Ime Udoka after Rockets can't stop Pacers in Indiana 3/4/2025

I’m thinking more and more we’ve got the wrong coach. Hope I’m wrong, because he ain’t going anywhere. Really not sure there is an alternative if we wanted to get rid of him next year. Not only does he need an offensive assistant, Stone will have to insist that he turns over the offense. I’m not sure Ime’s ego would allow that.

 

I'm definitely a Reed supporter, but he played like ass last night. He looked great in OKC, but he has to string together a few good performances before he could be considered a full time starter. I do like how things seem to move better when he initiates the offense.

 

I said it after the game. OKC wasn’t even trying and Indy would shut him down if he was given the minutes. I hope Reed is great and think he should be getting all of Holiday’s minutes the rest of the year, but the guy is clearly not ready for a big role. We gave up this season when we passed on the trade deadline. The rest of the year should be devoted to developing the young guys including Reed, Cam, and Dante.

 

The Rockets have only lost 4 times all season when Green scores 25 points and has an efficiency of at least 58% TS%. When Jalen goes off, the Rockets win.

 

This team doesn't have a T-Mac or even a Yao Ming.... or a Chris Paul or James Harden.

How did Adelman's teams do when his best scorer was K-Martin?

There just isn't a lot there at the higher end level at this point.

 

who is the superstar on the pacers? kings? jazz? nets? etc? udoka’s infallible in your mind?

 

I don't think he's the wrong coach... for now. But it's definitely questionable what his upside is. Instilling a defensive culture and grit is worth a lot. But at some point the offense needs to work. And it can't be reliant on a 31yr old max contract PG who is clearly on the downside of his career. If Amen doesn't take that next step to be the PG next year, it's worth questioning if we need a more offensive oriented coach to replace him.

 

Tyrese sure played like a budding superstar last night... and all of the last season... and the season before that.

I think our "that guy" is going to be Amen, but he has to finish developing that jump shot to get there. He can't be a #1 option until he can reliably hit open above-the-break threes and his middie becomes automatic. That will open up everything for him to use his athleticism to just get downhill constantly.

 

I just hope there's a trade available for "that player" in the offseason.
I don't know who "that player" would be, of course. KD is still great but looking at twilight's last gleaming. Booker? Definitely an upgrade from Green but at what cost, and is he available? Trae Young? Defense is ass but at least he brings other things to the table.

Since I spent all that got-damned money Saturday night to watch the Rockets take a s**t against the Kings, this was me, 5 minutes before the game ended:

 

Sure, it is going to be a trade off to have problems with a star player instead of problems without a star player.....

It's progress, amirite.

 

https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/2011.html

43 wins. +2.8 net rating. And that team still had Yao's max contract and Jared Jeffries worthless money on the books that took up 1/3 of the total salary.

Current Rockets team is on pace for 47 wins and +3.3 net rating.

People dismiss those Rockets teams because they kept on being the 9th seed in the west. But they weren't bad teams. The west was just way too good back then, and there was no play-in.

 

Halliburton was on his way but has a down year .... not as optimistic as before.....

 

“Doesn’t have a superstar. Give him a break.”
*hypothetically acquires a superstar*
Grinds superstar to dust playing him 42 minutes (like he’s already doing with Fred & Amen)

 

19 & 9 aint no superstar

and that’s with one of the top offense coaches in carlisle

 

I'm not entirely optimistic about 47 wins anymore. Fingers crossed.

 

It was fun while it lasted but this team tricked us. They aren’t good.

 

He might be the wrong coach in that he's not maximizing the talent he has. This team has some Monta Ellis over Steph Curry energy right now.

I am souring on the SenHub offense. Reminds me of the final awful version of the Harden Iso Fest where everyone would literally stand around waiting for him to do stuff. Bigger issue is that Sengun really isnt James Harden.

 

I don't watch Pacers ball, but been hearing he's been back for a while.

 

Yeah but he was farther along......21 and 10.9

I think he was not the scoring kind so I think he will max out at 22-23 and 12-14 ....which is close to being a great PG.

People would salivate over here if Amen came close to having 12 assists a game.

 

The Kings, Jazz and Nets are all behind the Rockets in the standings.

The Pacers are behind the Rockets as well - and Haliburton is better than anyone on the Rockets.

Is Udoka infallible? No - he can make mistakes, and will make mistakes in the future - but the Rockets struggles are not because of coaching - but because of a lack of higher end talent.