One thing that's cool is that we're hitting folks in the mouth at the start of games. Under Silas, we might have a decent first quarter to go up 10 or so--or even keep a lead into the 3rd, but teams always knew they could turn it on and beat us. Now, they can't. Now, we keep playing. We are no longer an easy coast-for-40-minutes win. That will still surprise some teams in the coming weeks. Can't wait until we have a legit close game now that we've had some success. How do we execute and play D down the stretch? I'd like the Denver game to come down to 3 or 4 possessions in the last two minutes to see where we really are. Of course, if we win by 25 I won't complain.
Guys.... We lost by THIRTY in the season opener. We might have been the best team in the league analytically after the first game. Insane.
The players have a coach they believe in. The coach believes in the players. Thus, the players are starting to believe in themselves.
We know it's Udoka. Now, what could Udoka have done for the games of: Josh Christopher Usman Garuba TyTy Washington Jr Kenyon Martin Jr Kevin Porter Jr Daishen Nix I'd say in a couple years if Christopher, Garuba and Washington are still in the league and we brought them back he could make something more out of them.
The only one out of that list I'd try and get back is KJ for the bench unit. He's the only one where it was a mistake letting him go.
I'm shouting out @DreamShook here because he was one of the few that understood. I was going on about how much coaching matter in the NBA, how much it is underappreciated, because I think people sometimes just automatically go. "Phil Jackson had Kobe and Jordan...Pop had Duncan..." so on and so on... What they never consider is that maybe...just maybe...those coaches are affecting the development of the players. That its not a coincidence that not only did Pop have Duncan...he also had Manu and he also Parker, who were supposed to be bench players at best. That he also had Kawhi who he was literally hyping up and telling Kawhi that he could be Jordan when no one else believed in his offensive potential, Pop did. A young Kobe definitely took influence from Phil. Phil noted for his mind games and tricks to get the most out of his players... We already seeing that, reminding Green that he's playing against a guy that took his Team USA spot is EXACTLY what Phil or Riley would have done. Our last coach was too casual. He didn't value possessions and was okay with losing. Yeah, the team was tanking, but Silas tolerated that. He could have easily said "I didn't sign up for this. I signed up for a Harden led team, not this, either make some moves and give me vets or I'm out." He didn't. He took it with a smile and preached that this was a learning season all while letting them do anything they wanted on the court. No structure, just go out there, have fun, get your stats, maybe improve your game. None of that with Ime. I also want to say I was the main one saying I'll take our young core over ANYONE's right now. OKC the one everyone been jealous about just was handled by the same team the Rockets embarrassed back to back. Jalen Williams better than Green? GTFO with that one. Shai is nice and Chet is good, they have a future, but I think ours is better. Spurs? They got one guy. Wake me up when they get another. Detroit? They have a future but they still look like a team rebuilding. Ausar has been a good add to their core. Orlando? Again, they have two guys, that's nice... Rockets have multiple top 5 picks and elite prospects. Green, Sengun, Jabari, Amen, Cam...if 2 of these guys hit (and it looks like Green and Sengun have) they are already a top team...IF 3 hit? The league is in trouble. Now all we need is for Bari, Amen, or Cam to show they can be an all-star player and the league is very much in trouble if...nope, WHEN that happens. I'm super confident that one of Bari, Amen, or Cam is going to be that 3rd star for us in our core especially under Ime's tutelage.
The first paragraph was as good as it can be telling us about Ime's immediate impact and what he can do. The second part just went full Mathloom and discrediting other young teams to prop up our own. I mean I get the fandom but it started out so well. We can never know the full extent of what Presti can do, he can do a 180 degree and go for Luka.....or someone. Nobody knows. It is not how you start but how you follow up and end this......Never say never.....alll Roads lead to Rome.
@Mathloom must be a smart dude then. But nope because people here been trashing our young core for years now and comparing it to every other young core and now that we are starting to see the young core that I always saw I'm supposed to not say anything about it? Just look at the first 3 games people were ecstatic they got to talk about how much better the other young teams were, how the Spurs had passed us in one year, how OKC was leagues ahead of us and Orlando too, how bad we were compared to those teams. Nope. I've always said our young core is better than theirs, its the best in the league. I won't apologize for that. Not after hearing about how much we could have had Mobley or Paolo or Jalen Williams or whoever. Those that doubted it should be happy to be wrong and happy to accept they were wrong Our young core is the best in the league, always has been. We now have a coach that will unlock it. No discredit, just look at the stats posted above. We're just better. It's not discrediting anyone to say Jokic is the best player in the NBA. Just a fact.
The gripe with this is FVV, Dillon, Uncle Jeff are severely outplaying some of the young studs........ They are helping them for sure, but they are also outshining them so far. I agree, we should not shart on our young players because they are doing visibly better but come on now...... Once Shai G Alexander was able to stand on his own without Chris Paul that is when the ball got rolling. The same is when FVV and Dillon are gone, and the youngins can lead the team to the same record that is when you take off. The Padawan surpassing the Master that is going to be monumental. Pop did what OKC did and what the Magic did, he gave the keys to Tony Parker ....the PG keys and trusted Manu over veteran stars. What we are doing is just prolonging what Mike Malone and Pop did from the start, giving the keys to the young stars ...Udoka is just doing it very slowly. Other teams have been doing exactly the same but from the start. You can learn from the Library of Alexandria and still be a Houstonian scholar (Not mutually exclusive to look to other teams and still learn from them)
BTW Luka just had his 'I am better than James Harden' moment yesterday. I know he has been better for a while now but rarely you seen him dominate against Harden where Harden cannot do anything. The NBA is about passing the torch to the next generation. It always has been that way.
