings and wanting to keep maybe things light and loose, but also wanting to stress, the importance of these and how much are your scoreboard watching? Yeah, our message is we put ourselves in a good position. Let's not give it away now. We've had some poor losses, no doubt. Also had some stole some wins as well.

And so, you know, don't give away all the work we put in. And so, yeah, the last 24 or so games is going to be some of the hardest basketball guys have to play. Meaningful basketball and some of our young guys haven't gone through and take advantage of this opportunity. Like I said, we had a really good start. had a little bit of a fall off with the Alperin injury and, and obviously Fred being out in Tari and Jabari being out for that stretch of time. So once we're back hold, it's kind of get back to what we did well earlier than the season.

We know we can do that. We've seen it and proved it to ourselves and take advantage the opportunity that's in front of us. Rocket and take coach, Imaudoka was here on Sports Talk 790. Just in my eyes, coach, it feels like especially recently, it's been a tough whistle for Jalen Green. What do you think about the whistle he gets? And what are your conversations with him about trying to get to the free throw line and use that as a way to score efficiently? Yeah, for him, it's honestly, my message to him and everybody is, you're going to have to play through some things. Until you get the respect of the league or the officials, it just is what it is.

And so some more popular guys might get these calls. We're not going to get that right now. It doesn't stop us from being an attack mode or making the right read when the help comes. but yeah, it's a little frustrating at times, I'm sure for him. You know, you got a cut on your lip and you didn't get a foul call or whatever and they have to stop the play for blood. And so just continue to be in attack mode, move on to the next play and understand that you'll get there eventually.

And he's done that in the past where he shot a lot of three thousand games and just don't let it be a deterrent, continue to play through, put it behind you and move on to the next play. So he gets a cut on his lip. You go to the official and say, do you see my man out there? I mean, they can't come back to you and go, well, that must have been just incidental contact. I can't imagine anything happening out there? I mean, can they just say, coach, I'm sorry, I'll try to get you back next time or what, or something like that?

No, the usual are I missed it or it wasn't my call. I wasn't my call. Are you kidding me? I lose my, you know what, over that. They said that back to me, wasn't my call. They're all your calls. Different angles or different things. They're looking at different things.

So they have a hard job, no doubt about it. but my retort to that is I'm at the opposite end of the court and I can see it. Somebody has to see it from down there. So like I said, we just try to play through it. And one day when we improve our record and kind of build our names up, we'll get those calls as well. All right. Jabbar, you've used a little bit off the bench and a little bit in this lineup, depending on back-to-backs and whatnot. How is he adapted to being the first guy off the bench?

I mean, all he does is just defend four, you get rebounds at the occasional mid-range and three. and it looks like to me he doesn't seem much ill to it. What are your thoughts about what do you have seen from him as a reserve as compared to a starter? I mean, he's professional. He's got high character and so, you know, everything is a little bit fluid right now because guys are still in the out of the lineup. And obviously, Fred coming back changes that some. But he's just gone about his business the way he always does.

He grinds. He works hard and is trying to improve. And big picture thing that the whole team knows, him included, is that guys, the best guys that are playing the best at that time, we're going to finish the game. So not as important who starts. He gives crazy versatility off the bench the way I'm in did in any situation with any lineup. But, yeah, continue to do what you do.

Build yourself back up after missing those 22 games. And understanding you play the right way, you'll be in at the end when it counts. Tari's energy is awesome too, especially as he plays and doesn't play those back-to-backs. Is he trying to convince you to get that back-to-back in? doctors' orders say don't even bother asking a coach about it. Well, we're just trying to be smart. I mean, his minutes have increased. Obviously, he's not on limit or anything,

and the way he impacts the game is so big for us that you just want to be smart. You know, three more back-to-backs, and you don't want to lose something toward the end of the season. We're trying to play him in a back-to-back and being in a tough situation as far as the soreness or anything like that. So he's in a good place when he plays and gets the day of rest, and we're going to keep it consistent with that right now.

Last night, I could have gone to the barbecue cookoff and said I wanted to watch NBA basketball last night. Are you scoreboard watching it all? I think I've asked you like one time this year, but I'm going to ask you since we're about to hit March here. Can you start doing that or are you still focused on obviously what's ahead of you? And that's obviously the most important thing. Yeah, I mean, you obviously around this time and the standing is being so close. You know, a lot of teams are game apart, two games apart. You need to obviously know what's going on around you.

but at the same time, take care of your own business and not have to worry and need help from somebody else. And so for us, it's getting back to playing the way we were. Like I said, being whole again will help for sure, but you've got to handle your own business and not just hope for help and hope somebody else loses because you gave one away. And so you take care of business and let the chips fall where they may.

And my biggest message to everybody has been being healthy and playing good basketball at that point in the season in April is more important than standing. I've been on several teams that have done great as a seventh seed or lost as the number two seed. And so playing the right way is more important. Obviously, we put ourselves in a good position to make moves and have home court advantage to us, take advantage of that and not give it away at the end. 25 points for Amen Thompson in the last game.

Can you just talk about the evolution of his offensive game? He was making a couple of Hakeem post moves with his footwork. I was impressed with that. What has that been like for you guys as he's been playing more? Teams note to kind of back off of his jump shot but still try to get him to score efficiently. Yeah, I think he's continuing to grow as a player. On the ball, off ball, the things he did last year. He kind of has everything in his memory bank where he can be a screener and roller and obviously handle

and do the things he does natural as well. So for him is to continue to grow, understand how teams are guarding him with different positions, different matchups for him. And once he kind of sees those things, he goes through it. And he's obviously got it, like I said, in his memory bank, and he can use those to an advantage. So for him, it's figuring out, you know, being a point guard when Fred's not in there,

understanding that he has to get other guys' shots and because he can get to the pain, and his kickouts were great against Santona the other night. So, yeah, he just continues to evolve and become that threat. And it's much harder to stop a guy when you want to give him that space, but he keeps taking it up and eating that space up, and he's athletic enough to be at the rim, We're fine guys.

And so take the shots you want to take now what they want you to take and be an attack mode at all times. Full roster, it feels like tomorrow. It'll be a great sign. Thank you for the visitors always, coach, and we'll see you tomorrow. Get ready for the Kings and Rockets at TOTA Center. Thank you. You got it. You may do with us here on the radio program.