The Houston Rockets won their fifth straight game on Friday, Nov. 10. Ime Udoka’s team overcame the New Orleans Pelicans and are fifth in the Western Conference after eight games. Houston’s rotation has improved vastly from recent seasons. The offseason additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks are paying dividends.
When speaking to the media following his team’s loss, Pelicans head coach Willie Green praised Udoka, who joined the franchise during the summer. Udoka’s influence on the Rockets’ style of play has been evident throughout the hot run.
“They made plays down the stretch of the game during the last few minutes,” Green said. “We had a couple turnovers, just a couple of missed cues. Guys battled their tails off against a team that’s been going lately. … Those guys come from winning programs. Ime, he’s done a great job of changing the foundation here of how they play and go about their business. They’re a good team. They are going to be a good team in the west.”
After multiple years of rebuilding the rotation and developing talent, the Rockets have sped up their timeline. They brought in two seasoned veterans and a coach who took the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals in his rookie season on the sidelines. So far, those decisions are looking like smart business.
"I think we had a couple turnovers, just a couple miscues but once again the positives first. Guys battled their tails off…across the board we couldn't ask anything better we just came up a little short. It's a growth moment." -Willie Green@PelicansNBA | #Pelicans | 📺:BSNO pic.twitter.com/TIVWwrvrNx
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) November 11, 2023
Still, the Rockets have played less than 10% of their season. They must keep building on their recent performances and improving throughout the basketball year. Multiple members of Hosuton’s rotation have shown signs of individual development to begin the season.
As such, there’s no reason the Rockets can’t produce a strong year and make a push for the playoffs. Udoka has his team playing with purpose and physicality, which is always a good foundation to build off.
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