Coach Udoka & General Manager Rafael Stone Press Conference 4/16/2024

"Do it earlier and we're playing right now." --Ime's advice to Jalen before summer break

 

Uhm what?

 

Ime a “Jater” confirmed. Doesn’t he know : insert laundry list of excuses?

 

Cue it to about 7:30 or thereabouts

 

Waiting for the @J.R. transcript.

 

Play well.

 

Dang, Stone lost about 20lbs since start of season

 

Stone thinks they'll be able to resign everyone.

 

Got to 41 wins but not into the play-in. What gets this team to a playoff team?

Stone: Winning 5 of the games we tripped off. We felt we had games in hand this year we wish we had back. If we had those, we’re probably there. Hopefully we take another step next year and all our young players get better and some of those games that were at the margin become, that we’re really close and ended up being coin flips and maybe we lost some coin flips this year. Some of those were not and we hold onto leads and whatever. That alone hopefully would get us better if we don’t regress in other areas.

Udoka: Consistency is something I preached all year. That’s a big part of it. Kind of circle back to the road record. If we took care of business on the road to the extent we did at home, we’d be in a different position. Those two areas will be areas of focus going forward.

From GM standpoint, anything in terms of roster construction or player acquisition you say you need to go get to get better?

Stone: We were a competitive team this year. I don’t know that there’s a “we need to get get.” I’m also not sure we’re at a stage where we’re thinking we need to go get. I think it’s important all of our players get better individually. That’s probably our primary focus. That’s not to say I won’t be aggressive at looking at things to make our roster better. I absolutely do that. That’s the most core part of my job. We’re not feeling the pressure of we need X. We feel good we have a well rounded roster with lots of talented players. A lot of it is on our current players to add to their skill set and get a little better.

Udoka: You add Tari & Steven to the mix and another year/offseason under our belt to hit the ground running, there should be quite a bit of improvement just with that.

How long did it take players to adjust to your style (honest, straightforward, blunt)?

Udoka: It was pretty immediate. We spent a good amount of time in the offseason together. It was never a secret. They understood that coming in. It wasn’t like I was coaching them for the first time in preseason. They understand who I am and had tons of conversations leading into the season. As far as the benchings or whatever, guys understand what they do on the court will be rewarded. Like I said at the start of the year, roles and minutes aren’t handed out anymore. Guys will compete for those. When you do the right thing, you’ll be on the court. It wasn’t always the case of what you didn’t do as much as what others did. … Expectation coming in was those things will be earned.

From micro-level, what do you want to see your guys do that doesn’t allow those 5 games to get away?

Udoka: Growth in all those areas where you’re going through it for the first time with us. I think we got better throughout the season and limiting mistakes and improving in all those areas. We got off to a good start, you saw a big jump from guys, plateaued in the middle of the season and finished off stronger. The fact we have a year under our belt, those experiences they don’t have to go through for the first time, understanding what we’re requiring of them will be a lot different. We talk about Fred and Dillon and some vets coming in, we still wanted to see our young guys take the step and that internal growth will push us the furthest. You saw Alpi take a big jump early, Jabari as well and Jalen kinda caught on later. From a consistency standpoint, if those guys take those jumps, we’re in a different position. This experience will benefit us.

What would you like to add to this team?

Stone: I like my team. Potentially we’re bringing back everyone we have. That doesn’t mean we won’t look at things. We’re not sitting here today that we need to go get X. We’re looking forward to get Tari back. He’s an enormous part of what we do. We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us. The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back. We’ll look at things but again, I don’t view our roster as we’re missing X, we need to go find it. The job is to identify talented basketball players and if we find someone on their own merit is special and makes sense, we’d look strongly at that but from my perspective, it’s not like we have a gaping hole.

Jalen’s last season surge was the story of the season. Any parting words or advice before you broke for the summer?

Udoka: Do it earlier and we’re playing right now. Everybody learns and adapts to things on their own speed. He was a guy I probably pushed harder than most to improve all around and not just be labeled on one side of the court or as a scorer only. Some things he’s done his whole life were being challenged. For him, this is who you are, although you had ups and downs, loved the resiliency. Played 82 games. Played through injury, fatigue, frustration. Never complained, never wavered from the work he put in and was rewarded with that towards the end of the season. It takes time for everyone. You see the talent and potential. To see him fight through that and achieve that late in the season, we were all very proud of him.

Where did you see the biggest growth from when you arrived? Anything surprise you that you learned along the way?

Udoka: Overall IQ of the team. An area that improved throughout the season and got a lot better towards the end. As I mentioned, limiting the same mistakes. Our IQ as a group grew. Not so much surprised me but pleasant surprise was our competitiveness and effort from day one. You saw that fight and toughness come out as the season went on. I’d rather have guys you have to pull back some than having to get kick started. It was a welcome surprise.

Jalen and Alperen are extension eligible. Are you open to those conversations and how important are they?

Stone: They’re both super important to us. To double down on what Ime said, I’m proud of Alperen. He had a rough camp and you could see a switch turn early. We asked hard things of him too. He had a really good year. I talked to Jalen 3-4 days ago, talked for quite awhile. On court success is what it is. No one is trying to miss shots. The ball goes in, it doesn’t. That ends up being important so I don’t want to say I don’t care but in terms of dealing with people as people, I did tell Jalen how proud of how tough he was this year, on and off the court mentally. That’s what’s required to be successful.

(Rafael extension) Opportunity to build on what you started and Ime for you personally, how did this year challenge you and what ways do you feel you got better?

Stone: Very happy to be here. Some news leaked today. We’ve been in bed for awhile now. I’m thankful to Tilman and the Fertitta family. They’ve been great people to work for and with. Thankful to Ime and his staff. It’s been an enjoyable year. We have the chance to build something special here. That’s very much my goal. I want to build the absolutely best team we can, something built for sustainable success and I think we have a very good chance of that so I am excited.

Udoka: It’s a new challenge with the youngest team I’ve coached. I mentioned the parallels between here and Boston. We’re not as far off as you’d think. I had that to kinda lean back on. I learned I can find joy in some struggle. … For me, it was how to adjust to a young team. A lot more teaching than coaching at times. When you have the foundation and IQ I mentioned, you can get to the basketball schematics and coaching but a lot of firsts for guys. It was good. Mix of young guys and veterans and group in general, it was a pleasure to work with. From a competitive standpoint, we had that from day one. It was a matter of getting up to speed on everything else. It’s not good to be done in April. First time never making the playoffs. We echoed to the guys let this be the last time we’re not playing and not be the norm for you guys. You should be preparing for what’s to come and what really matters and let’s achieve that next year.

You have another top 10 pick. Of course you have several young guys who need minutes. How much will that factor in keeping that pick or trading it to improve the team?

Stone: It for sure factors in. We have to do an evaluation on the whole draft. Rule of thumb is if you can get a special player, you get him because you can’t control the timing. The flip side is we’re excited about our young guys now and there’s not a source of minutes for anyone coming in. We’ll have to look at it in totality and try and figure out what makes best sense.

Tari and Steven still on track for training camp? Anyone else need surgery?

Stone: I hope not. Not that I’m aware of. And yes, both are on track.

You talked about wanting to win a championship. That’s the goal. The group you ended the season with, do you feel that group is good enough to get you there if they develop the way you hope they will?

Stone: Are we including Alperen and Tari? I don’t think talent is our problem. We have a lot of talent. That doesn’t mean this current group is one we’ll take for the next 50 years. That’d be wonderful. I’d love it if it happened but that tends not to be the way the NBA works. We feel very good about our base of talent. All of them at times have shown glimpses or more than glimpses of being guys who can play in big moments in big games and be very successful and we’re excited for it.

 

I'm curious what Stone might have been referring to when he said "Alpi had a rough camp"?

 

How do you judge growth going forward?

Stone: When we sat here last year, you asked me can I put a number on games we had to win. I said no. I’d say the same thing again. You take each year as it is. The only team that should feel good is the team that wins the championship. At the end of each year, you have to make a decision on where you fell short and what the appropriate steps are to give yourself the best chance of being that team. If you try to put a number on it, you’re making a mistake.

Coach, a year ago, multiple openings and highly thought of. Reflecting back, how justified in your mind this was the right decision?

Udoka: Going to Phoenix, Milwaukee, or Philly, we’d be in the playoffs now. Other than this, Detroit and Toronto opening immediately, these were the ones in front of me at the time. This was one where people reached out. Everything we talked about when we met with Tilman and Patrick, it aligned with what I wanted to do. Being able to build something was more appealing than a 2-year window. … Pleasant surprises, Houston being a destination to this extent for a lot of guys, knew we had to change the culture. It’s gone to plan. Ton of young potential, had cap space to go after free agents and chance to build within with the guys we had. It was a no brainer for me. Happy with the choice. Tied with this guy a little longer. Couldn’t be more happy. Grass isn’t always greener looking at the bigger picture. A little instant gratification to keep a playoff streak going and then out of the mix, this is a chance to do something long term and special.

Jalen went on his hot streak when Alpi went out. Was that out of necessity and why do you feel those two are a good compliment going forward?

Stone: One’s a guard, one’s a center. One of the guys I’ve worked with a long time has a saying that “Someone has gotta score.” The more shots you get, the more you’ll score. In that sense, Jalen benefitted from getting additional shots. He started playing really good basketball prior to Alperen’s injury. His scoring tailed off a little bit at the end but he really played some really good games at the end of the season where he didn’t score particularly well. It’s about putting yourself in position for success. He made some big steps mid season that set him up that way. Fundamentally, great players can play with great players and they’re not positionally similar. The challenge that exist for us is not Jalen and Alperen. It’s Jalen, Alperen, Amen, Tari, Jabari, Cam, Dillon and Cam. We’re a team. Ime has to find a way to mesh everyone but a lot of that is on them and the choices they make. Every team every year faces that challenge. Every year is a fresh challenge. Every year someone comes back and added to their game and how do you incorporate that or they want to do more and how do incorporate that. That’s the challenge in front of us. It’s a great one to have these talented young guys who are getting better and having more potential but we’re cognizant it is a challenge.

Udoka: Jalen had more opportunity with Alperen out. They have contrasting styles. Early on, we leaned on Fred to get us into sets, initiate everything and get our turnovers down. Alpi being one of the top low post scorers, Jalen wasn’t gonna have the same opportunity as in the past. Sometimes it comes down to making shots. With the ball in his hands, he goes on a hot streak. He was playing well before Alperen went down. Looking forward to that combo meshing next year with more experience and understanding what we’re looking for from both of them. It’s funny, they said the same thing about Tatum and Brown. Can they mesh together? A lot of times, it’s the guys that every team would want. Everyone would want Jalen and Alpi on their team. I think it’s a no brainer that it can work and we’ll see it going forward.

Coach, you come from a family where it’s all about hard work and no time for feeling sorry for yourself. There was scrutiny and things said about you before the Rockets hired you. Do you feel that after a year, that redemption story is not only for you but those young men in the locker room and your son as well?

Udoka: I don’t look at it as having to prove something from a basketball standpoint. Mistakes were made in the past. I was entrusted to come back and lead this team. For me, it was getting back to what I love to do and for the team, helping them get on the right path. A little bit of both. Happy for the achievements that the guys stepped up and achieved this year but we still have work to do. For me, it’s not like I’m holding grudges or keeping count of who said what. It’s onto the next, putting mistakes behind you. That’s my mindset. We wanted to achieve more but had a lot of success for the first time, played meaningful games and would like to see them rewarded for what they’ve been through and achieved. I’ll leave it at that.

Last summer, you worked with the guys before training camp. Similar plans?

Udoka: Seems like a good number will be here. It’s a big emphasis for me and my staff to go see our guys. Get your time off and right back at it, how can we improve, film sessions. It’s not just 5 months being away from things we established this year. It’s important to get your hands on your guys throughout the offseason and build that reputation and relationship with those guys to get out and see them. We might be out in Turkey at some point and everywhere else in between. I’ll catch guys all over the country.

There were questions coming into the season. What guys would step up, who would be here, who’s a good fit. One or two questions that were answered one way or the other for you now that the season is complete?

Udoka: Competitiveness from day one. When you see 22 games won, you’d think it’s a non-competitive group, group that didn’t have fight or laid down and that wasn’t the case from day one. You saw young guys that were hungry to improve and the additions we brought in, that benefited us greatly. To know, OK, this is not as far off as the record might say. Also, just guys’ internal growth. Asking Amen to do a lot of different things, requiring Jalen and Alpi to improve and not rest on what they did in the past. Challenged Alperen to defend and do some different things and he took a huge jump from day one. Jabari being more consistent. Amen and Cam learning to play different. The competitiveness initially and receiving our coaching and being receptive has been a good surprise.

 

Do you view extensions for Jalen and Alperen as a priority?

Stone: I’ll always talk to any player at any time about anything. If you want to have a relationship, it’s based on communication. Based on the way the CBA is set up, you can extend. You don’t have to. You can always revisit next summer. There’s no gun to our head. We’ll have conversations. We’ll see what makes sense for us, what makes sense for them. Then, both sides will make whatever decisions we make. It’s an opportunity to have good discussions with them. We look forward to that but not feeling like it’s a burden or crushing pressure.

Do you feel you can extend all six first round picks?

Stone: Can we keep them on this team? We do.

Couple guys mentioned you plan to have the offense ‘less basic’. What do you have in mind?

Udoka: What we did late. We had success with pace, 3pt shots and some things Tari and different guys being offensive rebounders naturally. We emphasized that after all-star break. We wanted to lay the foundation. Our group in general to start, Fred is not the fastest point guard, Dillon is not a natural runner or Alpi is not a natural runner, you’d think that’s not a good lineup as far as pace but it benefits Jalen, Jabari, Amen and Cam. You want balance but do what works well for the team. The pace was a thing. I’m joking about Fred but he’ll kick the ball ahead anytime he pushes when he gets the chance and saw everyone else get on board. We found something as far as that. It’s a balance when you want to go from 29th in turnovers to top 5 or whatever we ended. Taking care of the ball, not being careless in transition so you’re zeroing in on specific things and then double back to transition, pace and getting threes up. We found some things that worked late. Even with Alperen out there, we increased it after all-star break so it wasn’t because he was out only. We’ll do some of those things better. I kept it pretty vanilla as far as ATOs and draw ups. We’re trying to build this foundation to get our IQ up and don’t want to get too complicated offensively at times. I think you’ll see some improvement.

Talk about the rookies this year.

Udoka: Wasn’t a surprise when you take the 4th pick in a guy that was supposed to be top 5. You see the talent. It takes a little time. Amen had the injury. The things we saw him do the last 2/3 of the season could’ve been expedited if he was playing more. He took steps from opportunity alone. Surprise is not the word but happy with his growth. You put him in the starting lineup with Fred and Jalen, he’s not gonna handle the ball as much and found a ton of different ways to impact the game. Just adds to his tool kit that he can do other things without the ball in his hands. Cam, it took time and opportunity. Got Dillon, Tari, Jae’Sean in front of him initially. Went to RGV and came back ready to play when we had injuries. Always in attack mode. It’s buying into defensive concepts and he did that. Understands how he can impact the game more ways than one. Happy with those two. More growing to do. Happy with their first year.

Having seen two versions of this team: traditional style with Alpi and small ball in the last month. How do you balance that going forward?

Udoka: They both work well. Like I mentioned, just because you have guys not natural at one thing doesn’t mean you can’t play with that pace and vice versa. We want Alpi to improve his shooting and requiring other things of other guys. We had two different styles anyways. Jeff at the 5 when Jock wasn’t playing much. We saw both work, albeit differently at the end with Jabari at the 5. We got these athletic guys coming in off the bench but kinda apply that to the first unit as well. Anytime you have a low post scoring threat like Alperen, it only adds to the mix and bodes well for us going forward with our versatility since you got guys you can use at different spots.

 

liked it ... loved it

 

My notes:

- WHERE ARE ALL THE GUYS WHO HAD JOKES ABOUT PACE? Ime flat out says we were wrong about the pace, we didn't think fast pace would work for this starting lineup but it helps Jalen/Cam/Bari and we want to do it more next year. As soon as we picked up the pace we won more, Jalen played way better and the coaching staff codified it into our future. As soon as the pace dropped again at the end of the season, the wins stopped coming too. The two guys who FOUGHT me on the basic idea that pace will benefit ultra-athletic players that are the core of our team: man up and say you were wrong.

- These two don't sound like they plan to trade anyone significant. Other than for a max-worthy player under 30 years old, I don't think they will trade even our most disappointing young player. After hearing what Udoka and Stone think about the character of our young guys and their work habits, I have practically 0 interest in seeking a trade.

- I seriously got the feeling we are not keeping our pick in 2024 unless it moves up. I think they will trade it OR they will add picks to move up for an ultra-special player. Happy with these two possibilities.

- 100% PURE SPECULATION: I don't think Udoka likes Stone. Does anyone else get that feeling? In dozens of interviews, he has never said a nice thing about Stone which is weird. New coaches say nice things about the GM even just out of courtesy, at least when asked about being hired. He semi-hides his face when Stone takes credit for things. When asked about how he feels about his choice of coming to Houston over other teams, he mentions Tilman and Patrick but not Stone - who immediately notices that he was left out of that sentence. Interesting to me in light of our resident insider (Nook) confirming Udoka has a stronghold on the management of this team.

- I loved hearing that he was pleasantly surprised by how competitive and hard working this core has been. He had some doubts that a 22-win team would be that way, but they fought all season from day 1. I told you this about our guys too, we have a group of guys who are disproportionately willing to try hard on defense. That's very rare for a young group. This is the #1 reason I predicted a dynasty in the making. There are some unusually good things about our core that we've gotten lucky with.

- Throughout the season I was never really sure if Udoka fully believes in Jalen or he's just being polite. He loved this team, he loved Jalen's resilience playing through fatigue/injury/frustration without a single complaint, he said no roles or minutes were ever handed out and that even though it was late Jalen CAUGHT ON towards the end and he just wishes it happened earlier (as we all do). He believes it's a no-brainer that Jalen and Sengun will mesh and that anyone in the league would want any of these two players. There is no one in the world who would believe Udoka is going to keep being nice to a mentally weak or lazy player and be daydreaming about how that player is going to mesh with Sengun next season.

 

This is Stone after the Extension. The Smirk is still very creepy.

Spoiler

 

Nooooooooooooooo not Stone

 

He had a few good games earlier and then had that December slump......more of a middle of the season drought.

 

I do think one small part of Ime earlier planned with Wemby......although that migh have sounded way too impossible.

It was part of the job earlier to be at the Draft and be the mascot at the Lottery.