{"id":109324,"date":"2024-11-27T09:15:02","date_gmt":"2024-11-27T14:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=109324"},"modified":"2026-02-28T15:10:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T20:10:52","slug":"ime-udoka-reveals-non-negotiable-key-to-rockets-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/27\/ime-udoka-reveals-non-negotiable-key-to-rockets-championship\/","title":{"rendered":"Ime Udoka reveals “Non-Negotiable” Key to Rockets Championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

From a lottery-level team since James Harden<\/a>‘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<\/a> masterclass. However, this was only a glimpse of Ime Udoka’s potential impact on a team.<\/p>\n

Ime Udoka Reveals “Non-Negotiable” Key to Rockets Championship<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In a recent interview<\/a> with The Ringer, Ime Udoka highlighted the key to the Rockets’ championship ambitions: defense. He said, \u201cEvery team that\u2019s won a championship is usually a top-five ranked defense. That\u2019s a non-negotiable for me.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

Ime Udoka’s impact on the Rockets: Where are They Now?<\/h3>\n

From the second-worst defense in the league in 2022-23, the Rockets jumped to the 10th-best defense last year<\/a>. Now that the team has finally understood Udoka’s system, they are the second-best defensive team in the league<\/a> (103.8, only behind the Thunder at 103.2). However, they also allow the fewest points on fast breaks<\/a> across the entire league (11.1). Tari Eason<\/a>, Amen Thompson<\/a>, and Dillon Brooks<\/a> have been instrumental in bringing this defensive culture to Houston.<\/p>\n

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"Terror Twins" ACTIVATED vs Clippers<\/p>\n

Amen Thompson:<\/p>\n

18 points
11 rebounds
3 assists
6\/9 field goal
2\/2 from 3
2 steals
1 block<\/p>\n

Tari Eason: <\/p>\n

18 points
10 rebounds
1 assist
8\/14 field goal
1 steal
2 blocks<\/p>\n

Best Bench Duo in the league pic.twitter.com\/VcGPK1GX3a<\/a><\/p>\n

— Julie Gilchrist (@JulieanneGilch1) November 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n