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There's no time for the Rockets to be complacent
Close your eyes and picture a frustrating Rockets loss from this past regular season?
Odds are, we have different images. You could choose the December loss to the Utah Jazz, who finished with just 22 victories all season. You could also choose the 25-point blown lead to the New Orleans Pelicans. You could choose from either — two! — losses to the Sacramento Kings, who also won just 22 games. You could choose the blowout loss to a Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics or to the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors.
Houston has made an unwelcome habit of losing to teams that, on paper, it is far better than. Eight losses to teams at or under .500, tied for the third-most among NBA teams with an even or better record, per SportsReference.
The Rockets will be in a similar situation in the first round of the playoffs, against a Los Angeles Lakers team likely without top two players Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. How does Houston avoid continuing the trend?
“Look back at our record against some of the lesser teams this year. You can say all the things and try to guard against it, but you have to mentally understand it’s still the NBA and other guys are going to step up and be more aggressive in opportunities,” coach Ime Udoka said Thursday. “ ... It’s not time to think about anything other than coming out and being consistent, doing what we do, not looking at who’s missing for them.”
Amen Thompson kept it simpler: “It’s the playoffs. We're trying to win a championship. There is no time to be complacent.”
Thompson said he’s excited for his second playoff run, noting that the team’s late run — Houston ripped off nine wins in its last 10 — helped the Rockets form building blocks. They’re confident.
General manager Rafael Stone declined to offer a specific benchmark when asked how he’d define success for the Rockets. Udoka had one: “Winning series.”
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Varun Shankar, Rockets Beat Reporter |
Udoka on intense coaching of Alperen Şengün
A lot was made of a semi-viral clip that showed Udoka reaming out Alperen Şengün after the center missed a three-pointer in the fourth quarter of Houston’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.
When Şengün should and shouldn’t shoot remains an open question — he’s at just 30.5% for the season but even the threat of his shot could open opportunities underneath. But it seems that the Rockets welcome Udoka’s intense coaching style, even if it seems harsh.
"When I got here, he asked for it,” Udoka said. “He said, 'This is how I was coached growing up. I don't want you to sweep anything under the rug. Be direct and blunt about things.’ That's what he asked for, that’s what he was used to. We'll have our debates back and forth in the game, which I don’t mind at all.
“Put it behind [us] and move onto the next play.”
Şengün moves past misses
When Şengün misses a shot, he’ll often hear a voice screaming in his ear: “It’s going to come.”
It’s Kevin Durant, who the big man said has helped Şengün’s increase his confidence on offense to move past misses.
"If I think about it too much, I just keep missing,” Şengün said. “I’m just trying to get strong mentally. I’m going to make the next one. It doesn’t matter if I miss the next one, I just shoot the third one.”
Udoka said he tells Şengün all the time: You don’t have limited shot attempts like a role player. You're a star, who will get ample chances to find his rhythm.
That belief is perhaps one of the reasons why Udoka is able to coach Şengün so hard.
Worth a read
- 🎞 In the latest episode of Rockets Deep Dive, I look at the three Houston players with the most at stake in the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
- ❓I talked to Rafael Stone before Houston's regular-season finale. Here's just about everything we talked about — from overall thoughts on the season, his thoughts on Şengün, Thompson and Reed Sheppard's seasons and more. If you don't feel like reading the whole thing, here are the three most interesting things he said.
- 3️⃣ Very fun story here from Matt Young about Clint Curry — I mean Capela — making his first career 3-pointer.
- 🎟 Looking to attend a Rockets playoff game? Here's what you need to know.
- 🔑 How Fred VanVleet, out with injury but still around the team, has helped young guards Thompson and Sheppard grow.
- ⭐ Jabari Smith Jr. has sacrificed for the Rockets, accepting a role player's role to benefit the team's success. I profiled him — read to hear about a key moment in Smith's second season that helped him adapt.
- 📚 The Athletic's Fred Katz and I broke down the strategy for the first round series. What Houston strength should they lean into? What weakness should worry them? Who could swing the series?
I just think it’s neat!
Until and unless Thompson begins punishing teams as a shooter, he can expect to see defenders going “under” most of the time when he runs pick and rolls. This means the defender goes behind the screen, conceding a three-point attempt in favor of protecting against a drive.
The only problem? By the time you get to the other side, the supercharged athleticism of Thompson might be running full speed into you. Look at how far he knocks the defender back here — twice!
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