Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets are gearing up for the 2025-26 regular season with high expectations. The Rockets will kick off their campaign on Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a competitive team that will surely take note of Udoka’s recent confident remarks as head coach.
According to reporter Lachard Binkley, Udoka was asked about other teams trying to emulate Houston’s double big lineup. The Rockets’ head coach acknowledged that several teams have started to adopt the approach but emphasized that opponents cannot completely replicate Houston’s strategy.
“There are more double lineups than you think in the league,” Udoka told reporters. “Everybody talks about stretch fours, stretch fives. But we didn’t have a problem doing that because of some of the lineups. Copy cat league honestly. Some will see something that works and they employ the same thing. We prep for that, knowing how effective it was for us.
“Everybody is trying to be like us. They can’t really do it like us. Take a little pride I guess.”
That’s a bold statement from a head coach about to open the season against the defending champions. It’s easy to imagine that talented teams will come into games with even more motivation when facing Udoka and the Rockets. However, Udoka likely isn’t concerned; he’s ready for the challenge.
Adding to the excitement around Houston is the offseason acquisition of Kevin Durant, bolstering the team’s talent as they aim to compete for a championship sooner rather than later. With Udoka at the helm and a strengthened roster, the Rockets are looking to make a significant impact in the upcoming season.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/houston-rockets/rockets-news-ime-udoka-confident-claim-regular-season