Tag: Ime Udoka

Podcast: What’s next for Rockets as 2024-25 training camp nears

This week’s podcast explores what’s next for the Rockets as the 2024 offseason continues, including contractual decisions for Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.

With the calendar turning to August this week, September isn’t far away. That’s the month that training camps around the NBA will open for the 2024-25 season, which starts in October.

In Houston, the young and improving Rockets are coming off an encouraging 41-41 season. That 19-win improvement, relative to 2022-23, was the biggest annual jump of any NBA team in 2023-24.

So, as a new season approaches, what comes next for Ime Udoka and Rafael Stone’s Rockets? This week’s podcast episode of The Lager Line, hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, explores key themes to watch for as the offseason enters its final weeks.

Discussion topics include:

  • Final impressions from rookie guard Reed Sheppard at the NBA’s recently completed 2024 summer league
  • Rotation considerations for Udoka, including why neither Sheppard nor second-year guard Cam Whitmore is assured an immediate rotation role
  • Contract extension considerations involving both Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green (the deadline is just prior to the October regular-season opener)
  • Whether Houston makes sense as a potential trade suitor for Utah forward Lauri Markkanen

Tuesday’s episode, which is sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, can be listened to below in its entirety. Each episode is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790 and to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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Rockets coach Ime Udoka sees well-rounded player in rookie Reed Sheppard

“He’s not getting overwhelmed, at all,” Ime Udoka says of Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard. “He just continues to make the right play.”

Drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round, Reed Sheppard was billed as a sharpshooter after his lone collegiate season at Kentucky. While there, the 6-foot-2 guard shot over 52% on 3-pointers.

Yet, even though Sheppard shot below 28% on 3-pointers in a very limited four-game sample at the NBA’s 2024 summer league, he still made a clear impact for the Houston Rockets — as evidenced by Sheppard’s selection to the All-Summer League First Team.

One person who noticed was head coach Ime Udoka, who will decide Sheppard’s minutes and role with the Rockets when the 2024-25 season begins in October. In an interview with Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network, the team’s regional TV broadcast partner, Udoka raved about the well-rounded nature of Sheppard’s game and his ability to make an impact in many ways.

When asked what impressed him about Sheppard, Udoka said:

His composure. The IQ. The shooting ability… but more than that, the competitiveness, toughness, the intangibles that he brings.

We know about the things he does really well, but to see how much of a well-rounded player and natural leader he is, he’s fit right in.

He processes what teams are trying to do to him. They’re throwing some different looks at him and putting different personnel on him, and he’s taking it in stride.

He’s not getting overwhelmed, at all. He just continues to make the right play. That’s something that’s hard to teach, especially with only one year of college.

He just has a really good feel. He keeps it simple. He doesn’t over dribble or get himself in trouble. He takes the shot when it’s there, makes the pass when it’s there. He’s not worried about his result, it’s about what’s best for the team.

The complete Richardson-Udoka interview can be viewed below.

In four summer-league contests, Sheppard averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals. Houston went 2-2 in those games with Sheppard starting at point guard, including a 2-1 mark when Sheppard was flanked in the starting lineup by second-year wing prospect Cam Whitmore.

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As summer league continues, should Rockets keep playing Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore?

As 2024 summer league continues, the Rockets will need to decide whether it’s worth it to continue playing Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore.

Having never been a general manager or head coach of an NBA franchise, my opinion doesn’t carry much weight regarding the decisions made by the Houston Rockets during summer-league play.

Yet, if I did have the chance to talk to Rafael Stone or Ime Udoka, I would offer them advice about the playing time of rookie guard Reed Sheppard and second-year player Cam Whitmore heading into Thursday’s matchup versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“Shut them down,” I would say as loud as I could. It could be a similar template to 2023, when talented second-year prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason played the first two games at summer league before watching the remaining games from the sidelines.

In 2024, even though the Rockets (2-1) are still in contention to make the summer-league playoffs and perhaps return to the championship game, Sheppard and Whitmore have already proven to have chemistry together. That was one of the main reasons they were paired together in Las Vegas, as they have the potential to play together on Houston’s bench unit during the 2024-25 season.

The two did not perform at their best in Monday’s 87-73 loss to the Detroit Pistons, when they combined to shoot 7-for-32 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Some of their play could have been due to the fatigue of playing back-to-back games, but they have displayed enough in the three games played for Stone and Udoka to get a sense of how to plan the rotation heading into training camp.

Some might say that Sheppard, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NBA draft, could benefit from getting more reps against NBA competition. But, why take the chance of Sheppard getting injured (remember, Amen Thompson sprained his ankle in summer league a year ago) when his 3-point shooting and high basketball IQ could be valuable to the Rockets during the upcoming regular season?

In his lone collegiate season at Kentucky, Sheppard led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (52.1%) on his way to being named the 2023-24 National Association of Basketball Coaches National Freshman of the Year. It’s a skill that could be useful to the Rockets, who were among the NBA’s 10 worst teams in 3-point accuracy last season, and that might prompt them to be cautious at summer league.

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Tiago Splitter leaves Rockets to become head coach of Paris Basketball

After spending one season as an assistant to Ime Udoka in Houston, Tiago Splitter is leaving the Rockets to take a head coaching job in Europe.

After serving one season (2023-24) as an assistant on the bench of head coach Ime Udoka, Tiago Splitter is leaving the Houston Rockets to become head coach at Paris Basketball.

Before his year in Houston, Splitter was an assistant in Brooklyn, where he worked alongside Udoka in the 2020-21 season. Prior to that, when Udoka was an assistant to Gregg Popovich for seven seasons in San Antonio, several of those teams featured Splitter as a player. That run included the Spurs’ 2014 NBA championship.

Splitter became one of the more accomplished international big men of his generation, and he used that experience to help guide rising Turkish star Alperen Sengun in his third NBA season.

Splitter, 39, was part of a Houston coaching staff that clearly prioritized youth and energy alongside the 46-year-old Udoka. Other young assistants on the 2023-24 Rockets bench included Ben Sullivan, Garrett Jackson, Mike Moser, Royal Ivey, and Cam Hodges.

Udoka hasn’t announced his coaching staff for the upcoming 2024-25 season, so it isn’t yet clear if an external hire will replace Splitter or if he could potentially be replaced from within.

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Reed Sheppard focused on growth, teammates with summer Rockets

“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard says of his summer-league priorities.

Two games into the NBA’s 2024 summer league in Las Vegas, Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard is already showing why he’s a vital piece of Houston’s new formula for returning to the postseason.

At the moment, Sheppard is averaging 22.5 points per game, which ties 2023 summer-league MVP Cam Whitmore for Houston’s lead.

In that case, he can not only help the team reach its short-term goal of winning a summer-league title, but he may also give head coach Ime Udoka a better feel for where he fits in the rotation.

Sheppard, the Rockets’ No. 3 overall selection in this year’s draft, is taking it all in — one day at a time. He knows that the process will take time, so as of now, he is just taking it slowly and getting acclimated to playing against the NBA-level competition.

“At the end of the day, it’s basketball,” Sheppard said after helping his team improve to 2-0 by defeating Washington. “You get to go and play the game you love with really good players and teammates, and I am super pumped to get out there and play the game I love.”

One promising sign is the chemistry that Sheppard and Whitmore have established. Throughout Sunday’s game, the former Kentucky standout found Whitmore slashing to the basket for multiple dunks that brought the crowd to their feet. That included regular-season teammates Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson, seated baseline.

“It’s very exciting playing with Reed,” Whitmore told reporters after the 18-point victory. “He can do everything, even on the defensive end. Even though he is not the tallest, he still has skills; he can get in the gaps and can get in the passing lane. He can finish, play-make, he can shoot. He can do everything on the floor.”

The rookie’s performance is not going unnoticed on social media, with esteemed NBA veterans like Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies among those acknowledging Sheppard’s game on their social media platforms. Even with that type of attention, Sheppard remains focused on improving.

“Keep getting in the gym and keep building relationships with your teammates,” Sheppard said when asked about that praise. “Just stick to yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else or anyone.”

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Podcast: Previewing 2024 NBA draft week and free agency for the Rockets

Our Ben DuBose joined Fox 26 Houston’s Will Kunkel for a Rockets-themed preview of the NBA’s upcoming draft and 2024 free agency window.

With the first round of the 2024 NBA draft on June 26 and the start of free agency negotiations on June 30, it’s set to be a busy two weeks for general manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets.

So, to break it all down, our Ben DuBose joined Will Kunkel, sports director of Fox 26 Houston, for an in-studio interview. In a Rockets-themed episode of “Kickin’ it with Kunkel,” the discussion starts with a look at draft candidates at No. 3 overall, headlined by Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard and Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.

The show also explores several other topics, including the difficulty of executing a trade involving the No. 3 pick; extension considerations for Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun; prioritizing Houston’s top prospects, based on current production; and the value of head coach Ime Udoka to the young core and to players around the league.

The complete episode can be viewed below.

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Garrett Jackson to coach Rockets at NBA’s 2024 summer league

Rockets assistant Garrett Jackson, not Ben Sullivan, will be Houston’s head coach in July at the NBA’s 2024 summer league.

Garrett Jackson, an assistant coach on the staff of Ime Udoka in Houston, will serve as head coach when the Rockets participate in the NBA’s 2024 summer league next month. The league’s annual summer showcase will take place from July 12-22 in Las Vegas, with mini-camps held in each home city in the days prior to those games.

Game dates and times for the 30-team event have yet to be released.

Jackson made the announcement as part of a new interview with Vanessa Richardson, courtside reporter for Space City Home Network (Houston’s regional television broadcast partner).

Among Jackson’s comments to Richardson:

We’re doing a lot of group workouts right now. Our other development coaches and staff have done a good job of putting together a plan for each of our guys, so we’re just following through on it, this summer.

Also, I’m coaching summer league. So, we’re looking to have some carryover from the summer workouts — bring it over to Vegas — and improve it.

It’s about continuing to build relationships with the guys. It’s just about getting out there, growing, and pushing our guys… and myself.

More commentary from Jackson’s interview can be viewed below, and the complete interview can be viewed on SCHN’s latest Rockets All Access program (which debuts Wednesday at 6 p.m. Central).

Jackson, 32, was first hired by Udoka as part of Boston’s player enhancement staff in September 2021. Before that, he worked in the video department of the San Antonio Spurs and legendary head coach Gregg Popovich starting in 2019 — when Udoka was there.

Jackson played college basketball with USC and Saint Mary’s before a brief professional career with international clubs. From 2015 to 2018, he played for North-West Tasmania Thunder, Melbourne United, Sydney Kings, Dandenong Rangers, and TG s.Oliver Wurzburg.

As for Jackson’s summer-league roster in Las Vegas, that remains to be seen. Any rookies selected in the 2024 NBA draft are likely candidates to be included, as are a handful of undrafted free agent prospects; players from Houston’s NBA G League affiliate (the Rio Grande Valley Vipers); and recent two-way contract players such as Nate Hinton, Jermaine Samuels Jr. and Nate Williams.

It’s worth noting that then-sophomores Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason played in two of six summer-league games in 2024. With that in mind, it’s at least plausible that current second-year players Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore could briefly play this year.

Houston’s 2023 summer-league team finished in second place after a 5-1 stint and a loss to Cleveland in the 2023 championship game. That team was coached by Ben Sullivan, who remains on Udoka’s staff.

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Report: With No. 3 pick, Rockets to remain active in trade talks until NBA draft night

Michael Scotto on the Rockets: “The No. 3 pick will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.”

After some great lottery luck, the Rockets own the No. 3 selection in the 2024 NBA draft. However, Houston already has a roster filled with young talent, including a pair of rotation players selected in each of the previous three first-round classes.

And after a 41-41 campaign with year-on-year growth of 19 wins (most of any NBA team), general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka want to be in the postseason mix come 2025.

So, does Houston want to add another young player that could take time to develop? Or, might that No. 3 pick be used as part of a deal to acquire a veteran that could help win more games now?

Michael Scotto, who covers the NBA for HoopsHype, writes in his latest aggregate mock draft that trade talks involving the Rockets will remain active leading up to the June 26 draft.

Scotto reports:

The Houston Rockets are transitioning to a win-now mode and looking to take the next step to become a playoff team after significant progress from their young core under coach Ime Udoka.

The No. 3 pick — one of five potential first-round picks the Rockets can trade this offseason in a package to land a star player — will be discussed in trade talks leading up to draft night, league sources told HoopsHype.

Should a deal not materialize, Scotto says the Rockets could select from several guards, including former Kentucky teammates Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, Nikola Topic and Stephon Castle. Or, Houston could select Matas Buzelis, who can play both forward spots.

Scotto is less bullish on the potential of the Rockets drafting Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, saying “it’s hard to imagine a world where (Alperen) Sengun and Clingan play together when they occupy the same position.” Sengun is Houston’s starting center.

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To keep or to trade? After landing No. 3 draft pick, Rafael Stone excited by Houston’s options

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.

Known for his strategic thinking, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone found himself in an unfamiliar position on Sunday after the NBA’s 2024 draft lottery. The annual event determines where teams pick in the first round, which takes place this year on June 26.

For the past three years, Stones selected players out of necessity in Houston’s rebuilding phase, which was brought on after James Harden’s departure. So, when the Rockets surprisingly secured the No. 3 pick in 2024, Stone was left with a strategic choice: keep the pick or trade it in a package for a veteran player or future assets. The decision could significantly shape the team’s future.

With Houston’s existing young core of rotation players, it might seem unlikely it would add another young player who would compete for minutes. However, that is not necessarily the case.

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Stone said in a post-lottery press conference. He had just arrived at the draft combine in Chicago after scouting prospects in France in recent days.

That seemed an unlikely scenario after the emergence of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who played key roles as rookies in helping the Rockets go 41-41 last season. Add in the developmental leaps made by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in their third seasons — and promise shown by second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. — and Houston has the blueprint to be a special team.  

“The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back,” Stone said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “We’ll look at things, but, again, I don’t view our roster as, ‘We’re missing X; we need to go find it.’ It’s not like we have a gaping hole.”

Many college and NBA analysts believe this draft class is weaker than in most years. The consensus is that many top-10 players in this class are outstanding role players, rather than superstars. If Houston keeps the pick, it could help them in the future by allowing their selection to develop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate. 

“I think last year’s draft was a different draft than we’ve seen in a while, just because there was so much attention focused on just one guy (Victor Wembanyama),” Stone said. “That wasn’t the case in the two drafts before it, and I don’t think it’ll be the case this year.”

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Ime Udoka on Houston’s roster needs: Shooting, defensive versatility, shot creation

In an interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Ime Udoka identified shooting, defensive versatility, and shot creation as roster needs in Houston.

The young and improving Houston Rockets (41-41) have a promising nine-man rotation for the 2024-25 NBA season. Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun will likely again start. Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason and Steven Adams should feature off the bench.

Even so, it’s far from a perfect roster. Some of the gaps could be filled through internal improvement, but further roster upgrades, including with the recently acquired No. 3 pick in the 2024 first round, could also help the situation.

Ime Udoka, head coach of the Rockets, spoke Sunday to Kelly Iko of The Athletic from the NBA draft combine in Chicago.

When asked about areas of needed improvement, Udoka said:

We’re trying to have internal growth with our guys we have, first and foremost. But shooting is always at a premium, so you look at that. Versatility across the board with how we defend and want to play. And well-rounded players, we want shot creation as well. Trying to cover all the bases and with that third pick, you can do that with a lot of these players.

Among plausible draft candidates at No. 3, shooting and shot creation could point to guards such as Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham. Meanwhile, defensive versatility could perhaps point to an established big man, such as Connecticut’s Donovan Clingan.

The first round will take place Wednesday, June 26.

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