HOUSTON — After securing 52 wins in the regular season, Coach Ime Udoka is demanding more from the Houston Rockets. The team has faced early playoff exits in the first round for the past two years, prompting a reassessment of their performance and strategy moving forward.
“We’re not here to just make the first round, we want to make some real noise,” Udoka said Tuesday as he began his fourth year in Houston. “Where I am right now, with the season about 30 days out, I feel really good,” he said. “It’s going to be a process still, so you guys see won’t see the finished product, but I’m in a really good spot.”
“Everybody’s hungrier for that and to take the next step and not plateau.
9 and 11 in Macao, China. Their biggest offseason addition was 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who the Rockets hope will make fellow defensive star Amen Thompson take another step in his fourth season. “That’s what I’m supposed to be training for is to play the long haul, play 48 minutes a night.
Because of an ankle injury that required surgery, along with the return of VanVleet, the Rockets welcome back big man Steven Adams, who was limited to only 32 games last season.
“I’m definitely more excited than I was going into last season,” general manager Rafael Stone said. Udoka said VanVleet has been fully cleared for training camp and the point guard can’t wait to get back on the court with his team. “It’s been the same message from me for a long time, I’m better on the court,” he said. “Not just for the sake of getting my minutes down just because he’s older or he played a lot of minutes,” Durant said.
The Rockets kicked off the NBA season Tuesday as the first team to hold media day. They’ll open preseason with two games against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. “The way Fred’s injury hit right on the eve of the season, that was hard on everybody and so maybe I was a little bit more nervous. And this year I feel like I know what to expect more from this group, which lends itself to some excitement for me to see what’s going on. “The team is better when I’m on the court. I get the concern, but if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there.”
