Rockets coach Ime Udoka isn’t downplaying expectations for the upcoming season. He’s preparing for a lengthy playoff run, according to Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press.
“We’re not here to just make the first round, we want to make some real noise,” Udoka said during the team’s media day. “Everybody’s hungrier for that and to take the next step and not plateau.”
Houston posted a 52-win season despite losing point guard Fred VanVleet to a season-ending ACL tear prior to training camp. The Rockets were bounced by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
“We obviously had some challenges last year, particularly on the injury front and lost quite a few games that that we thought we could have won and we still had a good year,” GM Rafael Stone said. “So, I think there’s just a lot of meat on the bone for us to improve upon.”
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VanVleet has received full medical clearance heading into camp. “Where I am right now, with the season about 30 days out, I feel really good,” he said. “It’s going to be a process still, so you guys see won’t see the finished product, but I’m in a really good spot.” Udoka said VanVleet has been participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets. Udoka anticipates his point guard won’t play both games of back-to-backs, at least early in the season. VanVleet is heading into his walk year after exercising his $25MM option for this season.
Kevin Durant isn’t keen on the idea of reduced playing time, which Udoka suggested. “Not just for the sake of getting my minutes down just because he’s older or he played a lot of minutes,” Durant said. “That’s what I’m supposed to be training for is to play the long haul, play 48 minutes a night. I get the concern, but if the game needs me to be out there, I want to be out there.” Durant added that “the team is better when I’m on the court.” Durant, 37, averaged 36.4 minutes while making 78 starts last season.
Durant holds a $46MM option on his contract for the 2027/28 season. Stone indicated that Durant reiterated at the end of last season “how happy he is here” and that he wants to stay in Houston, Ben DuBose of The Rockets Wire tweets.
Amen Thompson admitted he wasn’t deserving of a spot on one of the NBA’s All-Defensive teams last season, Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle tweets. However, Thompson is using that as a motivator to be better this season. He’s also motivated by the fact his brother, Pistons wing Ausar Thompson, snagged a spot on the All-Defensive First Team.