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These Rockets Have 'no Friends On The Floor' — The Way Ime Udoka Envisioned

Ime Udoka saved the best highlights for last.

After nearly 45 minutes of in-depth Houston Rockets analysis on his pre-training-camp PowerPoint presentation, with players soaking in their coach's messages like students in a basketball classroom inside the team's practice facility, the montage of mayhem began.

First, it was the clip of Udoka telling LeBron James and his Lakers to "stop whining like little b—-" back on Dec. 2, 2023, when the then-first-year Rockets coach started a NSFW argument with one of the greatest players of all time that led to Udoka's ejection. Then came the dust-up in Milwaukee on Dec. 17, 2023, when resident Rockets villain Dillon Brooks and Udoka were ejected in the final minute for their aggressive dispute of a late call. The tape of 15 separate altercations from their previous season kept running — and entertaining them all — from there.

"It's his personality," Rockets guard Fred VanVleet said of the presentation and Udoka's role in it. "He's a confrontational guy, a fighter, so it was funny to watch them all in order and see the build up. But it's about building that identity as a group and as a team. We're built on toughness and just not taking any s— from anybody."

The fisticuffs weren't the featured part of the film, though. Udoka had gone into great detail about the defensive improvements that had been made, how the Rockets went from among the league's worst in every relevant category before his arrival to "top six," Udoka said, in his rookie Rockets campaign.

The message, in essence, was that they needed to get even better on that end if they were going to become a perennial playoff contender. But to get there, it would require a commitment to the motto Udoka constantly preaches — "No friends on the floor" — and that was on full display during those fiery moments.

"We started to look at the frequency and the dates (of the incidents), and there was something every week from January on," Udoka told The Athletic recently. "The broadcasters would say, 'Here goes another dust-up with Houston. It's becoming an every game thing now.' So that mentality had changed. And I told the guys, 'You have to earn the respect of the league and not take a backseat to anybody.'"

Meet the all-gas, no-brakes Rockets, this modern-day version of the "Bad Boys" Pistons that is as feisty and unapologetic a team as the league has seen in quite some time.

After breaking a 15-game losing streak to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday in dramatic form and thus advancing to an NBA Cup semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday in Las Vegas, the Rockets are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the second-best record in the Western Conference (17-8). As was the case in Udoka's first head-coaching stop, when he turned the 2021-22 Boston Celtics around during his one season there before his his unceremonious exit, his Rockets are doing it with defense.

And while they're not in the driver's seat just yet, they're barreling down the road in the right direction — while begging for all the smoke along the way.

When Udoka and Rockets general manager Rafael Stone started revamping the Rockets' roster two summers ago, they had a crucial question to answer that would set the tone for what came next: Was it time for a James Harden reunion?

The Rockets' Dillon Brooks hounds the Clippers' James Harden during a game last month in Houston. (Troy Taormina / Imagn Images)

The legendary former Rocket had made it known he was interested in a Houston return, and the two sides even held a meeting that included Harden, his representation and Udoka to discuss that very possibility. If Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta wanted the most obvious way to return to relevance, this was it.

Udoka had coached Harden as an assistant during their time together with the Brooklyn Nets and coached against him for years in San Antonio, Philadelphia and Boston. There was great respect for Harden and his game, but it just wasn't the right fit. If the plan was to build a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offense — and it was — then adding a ball-dominant, all-time great who never has been known for defense wasn't the way to go.

"My main thing for us was, 'What fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?'" Udoka said. "But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), 'You're at the stage where you want to win, and we're not there yet.' And it wasn't just James. I had five, six veteran guys who went to championship-level teams who wanted to come (that summer), and I said the same thing to all of them.

"They all went to other places, but they had Golden State, Milwaukee, Phoenix and all these teams (wanting them) to come. But I told them, 'We're not there. Go try to win a championship.' And so, it's just about fit and where we're at. … Our (young) guys needed the reps."

Yet it was Udoka's desire to change the Rockets' culture on the defensive side of the ball, and to do it with a group that was young enough to have a long runway, that would ultimately drive the Rockets' calculus. Defense was Udoka's primary strength during his playing days, when he went undrafted out of Portland State before spending parts of seven seasons in the NBA and playing overseas.

Those beliefs were buoyed during his first coaching job alongside the Spurs' Gregg Popovich from 2012 to 2019, then put into action more than ever before when he led Boston to the NBA Finals in 2022 (the Celtics' defense went from 13th in defensive rating the year before his hiring to No. 1). And for all the success the Harden/Mike D'Antoni-led Rockets enjoyed, they were never known as the defense-first, intimidating types.

Even beyond Udoka's vision for the defense, Rockets officials were concerned the development of their two most important young players — big man Alperen Şengün and guard Jalen Green — would be stymied if they added veteran standouts who weren't truly compatible with their young core. Enter veteran guards VanVleet and Brooks, who signed that summer and shined in their respective roles as Houston improved from 22 wins to 41.

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Udoka had a soft spot for VanVleet, in part because of the similarities in their stories. Both were undrafted before making it in the NBA, with VanVleet going on to become an All-Star and a champion (with the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors). Brooks' playing style and prickly personality, made (in)famous during his Grizzlies tenure, also were perfect for what Udoka had in mind.

"Fred had played on and off the ball," Udoka said. "He's been with Kawhi (Leonard), been with DeMar (DeRozan), been with (Pascal) Siakam. He's had to do both. And so for Jalen to grow and Alpie to grow, and the other guys, I felt Fred was a better fit. …They (both) fit in seamlessly with what I was trying to do, and they had that defensive mentality that would rub off on our guys on a nightly basis."

The ripple effect has been real.

After finishing no higher than 27th in defensive rating during three seasons under former coach Stephen Silas, when the rebuild was in full effect as they won just 59 times in 222 tries, Udoka's Rockets team that was 10th in defense last season is now second. Considering the origin story of Udoka's hiring, how Fertitta and Stone decided to prioritize a defensive mindset above all else in their process, they couldn't ask for much more than this.

"When we were bringing Ime in, it wasn't 'best coach available,'" said Stone, the 52-year-old who has been with the organization since 2005 and was elevated to general manager in October 2020. "It was like, 'We need somebody who can really impact defense for us.' I do think (Udoka) was the best coach available, so that ended up being nice, but that was a big focal area for us in terms of the type of coach we were going to hire."

Fast forward to Wednesday night, and it was the Warriors feeling Houston's defensive dominance first-hand when Golden State tied its season-low scoring while seeing its streak of 15 consecutive wins over Houston come to an end. The first quarter was an absolute clinic, with the Rockets forcing six turnovers while holding Golden State to just 18 points.

On the TNT broadcast, there was a mention of how it seemed at times as if Houston had six or seven defenders on the floor. And while they haven't yet pulled off that sort of trick, they do have a bevy of versatile, athletic and relentless options at their disposal.

VanVleet, Brooks and third-year big man Jabari Smith Jr. (the third pick in 2022) are the defensive leaders in the starting lineup, with Şengün (18.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists per game) and Green (19.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists) the featured offensive threats. VanVleet (15.6 points, 5.9 assists) and Brooks (12.6 points) are key contributors on that end as well.

It's the bench tandem of swingman Amen Thompson (fourth pick in 2023) and forward Tari Eason (17th pick in 2022), though, that has been so entertaining on the defensive end that they even earned a nickname from fans — "The Terror Twins" — for their ability to wreck opposing offenses together.

"The foundation was laid last year," Udoka said. "But I felt we could take another step this year. For one thing, there was the health. Getting Amen back early (who missed more than a month with a sprained left ankle before returning on Dec. 5). Tari was out for most of the year (last season, when he played just 22 games because of a stress reaction in his lower left leg), adding a guy like (veteran center) Steven Adams, and then all the guys taking a leap within their second year.

"We saw growth within all our guys last year," Udoka continued. "And so to come into this year with our second year of them not having to learn the schemes or terminology and what we're expecting, you expect it to take somewhat of a jump."

To hear the Rockets locker-room leaders tell it, it's Udoka's direct nature — and direction — that makes it all work. If you ever see him covering his mouth for the cameras during a break in the action, he's likely ripping a Rockets player for a defensive mistake that simply can't be tolerated. His candor can be caustic during postgame news conferences, too, like the Dec. 5 session in San Francisco where he said his team looked "soft or scared" after a 99-93 loss to the Warriors that would be avenged just six days later.

"It's very rare in the NBA," VanVleet said. "Most coaches have to dance around the egos and the fragile personalities that the NBA can bring. We're all high-strung, emotional, egotistical, highly paid guys, so to have a coach who really just says it straight and blunt is refreshing for me, honestly. That's the way I grew up, and that's the way I've always had most of my coaches throughout my life before the NBA.

"For a young team, it's amazing because it just sets a good … foundation for guys to grow and get better. But I would say he earns that right too. … He's not just motherf—ing guys for no reason. He earns that relationship and that trust as a leader every day leading the group, leading the coaches, leading the franchise."

Jeff Green, who worked with Udoka while with the Nets and signed a two-year deal with Houston in 2023, was no stranger to his style.

"He wants guys that are going to play hard," the 38-year-old forward said. "And if you don't, you sit down. I mean, point-blank. It's that simple. … Guys know that, and they don't want to get out of the game. So in order for that to happen, you have to change your approach. You have to change your ways to the game. And you have to be Houston Rockets first — no friends on the floor. And Coach Ime lives by that."

Tari Eason and the Rockets celebrate after their Wednesday win over the Warriors. (Troy Taormina / Imagn Images)

For teams on the rise, there's no better combination of circumstances than to be winning and still have a cupboard full of promising young players and assets. That's a luxury these Rockets are enjoying.

Yet while they spent the months heading into last season's trade deadline looking for another star, team sources say that's not the case heading into the Feb. 6 deadline. Not only did they secure extensions with Jalen Green (three years, $106 million) and Şengün (five years, $185 million), but the early success has only bolstered the internal belief that this group is worth analyzing from now until the summertime.

As it pertains to the Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler, who is known to be available and reportedly has the Rockets on his list of preferred destinations, team sources say it's highly unlikely they'll pursue the 35-year-old, six-time All-Star from nearby Tomball, Texas. As was the case with Harden, age is an undeniable factor in the calculus. And while Butler is an elite two-way player who could turn these Rockets into title contenders immediately, it appears there's still an aversion to the prospect of adding any star in his mid-to-late 30s.

From Udoka's vantage point, now is the time to make the most of what they already have — especially when it comes to Şengün and Green. While some have wondered if they're a poor fit, with Green at his best playing up-tempo and Şengün more prone to slow it down and play out of the post, Udoka sees it as a best-of-both-worlds scenario.

"I love balance," said Udoka, whose offense is ranked 15th and boasts seven players who average at least 11 points per game. "I love a team that can play with pace, have a post option, have guards that can handle and create, offensive rebound. And so for me, I think that just makes you a much more dangerous team."

The goal from here, of course, is to build on this early momentum and be a true contender by the time the postseason rolls around.

"If we get down to the stretch (run) and we're in playoff mode and we can play our game, we're gonna be a f—ing hell of a team to beat," VanVleet said. "Nobody's really gonna want to see us coming. We're just laying that groundwork to be one of those teams coming down the stretch, and you've got to (remember) what these guys were before we got here. To be able to turn it around that quick, Coach definitely deserves a lot of credit for that."

Not long before Houston tipped off against the Kings in Sacramento on Dec. 3, as Stone and this reporter shared a laugh about the preseason PowerPoint that spoke volumes about Udoka's intense personality, the team's front-office head unknowingly jinxed the night ahead.

"It's been pretty quiet this year," he said.

A few hours later, after a no-call against Şengün that infuriated Udoka, he would be ejected for his profanity-laced pursuit of official John Goble late in the loss. Şengün was tossed too. Eason, who heard a heckler on his way off the floor, even started to run up a nearby ramp toward the stands before he was stopped by security. Udoka kept the chaos coming in his postgame news conference, relaying how he'd told Goble to "get some f—ing glasses." League fines ensued for all.

But Stone, when asked about the events of that evening days later, was unbothered. Amused, even.

Just another day with these rowdy Rockets.

"I'm 100 percent comfortable with everything he's said and done," Stone said. "It's understood. He ain't gonna back up. And I don't want him to. We all collectively deal with the consequences. But the consequences of backing up, I think, are a lot worse. So we're going to be what we're going to be about, the things we're going to be about, and we're going to stand our ground organizationally.

"Player by player, coach by coach, front-office guy, ownership — everybody. If we say we're gonna do something, we're gonna do it. And if you're trying to push us around, that's not going to happen."

(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; top photos: Darren Carroll / Getty Images)

How Fred VanVleet's Lessons With Raptors Are Paving Way For Rockets Renaissance

MILWAUKEE — The disappointment in Fred VanVleet's voice, as he leaned against a wall while talking to reporters, spoke louder than what he was actually saying.

Minutes earlier, the Houston Rockets had dropped a nail-biter to the Milwaukee Bucks, a game in which they had led by double-digits before letting go in a frantic ending. And annual trips to Milwaukee and Chicago where they had played the night before — both cities less than 100 miles from VanVleet's hometown of Rockford, Ill., — were always emotional.

But VanVleet's irritation wasn't because Houston lost another close game in front of friends and family. It wasn't about not taking or making the final shot, despite being the leading scorer that night on an evening where consistency evaded everyone else. He's not wired that way anymore.

VanVleet couldn't get over the fact his inbounds pass to Alperen Şengün, from a point guard who prides himself on precision, was slightly off. From the veteran playmaker's perspective, the pass was more important than the set, spacing or anything else with the possession.

"Just wasn't the best pass," VanVleet said as he shook his head. "Gotta give him a better pass"

Behind his exasperation, however, was a reminder that VanVleet has made peace with his commitment to taking a step back within Houston's hierarchy. A year ago, he might have been the one taking the last shot.

At the beginning of the season, VanVleet publicly admitted he would be deferring more to the youth on the roster. Considering the Rockets' raised expectations, one would think the reliance on VanVleet, now in his ninth NBA season, would only increase.

In the not-so-distant past when VanVleet was with the Toronto Raptors, this mental shift wouldn't have been possible. Elite point guards, like quarterbacks in football, are extremely hands-on and detail-oriented. That leadership style doesn't always mesh well with younger players.

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VanVleet came to Toronto with a decidedly old-school mentality, and the step-by-step path he took from undrafted free agent to All-Star informed his view on how players and teams should grow. When it came time for VanVleet to lead, he had calmed down from his younger days — as Sportsnet's Michael Grange reported, he once sent a teammate to the hospital because he was so flagrantly intense in a practice. But he was still very much an unsubtle advocate for putting in time and skipping no steps.

That worked fine in the Raptors' 2021-22 season when they surprised the league by going from the lottery to the Eastern Conference's fifth seed, and less so when success was more elusive. With Scottie Barnes looking to further establish himself after a Rookie of the Year season, Pascal Siakam going for All-NBA honors to qualify for supermax status and OG Anunoby trying to carve out a bigger offensive role, VanVleet had a lot of disparate goals to try to bring together. (That was even before considering his upcoming free agency and trying to back up his All-Star berth.) That job belonged to the coaching staff and front office, too, but VanVleet admittedly lacked the softer touch required to allow those disparate goals to come together into something bigger. Finding a way to further integrate Barnes, whose role was often minimized through games, was a particular problem.

"I've been in that position before," VanVleet said. "We had a lot of guys trying to figure it out at the same time in Toronto, and lost a little bit of what held us together in that process. I didn't want to make that same mistake here."

So for VanVleet, who won an NBA championship by assuming a big offensive role, ceding control to youngsters yet to experience playoff basketball takes some adjusting. The line between leadership and ego became an underlying struggle toward the end of his Raptors tenure, with multiple players trying to assert themselves concurrently. But his leadership approach is something VanVleet said he came to terms with before donning a Rockets jersey.

He saw something different, which would make his eventual decision easier.

"Just understanding the team, structure and where guys were," VanVleet said. "As someone who's done it already in terms of winning a championship, making an All-Star Game and things like that, most of these guys are still in their first contract, trying to check things off their goal list. It's easier for me to set the tone of unselfishness than it would be for them."

VanVleet's gradual evolution from professor to teaching assistant is more than an eye test. Through Dec. 1, VanVleet's usage is down to 21.9 percent according to Cleaning the Glass, placing him in just the 37th percentile among guards. His assist percentage has also dropped from 31.2 percent to 25.2 percent (34th percentile among guards). The Rockets have been involved in 13 clutch games, with VanVleet first in minutes played but third in points and usage — and a considerable distance behind Şengün and Jalen Green (34.5 and 28.2 percent, respectively).

Juxtaposed with VanVleet's dip in shooting — he's hovering around 34 percent from 3 and 83 percent from the free-throw line — and it's understandable why the Rockets, for all their defensive plaudits, have been inconsistent at the other end of the floor. But it's still a difficult ask for a prideful player struggling offensively to do less, not more, to find a rhythm.

"Hell yeah," VanVleet said. "Especially when you're not playing well. It's easy to take a backseat when everything's working, you're winning and playing well. But those nights when you don't play well and are out of a rhythm, that's when you're really tested. That's really the only time it counts."

The 30-year-old guard is still finding his balance within a Rockets offense still working out the kinks. In many ways, VanVleet's diminishing lead was necessary. Houston's 15-6 start isn't possible without its youth taking positive steps in their development. Şengün is a stable, multi-faceted source of offense and Thompson, Tari Eason and Smith have been given room to thrive in their respective roles. (Green has struggled with shot-making consistency after a blistering start to the season.)

As a result, Houston has fared better in the non-VanVleet minutes compared to when he first arrived. Per PBP Stats, the Rockets are a plus-2.9 in 325 minutes when VanVleet is off the floor, compared to a minus-2.1 last season.

Head coach Ime Udoka's system has been predicated more on in-game flow and rhythm than a pecking order. The Rockets still keep to their tenets of pace and spacing, but their half-court offense flows through who has the hot hand — or anything close to it — outside of their transition department.

Şengün and Green have been delegated with more play-initiation responsibilities, freeing VanVleet up to impact the game in other areas. According to tracking data from NBA.Com, his 1.4 screen assist points are the highest at any point over his nine-year career. Even at 6-feet, VanVleet's low center of gravity catches opponents off guard, a pleasant fit for a screen-heavy Udoka offense.

"Offensively, we're still finding out what works for everybody," VanVleet said. "You can see what it looks like when it does, but it's not gonna be like that all the time."

The search for a system that benefits everyone on the floor starts with the relationship between VanVleet and Udoka. The pair are in constant communication, with Udoka understanding VanVleet's importance to their success and VanVleet an amenable veteran. Having both arrived in Houston at the same time, there has been a healthy dialogue on what works and what doesn't, what needs to be tweaked and how to keep up in the ever-changing NBA.

"It's been great," VanVleet said of his relationship with Udoka. "He's very receptive. We talk a lot and figure out what works through the numbers. Coming in, we had so many holes to fill given how they were playing the last three years. We wanted to go slow and build a foundation defensively and unselfishly. We'll get more layered as we go, the offense will continue to grow and we'll find more success in that area."

That the Rockets are a plus-8.7 in VanVleet's minutes (82nd percentile impact) is not a surprise. He remains one of the best defenders in the league, pound for pound. Even though VanVleet isn't always on the ball, his personal turnover percentage of just 5.6 percent correlates directly to Houston being the best in the league at ball retention while he's on the floor. In the lone game VanVleet missed this season, a 102-87 win over the Washington Wizards, the Rockets struggled, finishing with 19 turnovers to just 13 assists.

Nights like that highlight VanVleet's most impressive skill — timing and impact. He can read the court and step up when his teammates look to him for an offensive lift in important games. Last Tuesday, Houston won an impressive road NBA Cup game over Minnesota 117-111, with VanVleet leading the way providing 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. So far in NBA Cup group play, VanVleet is shooting 47.6 percent from 3 and dishing out 9.7 assists to just 1.3 turnovers per game. And Sunday, against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, VanVleet led all scorers on the floor with 38 points on an efficient 10-for-19 performance.

"Just a consummate pro that's been there, done that," Udoka said following Houston's 119-116 win over Oklahoma City. "He isn't really worried about stats. He's worried about whatever is going to help the team win."

VanVleet says he has always tried to have that team-first mentality.

"The best teams that I've been a part of is guys getting it through the system, but we're still finding what that system is," VanVleet said. "That's been my thought process, how do we all benefit playing together? We know Jalen can get 40, we know Alpi is a hell of an offensive player, Dillon can score, Jabari can score — but what works for everybody at the same time?"

Regardless of VanVleet's offensive role, he remains the team's emotional compass and leader. In tense moments, like late last season following a home win over the Bulls involving a scuffle between DeMar DeRozan and Green, it was VanVleet who met with his former Raptors teammate in a back room to mediate the situation. This season, when the Rockets felt aggrieved by several officiating decisions in a home loss to the Trail Blazers, it was VanVleet who challenged the referees, earning him an ejection and a prompt $50,000 fine. His teammates routinely look to him for guidance in that department and his mild-mannered-yet-no-nonsense approach is part of his secret sauce that has the Rockets eyeing the postseason — and possibly more.

"The goal is to go deep," VanVleet said. "And not just to make the playoffs, making a real run. Last year was cool but we didn't make the playoffs — I don't think anybody was happy with that. It was cool from the standpoint of jumping in the win total column, but we want to go to the playoffs and make some real noise. So understanding what that takes and we're off to a good start."

— The Athletic's Eric Koreen contributed to this report.

(Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Jimmy Butler On Injury Report Vs. Raptors Amid Trade Rumors

The Miami Heat (12-10) have listed Jimmy Butler as probable for their Thursday night matchup against the Toronto Raptors (7-18) as they conclude a four-game homestand. Butler is dealing with right knee soreness, according to the team's latest injury report.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.M. ET, with a decision on Butler's availability expected closer to game time. In his last outing, Butler recorded 18 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals, helping the Heat secure a 122-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently hold the NBA's best record at 21-4.

This season, Butler has been a key contributor for Miami, averaging 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game across 17 appearances. He is shooting an efficient 55.7% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc.

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Butler's inclusion on the injury report coincides with swirling trade rumors surrounding the six-time All-Star. Earlier this week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Heat are open to listening to trade offers, with Butler reportedly favoring moves to the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, or Houston Rockets. During an appearance on NBA Today on Wednesday, Charania added the Phoenix Suns as another potential destination.

In response, Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, refuted the reports in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. Lee criticized Charania's claims, stating they were inaccurate. Heat owner Mickey Arison appeared to support Lee's denial by retweeting the agent's thread, further fueling speculation about Butler's standing with the organization.

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The Heat have found their rhythm after a sluggish 5-7 start to the season, winning seven of their last 10 games. Miami is currently riding a three-game win streak and aims to extend it against a struggling Raptors team. Toronto, at 7-18, is searching for consistency but faces a tough challenge against a Heat squad building momentum.

Thursday's game presents an opportunity for Miami to solidify its position in the Eastern Conference standings while addressing growing questions about Butler's long-term future with the franchise.

As the Heat look to continue their recent success, Butler's health and potential trade scenarios will remain pivotal storylines to monitor in the coming weeks.

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