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‘Mentally and physically fried’: Ime Udoka on Rockets at All-Star break
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- ‘Mentally and physically fried’: Ime Udoka on Rockets at All-Star break
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka made waves by benching three starters ( Jalen Green , Alperen Sengun , and Dillon Brooks ) in Thursday's near-comeback versus Golden State , and he didn't mince words when explaining his decision postgame.
"We could be mentally and physically fried," Udoka said of the Rockets (34-21, No. 4 in the Western Conferene standings ), who enter the ongoing All-Star break with seven losses in their last nine games.
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"Maybe our guys are tired, but... a lack of competitiveness is not an excuse," Udoka added. "Everyone is dealing with the same thing — we're a little injured, obviously — but it was night and day seeing the bench come in and play with physicality, ball movement, togetherness and unselfishness."
The Rockets rank No. 4 in the NBA in defensive rating for the 2024-25 season as a whole, but they're No. 19 (in the bottom half of the league's 30 teams) in defensive rating since losing Jabari Smith Jr. to a left hand fracture on Jan. 3. The absence of Smith was later compounded by injuries to Alperen Sengun (calf contusion and lower back spasms) and Fred VanVleet (right ankle strain), which cost each starter at least four games over the same period.
Udoka didn't specify any individuals in his "fried" comments, but it stands to reason that Green could be one of them. In addition to being benched against the Warriors, Green is shooting just 40.2% from the field, 33.% from 3-point range, and 67.6% on free throws over Houston's 2-7 downturn. His true-shooting percentage in those games is a subpar 50.0%, and Houston is -6.3 with Green on the court in those games. He's turning the ball over 2.7 times per contest.
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Green does own the NBA's third-longest active streak of 159 consecutive games played (all starts), and on some level, that's helped the Rockets during a stretch in which so many starters and rotation regulars haven't been able to play. Reserves Steven Adams and Tari Eason have both missed time with their own nagging injury or maintenance issues, as well.
Yet, it could be that the streak and resulting higher workload has taken something of a toll on Green's efficiency and defense. Multiple knee contusions have also been an issue, with the 23-year-old often hobbling on his right leg during recent games.
Udoka isn't singling Green out, but it's clear the fourth-year guard is among the players that Houston needs to recharge over its ongoing All-Star break. In a potential playoff preview, the Rockets resume their schedule Friday when Minnesota (31-25) visits Toyota Center, and the home team will likely need Green at or near his best to compete against Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards .
"If you've got got three guys in the paint on you, you've got to find your open teammate," Udoka said after the loss to Golden State. "That's something we've been harping (on), and we see the results when we do it the right way. That's what the bench came in and did. Move the ball, didn't play in the crowd, got wide-open looks."
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Second-year guard/forward Amen Thompson , who took on the highest workload of his career in January while replacing Smith in the starting lineup, has also looked weary in the recent downturn. In his last nine games, Thompson is turning the ball over 3.1 times per contest while shooting just 47.6% from the field with a true-shooting (TS) clip of 52.9%. All are down substantially from his season-long averages of 54.3% shooting, 2.2 turnovers, and 59.7% TS.
Though Thompson wasn't among the group that got benched versus the Warriors, the Rockets could certainly benefit from a return to form when their schedule resumes. The looming returns of Smith and VanVleet from injury should also help.
"You have to play with a certain amount of aggression, physicality, and effort, or you don't give yourself a chance," Udoka concluded. "And that's what we did over the first 35, 40 games of the year. We did that and gave ourselves a chance every night. When you don't do that, you see what the results are lately. That alone takes care of some things, along with the same mistakes on both ends of the ball. Lack of communication on defense, selfishness on offense. Whether it's intentional or unintentional, it's wrong."
More: In loss to Warriors, Ime Udoka sends message to Rockets by benching three starters
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: 'Could be mentally and physically fried': Ime Udoka on Rockets' slump
