Chris Mannix: In trade pursuits, Ime Udoka ‘a real asset’ for Rockets

Exactly, and the talent currently on the roster isn't good enough, nor will ever be good enough to win a championship IMHO. I was impressed with Ime and how hard he got the team to play, particularly on defense and being such a young team. I was also impressed by the fact that Ime realized he had a team that couldn't shoot the ball worth a crap, so he went with a big lineup Sengun, Adams, Bari to dominate on the boards to makeup for the fact that his team was pathetic when it came to shooting the basketball.

This strategy would've worked against the Warriors too, but the bad shooting wasn't just relegated to shooting from the field, it extended to horrible free throw shooting as well. Until this gets corrected (Probably by trade) the Rockets will never be a contender.

 

People calling for coaching jobs need actual problems. This is all not that serious.

The “he doesn’t take responsibility” crowd needs a day at the reality bank cashing reality checks. He also doesn’t say “I won 50 games” when he isn’t a player. Idk if y’all remember the Gary Kubiak “that’s on me” experience but I’m fuggin GOOD on that. Like all of it. Lifetime supply achieved.

 

This was also still an evaluation season before another wave extensions come on the rookie extensions. This offseason and next will be pretty pivotal.

 

Ime definitely needs to improve as a coach but these same posters aren't giving any credit to the two years he spent developing Amen, Sengun, Green, Bari, and Tari.

 

The Knicks just fired their coach after winning 51 in the regular season.

I was told that if your team wins 50, your coach has no flaws.... what gives?

 

You were told nothing of the sort.

You’re being deliberately disingenuous (per usual). Why would anyone ever engage in good faith with you when you’re so fundamentally incapable of operating in good faith yourself?

 

Lol.... ah yes, your good faith response is to suggest that when the dumbest posters on this site responded to criticism of Ime with a rendition of "Doesn't matter Brian, team won 50 games Brian" they weren't trying to use the fact that the team won 50 games to deflect legitimate criticism....

Sure thing kid.

 

It's pretty pathetic.

 

Agreed, that's why I was Ok with not making any deadline moves (particularly at the cost of what is already limited assets).

You had to see for yourself what these kids could and could not do under the bright lights of a playoff series ... now we have a better idea of who should stay and who should go and what needs to be added.

 

Two years of Ime completely turning this team around and this is your take? Man, just become an OKC fan and leave us in peace.

 

The Warriors got multiple championship after firing Marc Jackson who lead the team to be in playoffs every season.

Some coaches are good, but not good enough for winning championship.

 

That's a veteran team that had very high expectations going into the season - quite a bit different than this Rockets team that is full of dudes that we really don't know who they are yet as players.

Yeah, you might fire that guy who didn't reach expectations - This Rockets team far exceeded expectations. You don't fire that coach.

Ime point blank said it in the exit interviews when asked how they could improve - give me some dudes who shoot 50% from 3 and 90% from the line .... This offense sucked because nobody shot particularly well and the guards can't get into the lane .... while the dudes on the bench who might be able to can't / don't play defense.

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.

The fact that he got 50+ wins out of this team was a miracle in itself.

 

The Offseason has just begun........

 

Come on, man, it was both.....they had synergy........what if the players were not listening and could not carry out the plan.

Udoka cannot step on the court for them.

Credit always goes both ways, the preacher and the disciples.

The difference was Silas had no concept and could not reach the players.

 

I agree that Ime might be the kind of coach you bring in to set a standard and he might not be the guy ultimately that wins us a championship if we were so fortunate to do so but....

It's the same mentality I have with Demeco, who I say I'm for keeping as long as the Texans make the playoffs because in the NFL making the playoffs is really all that matters, if you make it enough, you'll likely run into a superbowl or two on just momentum or luck alone.

With the NBA, it's about forward momentum. I think the jump the team has made has brought Ime more time and more of a leash. He deserves this next season and if they have a similar performance, then you can think about it. If they regress and are drafting top 5 or something, then yeah, bye bye...but I think he's earned this upcoming year.

He could have done more with this roster I agree. Cam I feel should have been used, I don't understand not using Holiday and Unc Green in our playoff games either, not at all, but man every coach makes mistakes. I think we just need that player that erases the mistakes that a coach inevitably will make.

 

You guys wants a star under 30 but I don't think any alpha under 30 wants Ime's style of coaching. It's nice that some 31-36 year olds like him, but playing for Ime is like playing for a more archaic version of Popovic. No one wants that just like no one is dying to play for Thibs, JVG, JB Bickerstaff.

This article was probably planted by CAA, because he's due an extension and so far we haven't heard anything. If the organization thinks a coach is a B+ then when he has 2 years remaining they would extend him. Maybe that comes later this summer, but that's something to keep an eye on. If he doesn't get extended it means Stone has his reservations about Ime too. It's more telling than anything journalists will tell you.

My hope is that Ime tactically grows up. It's time to end this nostalgia and clinginess to ancient principles. Depending on double bigs for his defense is silly, anyone can have a good defense with 2 bigs out there, but in order for it to work you would need 2 star level bigs. No one has ever won a title with double bigs that aren't stars - he ignored our roster and built a team based on his hobbies. I've been a fan of Ime as a coach literally since 2014. It would be a gigantic waste of talent for him to become one of those coaches who comes and teaches defense/fundamentals and then gets fired for the coach that can inspire players to go further.

That's why Thibs is gone now. Organization said "need a new voice in the locker room". Like clockwork with these coaches, if you keep a roster together for 2-3 years they lose the locker room. It NEVER seems like it's right around the corner. It was not that long ago people were praising Bickerstaff for rejuvenating the Cavs. Now they're praising him again after another good first season somewhere, but he's not going to coach that team when the playoffs get serious. JVG did the same to us, the players were happy to tune him out after a while. McHale of course.

Please prove me wrong Ime.

 

Don't forget Jabari:

50% from the field
45.5% from 3
One of the best PF rebounders in the NBA
Excellent defense, big wingspan at PF

He prioritized Steven Adams over Jabari. By doing that, he also prioritized Adams over Amen and Jalen who would have benefitted from Jabari spacing the floor. Tactically, this was insane.

This is not 1 mistake, it's a pattern with Ime. His team lost to Kerr's in the Finals for the exact same reason. Limited his shooters in favor of rebounders way too extremely. He is 5-8 against Kerr in the playoffs and he always had the higher seeded team and he always underplayed his shooters and his team always out-shot the Warriors. He had 2 superstars in Boston, so it's not about having that player that can bail him out. It's about "can he stop underutilizing what he has offensively?". His Boston team should have finished higher than 8th on offense with the roster he had, that's why his predecessor and successor both did it.

The Celtics shipped out his 3 toughest and favorite players and won a title. Would Udoka ship out our 3 toughest guys in exchange for spacing? He's going to trade Brooks (Grant Williams), FVV (Smart) and Adams (RWII) for shooters who are not as good defensively? Honestly, no. That's why I hope Stone is not such a pushover or we get a star who can call this stuff out. The team is in desperate need of spacing and shooting around Sengun, Amen, Green or whoever is taking a high number of FGA. It's not even about my favorite player or yours, just whoever is the main offensive guy needs more help. Use the shooters we have at least.

I get that people make mistakes and I'm certainly not calling to fire him right now, but we have to acknowledge that there's an alarming pattern with Ime. He doesn't seem to learn from mistakes or make smart adjustments quickly. We have to admit that no matter how well he's scored on half the report card (A+++ on defense), we cannot be happy with having the same TS% as Stephen damn Silas. We've given him money, great young players, the youth have overall improved since Silas days, total control of the team. He walked into this job giggling about the offense the previous two seasons, saying we would play the "right way". Well if it's the right way and we injected $80m/season of FA's and he's had 2 years to develop the kids >> shouldn't we have a higher TS% than Silas right now? Is that an unfair expectation? Genuinely, he's an A+++ on defense and an F on offense imo.

I don't think there's anything wrong with us as Rockets fans saying: I sincerely genuinely appreciate the fundamentals and defense and development he's brought, but now in year 3 I expect him to get us out of the NBA's basement offensively. You can't tell me that this team is not more talented than a bottom 5 finish in TS%. There are 3-4 teams tanking.

The NBA is brutal. Kenny Atkinson can take over from Bickerstaff and still be 95% as good defensively while improving the offense. Thibs successor will inherit the defense and fundamentals. Mark Jackson has not been seen since he organized that team. If we're fans of Ime, we want better from him because that's better for us too.

 

Sometimes, DD’s political comments are just too stupid to ignore. When I first joined the forum, DD seemed to be this jolly basketball nerd

Same thing I’ve been saying. Folks on this forum are way too attached to the whole “he got us to the second seed” so he’s a great coach mantra. He is a great defensive coach. He’s not a great coach until he can put at least an efficient offense on the court. I’m not saying to fire him. Stone should do his job and get him a more balanced roster. Then the spotlight turns to Ime. It’s up to him to improve. If he does great, we have our championship coach, if he doesn’t then keep looking for the guy. It’s happened over and over again in the NBA. Jackson/Kerr, Westphall/Riley, Ime/Mazulla. Stone should be on the hot seat as well. He has done a great job getting us to the brink. Is he the guy to get us over the hump? This off-season should give us a clue.

 

He is an amazing coach but his flaws are clear to other coaches that can take advantage of those and him.

I am one of the few that thinks building a great management is just a tad more crucial to that journey.