HOUSTON — The Rockets returned to practice Wednesday after a much-needed rest and reset from the pre-All-Star portion of the schedule, when there was clear frustration by head coach Ime Udoka as he attempts to find the right combinations to use on the floor.
At Houston’s final game before the All-Star break, Udoka said he would consider a potential change to his starting lineup in the aftermath of a horrible loss to a short-handed Memphis team.
Eight days later, Udoka’s stance had changed a bit. Over the break, he took time to think about his comments and reflect on how he hasn’t seen the full potential of what the Rockets could be due to various injuries that have plagued them throughout the 2023-24 season.
“I took a look at some things over the last 27 or so games,” Udoka told reporters after practice. “I think I cut the 54 [total games] in half and wanted to get a look when we are more whole. Look at Dillon [Brooks] missing nine games, Fred [VanVleet] missing the last five, Jabari [Smith Jr.] missing four… and the ups and downs we had to start those games with different lineups.”
“I felt we played a lot better, obviously, in the first 27 [15-12] than the last 27 [9-18]. So, I want to get back to that consistency, and we’ll take a look at our group going forward as is and see if we get back to the consistency and competitiveness that we had in the first 27.”
“I don’t foresee any major changes right out the gate, but everything is on the table,” said Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet when I asked him about the comments HC Ime Udoka made before the All Star break alluding to a lineup change. #Rockets #Sarge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/l3orfo4D9z
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) February 21, 2024
One bright spot for Houston is the return of VanVleet, who was medically cleared to return to action following a left adductor strain. On Wednesday, the veteran point guard was asked about the comments his head coach made about a potential lineup change.
“I think after that game, everything was on the table,” VanVleet told reporters after practice. “Nobody is perfect. Everybody goes through emotions and frustrations. We were all frustrated and disappointed in losing that game right before the break, and I think that’s all that was. I don’t foresee any major changes right out of the gate, but everything is on the table. We are a young team. Nobody has really proven what they wanted to do.”
“The best version of this team we haven’t seen yet,” VanVleet added. “That leaves opportunities for everybody. I think coming out (of the break), it will be business as usual. Getting back to playing the way we know we can play and that we have shown this year that we can compete at a high level in what we have.”
With the absences of reserve players like Tari Eason and rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson for numerous games, it has become hard for Udoka to get a feel for the team whose current record (24-30) is 3.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors (27-26) for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
‘Win or lose, we have to set the tone, show how we want to play, and show that we are serious about doing that,” said power forward Jabari Smith Jr., who participated in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis via the Rising Stars challenge. “We have to show that from the jump that we want to compete and play to win.”
