From a lottery-level team since James Harden‘s exit under Stephen Silas, the Houston Rockets have certainly come a long way. And a large part of the credit for that goes to Ime Udoka, their second year head coach. A defensive coaching genius, Udoka has brought a sense of accountability, responsibility, and hustle to the team. He learned this sense of discipline from his coaching mentor, NBA legend Gregg Popovich. In 2022, he successfully took the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Golden State Warriors and a Steph Curry masterclass. However, this was only a glimpse of Ime Udoka’s potential impact on a team.
Ime Udoka Reveals “Non-Negotiable” Key to Rockets Championship
Last year, the Rockets finished 41-41 in the regular season, missing out on the playoffs despite being a .500 team. However, this season, the Rockets have started very strong. With a 13-6 record in the first 19 games, the Rockets sit comfortably as the third seed in the Western Conference. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Warriors have better records than them. However, Ime Udoka’s goal remains a championship.
In a recent interview with The Ringer, Ime Udoka highlighted the key to the Rockets’ championship ambitions: defense. He said, “Every team that’s won a championship is usually a top-five ranked defense. That’s a non-negotiable for me.” So, Udoka strongly believes that he’s on the right trajectory with the Rockets, and the foundational bricks of a championship season will be laid down on the defensive end of the floor.
Ime Udoka’s impact on the Rockets: Where are They Now?
From the second-worst defense in the league in 2022-23, the Rockets jumped to the 10th-best defense last year. Now that the team has finally understood Udoka’s system, they are the second-best defensive team in the league (103.8, only behind the Thunder at 103.2). However, they also allow the fewest points on fast breaks across the entire league (11.1). Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks have been instrumental in bringing this defensive culture to Houston.
"Terror Twins" ACTIVATED vs Clippers
Amen Thompson:
18 points
11 rebounds
3 assists
6/9 field goal
2/2 from 3
2 steals
1 blockTari Eason:
18 points
10 rebounds
1 assist
8/14 field goal
1 steal
2 blocksBest Bench Duo in the league pic.twitter.com/VcGPK1GX3a
— Julie Gilchrist (@JulieanneGilch1) November 14, 2024
The terror twins (Tari and Amen) are arguably the most menacing defensive duo in the league. Eason averages 1.1 blocks and 2.2 steals per game (through 18 games played). Meanwhile, Amen Thompson is averaging 0.9 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. In last night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Amen alone had seven stocks (steals+blocks) while Tari followed him with three stocks.
The Rockets’ Road to an NBA Championship
While offensively, the Rockets are still finding their feet on who their number one option is, defensively they can arguably be called the best team in the league. The veteran additions of Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet are certainly fueling a culture change in Houston. Can the core seven accept the defensive route to an NBA championship? If offensive stars like Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green also improve their defense, there’s no denying the Rockets can at least replicate what the Celtics did in 2022, if not win it all.
