Jan 20, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka looks on with players during overtime at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
After Houston’s demoralizing loss in Memphis leading into the NBA’s 2024 All-Star break, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters that he was considering a starting lineup change. It was the fifth loss in six games for the Rockets (24-30), whose odds of a play-in tournament berth in the Western Conference have rapidly declined of late.
Houston trailed by 23 points early in the second quarter versus a Grizzlies team that had lost nine straight games going in, and Udoka cited a clear need to start games in a better fashion.
But it appears now is not the time for such a change.
At Wednesday’s practice coming out of the break, Udoka confirmed that the starting lineup will stay as-is, with Jalen Green sticking at shooting guard alongside Fred VanVleet at point guard (who is now back from injury). Here’s the reasoning Udoka told reporters:
Over the last 27 games… Dillon [Brooks] missed nine games, Fred missed the last five, Jabari [Smith Jr.] missed four. I want to get a look when we are more whole.
The ups and downs we had to start those games with different lineups, I felt like we played a lot better in the first 27 games [before those injuries] than the last 27.
We want to get back to that consistency, and we’ll get a look at our group going forward, as is… and see if we can get back to the consistency and competitiveness we had in the first set.
Houston went 15-12 in those first 27 games of the 2023-24 NBA season. Then, starting with a Dec. 26 home game versus Indiana in which Brooks strained his oblique, the Rockets went just 9-18 over the ensuing 27 games as they limped into the All-Star break.
It’s worth noting that Udoka didn’t specifically say before the break that Green was the starter whose lineup spot could be in jeopardy. However, he didn’t play in the final 18 minutes of that game due to poor performance, and with emerging rookie Amen Thompson losing his temporary starting spot due to VanVleet’s return, speculation swirled that Thompson might stay in the lineup at Green’s expense.
But Udoka isn’t ready to go there just yet, it seems.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: After further review, Ime Udoka opts against changing Houston’s starting lineup
News Related
-
1024x768_france-antoine-dupont-and-fabian-galthie-oct-2023-jpg Fabien Galthie’s men went into the global tournament as one of the favourites but they were ousted in the last-eight. Les Bleus suffered a 29-28 defeat to the Springboks as they were eliminated at their home World Cup by the eventual champions. It was a similar story to 2019, ...
See Details:
Antoine Dupont still hurt by 'injustice' of World Cup loss to Springboks
-
China’s New Aircraft Carrier Begins Catapult Testing Testing of the catapults on the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian has begun. This is an important step forward in the construction of this ship, which is set to be the first carrier in the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, that launches aircraft ...
See Details:
China's New Aircraft Carrier Begins Catapult Testing
-
Aircraft Downed Inside Russia By Patriot System: Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force has now confirmed that a number of Russian aircraft shot down back in May over their own territory were indeed destroyed by a foreign-supplied Patriot air defense system. The possibility that Ukraine’s newly acquired Patriots may ...
See Details:
Aircraft Downed Inside Russia By Patriot System: Ukrainian Air Force
-
-
Exiled Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov delivers a speech during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on April 20, 2022 in Brussels. Fedorov on Monday said Ukrainian partisans blew up a car with pro-Russian fighters inside over the weekend. A car with Chechen soldiers fighting ...
See Details:
Car With Pro-Russian Fighters Blown Up by Resistance: Exiled Mayor
-
-
Springbok lock opts not to renew contract with URC team Rugby World Cup-winning lock RG Snyman has opted not to extend his stay at Munster beyond the current season. This week, it was revealed by Munster that Snyman would seek new horizons once his deal with the Irish Province expires. ...
See Details:
Springbok lock opts not to renew contract with URC team
-
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details:
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future
-
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details:
Antoine Dupont STILL hurt by ‘injustice’ of Rugby World Cup loss to Springboks
-
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details:
Rubber stamping NHI Bill will have damaging consequences for SA for generations
-
-
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details:
After the Bell: SA’s NHI healthcare disaster starts right here
-
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details:
Gupta-linked development land for sale
-
OTHER NEWS
A senior Volkswagen executive involved in a global cost-cutting strategy said on Friday, 24 November, he was “very worried” about the future of the company’s operations in South Africa, which ...
Read more »
Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, who was famously shown to have a shorter shelf life than a lettuce, has effectively backed Donald Trump ...
Read more »
Standard Bank treasonous? We're literally helping to keep the lights on says CEO Bruce Whitfield speaks to Lungisa Fuzile, Standard Bank SA CEO. Standard Bank is one of 28 banks ...
Read more »
Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for two days; Musk ‘would like to help rebuild Gaza’ The UN said many people in Gaza still had no food or cooking fuel ...
Read more »
Mamelodi Sundowns’ former coach, Pitso Mosimane, dismissed the African Football League Jingles shared his opinion and compared it to the CAF league and said that it was a mere tournament ...
Read more »
Take note of these N3 road works between Westville and Paradise Valley The N3 between the Westville viaduct and Paradise Valley interchange will be partially closed to traffic for the ...
Read more »
UKZN medical student bags 2023 Health Excellence Rising Star Award Durban — One of the country’s most progressive young minds in the medical field, fifth-year University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) medical ...
Read more »