Given Udokas emphasis on elite defensive centers - can this hire be thought of as anything but an insult to Sengun on his way out of town?
Orem is correct about the city design. It’s awful. It doesn’t change what the city offers in terms of food, diversity, low cost of living, but just as a layout…yuck.
I doubt that actually. Nurse was probably (rightfully) the most expensive but after that I think the rest of that list is bunched together. the nets wanted to hire Udoka, Toronto almost assuredly was going to if we didn’t. He wasn’t cheap. Vogel isn’t seen as a championship coach despite being one on paper.
https://theathletic.com/4447496/2023/04/25/ime-udoka-rockets-celtics-analysis/ To better understand who Udoka is, his coaching style and his methods, we spoke with Jared Weiss, who covers the Celtics at The Athletic. What best describes Ime Udoka’s style of coaching? Accountability. Udoka joined the Celtics at a pivot point for the franchise. Boston was coming off a down year following a string of Eastern Conference finals runs and badly needed some sort of cultural reset. They had the talent to be a contender and make the next step; they just needed more glue guys, veteran leaders and an epiphany from their best players. Celtics GM Brad Stevens knew best how to give Udoka the tools he needed, since Stevens was the previous coach trying to make things work. Stevens knocked the Al Horford and Derrick White trades out of the park, Marcus Smart found a way to thrive with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Udoka’s master plan worked. They had one of the most remarkable stretches in recent NBA history, going from a middling .500 club for more than half the 2021-22 season to one of the most dominant teams in the East in the past decade. They ran out of steam in the finals as the Warriors’ experience made them the better team, but Udoka showed how much of an impact he could have when everyone on the team bought in. The problem is you can’t praise him for all of these things without recognizing the damage he did with the inappropriate workplace relationship that cost him his job and upended the franchise. Udoka’s whole shtick was that he would do whatever he wanted and whatever it took as a coach, never afraid to call his guys out publicly and push them as far as he could. That spilled over into him breaking a pretty obvious rule that had tremendous consequences. The big question is will that change the way he operates and the way he is perceived? How much of Boston’s success during that 2022 finals run — notably in the second half of the season — should be attributed to him? The reputation he earned from last season as a cultural beacon and shrewd tactician is on the money. He showed the patience to break bad habits early on and experiment when things weren’t working, all while still sticking to his principles. He was the anchor for this team’s identity through the first half of the season as everyone was trying to figure things out. So when everything fell into place, they were off to the races. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, he reconfigured the offense around Tatum’s and Brown’s three-level scoring and Smart’s efficient pick-and-roll playmaking. Horford returned in a different role as a floor spacer, rather than the dribble-handoff big who was the fulcrum of the Celtics’ offense during his prime under Stevens. He got Robert Williams III just as he was becoming healthy and blossoming into a multi-faceted athlete. It allowed the Celtics to run more actions out of the post and play with condensed spacing, using their athleticism and shot making as advantages. On defense, he had them switching across the board, which was a disaster at first. It took them maybe a month to figure it out and things were looking up. Then he realigned the scheme to have Williams roam the baseline as a zoning shot blocker, and they turned into a historically great defense. Udoka took so many of the things Stevens established and helped propel them to the next natural evolution. It just happened faster than anybody expected. Between players such as Smart, Brown and Tatum, the Celtics didn’t lack unique characters. From your vantage point, did Udoka garner the respect of the locker room? How did he ensure accountability on the floor among his players? This is really the crux of what made Udoka successful. These were his three best players, and they all were still trying to jell after years together. It just wasn’t working quite right on the court because Smart was for so long playing the wrong position and the Jays were just starting to approach their primes and weren’t ready to run a team. The first breakthrough came in November 2021 after they had a massive fourth-quarter collapse against Chicago. Smart took the podium and discussed how he could only do so much without the ball and that the Jays don’t want to pass the ball when teams are forcing them to do so. Though he went on to say they are continuing to learn how to be playmakers, that one sentence set off a firestorm. Udoka made Smart, Tatum and Brown sit down together and hash it out, which helped them all finally get on the same page. Smart assumed more control over the offense, Brown and Tatum continued to evolve as playmakers, and the crunchtime offense steadily improved. This was the moment Udoka established that he would hold every single person accountable but would also empower his players to do the same. He loved talking smack about his guys and opponents and created a fun yet competitive environment the team needed. Especially with Horford there, who balances out Smart’s brash leadership style with his humble lead-by-example reputation, and Derrick White coming in to be the ideal complementary connector on both ends, it all just fit together. Where does he stand on development and how did he merge young players with older, experienced veterans? Udoka’s approach to his lone season in Boston worked so well because he had the right mix of prospects, emerging stars and veterans. Rob Williams, Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard all took steps forward in their careers. Tatum and Brown both made leaps to the next tier. Horford, Smart and White adjusted their roles and thrived. He exhibited an ability to empower players who are ready and bring along those who aren’t quite there yet, all while satisfying the veterans around the edges of the core rotation. A lot of that was on Stevens, who replaced Josh Richardson and Dennis Schröder with White and Daniel Theis. It’ll be on Rafael Stone to give Udoka some experienced role players and veteran leaders if Houston is going to start progressing out of the NBA’s basement. The one thing they can count on is that Udoka is going to put everyone’s feet to the fire and quickly identify who has the potential to lead and who needs to go. He’s likely going to help Jalen Green grow as a responsible scorer. He helped Grant Williams become one of the league’s best 3-and-D bench players last season, so imagine what he could do with Jabari Smith Jr. I could keep going, but there are like 50 prospects on this roster who need development. Who knows who will be leftover once they use their roughly $60 million in cap space. If hired, Udoka will whip them into shape. If these guys aren’t defending, if they’re taking early clock isolation shots, he’s going to shred them. Some of them will thrive. They just might not all survive.
How would he be able to augment the skill sets of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün? He would really help Şengün unlock his playmaking potential, especially looking at how successful Domantas Sabonis was running the Kings’ offense with De’Aaron Fox this year. Udoka did a great job pushing Tatum and Smart into dangerous post playmakers by creating cross matches and building out spacing arrangements that allowed them to draw a crowd and pass out of traps with an advantage. Green seems like he needs someone to help him slow down and reframe how he values scoring and playmaking in the NBA. The tools are there for him, and he has a few years before we need to judge him seriously. It will be fascinating to see if Udoka’s tactics with his stars in Boston would work with a 21-year-old with limitless potential. The same goes for Kevin Porter Jr. If he is going to be a point guard and reliable member of the organization, Udoka would test that early on. If there is anyone who could be part of the cultural reckoning we’d expect Udoka to bring if hired, he is the obvious target. Last year was a big step toward him stabilizing his NBA career. It’s going to either lock in under someone like Udoka, or Porter’s going to start fresh elsewhere. Then there’s Smith, whom Udoka could challenge to be a monster defender. I can see Houston’s identity being tied into high-pressure switching with Şengün in the pick-and-roll and Smith roaming the baseline like Rob Williams. Just fuel his game from that end and become a transition scorer since he can’t dribble yet. It sounds like a recipe for improvement and a way to have his mentality feed into his skill. This team has all the skill. It just doesn’t have the intangibles. That’s where a coach like Udoka thrives. In-game, what was the collaboration between Udoka and his assistants? How does he stack up with adjustments on the fly or adapt to what the game presents? That would be a fascinating component to this situation. Udoka recruited what felt like half of the Portland basketball diaspora to serve on his coaching staff last year. Assistant Damon Stoudamire left for the Georgia Tech job and his former Spurs colleague Will Hardy took over the Jazz. Would he try to poach anyone from Joe Mazzulla’s bench if hired? Where will he look now after bringing in Portland natives and former Spurs staffers? Udoka was good about recognizing assistants who made crucial scouting assessments or suggested game-plan adjustments. Mazzulla came up during the conference finals in 2022, the clearest signal he could be Udoka’s replacement back in the fall. One thing I liked about Udoka’s adjustments was that he didn’t overreact most of the time when things weren’t going his way and would stick to schematic principles. But he was willing to scrap those at halftime and switch up pick-and-roll coverages or personnel matchups. It seemed bold at the time when he started double big from the get-go with Horford and Rob Williams, but the league has continued to shift in that direction a bit after seeing how well that worked for Boston, Golden State, and Cleveland. After the franchise spent so much time turning into a spread pick-and-roll offense, he ran more ghost screens and post-up plays, trusting his stars could make those more complex reads. What are some of Udoka’s shortcomings or areas he can stand to improve on? We can’t have a serious discussion about his tenure without addressing his workplace relationship and suspension. Presuming this hiring crosses the finish line, the suspense leading up to his introductory news conference is going to be intense as we wait to find out if he and the Rockets are going to address what happened with the Celtics. Udoka’s transparency and accountability were his greatest attributes as a coach in Boston, so it’ll be interesting to see how that’s handled. Then on the court, his transparency did have some pitfalls of course. On a team full of young guys who may not realize they’re not winners yet, his approach in Boston might have been too heavy-handed. The Rockets would be wise to bring in some veterans to help the next coach’s program and mindset. If he lands the job, Udoka can’t fix everything on his own, but he’s the right guy on the bench to get his team to lock in and fall in line.
I love Teotihuacan. Used to go there all the time for lunch when I worked near downtown. Been a long time
What does feeling like a "legitimate" city feel to you? What because Houston doesnt have a rail system so it isnt a real city? That argument against Houston is so 2005. ya it should have better overall public transit but there are plenty of other things Houston has and gained the last 15-20 years that more than makes up for it. And quality of life is subjective... You also dont realize how popular Houston is among players. Houston is a pop culture city at this point. Houston has a brand and the city is significant both economically and culturally. So you are way off and speaking about Houston like a 1970s oilman or something lol. Shouldnt be that surprising Ime chose Htown over Toronto. Many do. That is one thing I have noticed about Houstonians is we downplay our city but people have already taken notice years ago. We have flaws but a lot of great stuff too.
Raptors fans are pissed lol, things must not be rosy up there if Udoka would rather put up with Stone/Fertita over his buddy Masai. Rockets do have better future than the Raptors though. I like the signing, much better than Brooks or Cassell (who is a Rockets legend but a Rivers protege) and acted fast.
I made a post last night saying this exact same thing! The one player who can benefit the most or lose the most is KPJ! We'll find out fairly quickly if the KPJ experiment is over or if it's finally going to unleash his full potential! I hope it's the latter and not the former! Go Rockets!!! ....... ....... .......
Having even like 6 or 7 continuous walkable blocks anywhere in the entire city lined wall to wall with cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs opening right onto the sidewalk would be a nice start. (Bourbon Street in New Orleans would be an example most Houstonians are probably familiar with, although granted too touristy for my taste.) It's honestly appalling how you can't even have a night out on the town and bar-hop without calling a freaking Uber. Or to put it more simply: Life is way too short to waste 1/5th of it driving in Houston traffic.
Double bigs and running the offense through the post instead of spread pick and roll. Yup, sure sounds like Sengun’s days are numbered…
Houston's great. I've been to a ton of other cities and they're fine. Houston and LA are similar in style. Sprawly metropolis' that just keep going. If anything I feel like Houston is much more organized. And the food is better. Then again Houston probably has the best food in the country. I mean...why does everyone think it's so high on the list for athletes? Houston has a tendency to make people feel insecure, hence why they bash it and it's "design". LA does the same. There's a reason both cities are so culturally relevant. And it's not their amazing "design". I'll take either over any other city in the country.
Our coaching staff may be the biggest chick slayers in the league. If we can’t win the game, we will definitely win the after party Because he is dumb.
lol Sengun haters about to be in for a rude awakening when coach who preaches sharing the ball runs the offense through team’s best passer in world’s most unsurprising turn of events.
Not my first choice, but a marked improvement. Hoping all the peripheral noise stays dormant behind NDAs and there are no embarrassing moments in the future. Will Udoka find his "Tatum & Brown" within the current lineup? Smart ---> PBev(FA) or Player from KPJ trade? TyTy White ---> Jalen, JC Brown ---> Tari, JST Tatum ---> Jabari, Usman, Pick #2 Horford ---> Sengun, FA, Pick #18
As a native Houstonian who has lived in and traveled to several major cities, I think there are a few things that standout about Houston that, depending on your POV, could be a positive or a negative: - Lack of public transportation. Definitely need a car to live in Houston. - It’s in Texas, which with the current political situation, is not a positive. - Weather. If you love thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods and 90 percent humidity, it’s for you. - Food scene. On par with NYC and Chicago. - Sports. Outside of the Astros and Cougars, the sports scene is garbage. No NHL either (which is a crime when Phoenix, Minnesota, DC, Las Vegas and Denver all smaller markets, have NHL teams). - Crime. - Downtown kind of dead (again). When I was working in Downtown in the late 2000’s, Downtown was starting to come back to life. However now I hear a lot of it has died again. Sad. - Uptown/ Galleria. Very nice area and known throughout the country. People in NYC, DC and Chicago talk about it. The fact that the Galleria is indoors is a plus. The Magnificent Mile and Fifth Avenue have great shopping but it’s all outdoors. For those who don’t know, NYC can get almost as humid as Houston in the summer. Chicago too, but less so. Then you have the winters!! - Dating scene. I hear it’s a slaughterhouse down in H Town. I am married so will let you guys tell me. - Lack of amusement parks and other entertainment. Since Six Flags went bust there is nothing for families with children to go do. Now you have to drive to Dallas or San Antonio for amusement. Atlanta and four amusement parks within 3 houses, and Disney World/Universal is 6 hours away. NYC has four amusement parks with two hours! Chicago has two. Houston 0. Not a good look. - Houston is sort of dirty. Not clean like NYC or especially Chicago and the hated Dallas. The city fathers need to get on that because it’s a bad look. Every piece of litter, unkempt yards, cracked streets, graffiti, needs to cleaned up. Atlanta has this problem too by the way.
