Udoka on the Rockets' new season: The team aims to go even further.

September 25th - Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka stated at media day that the team failed to meet expectations last season. The Rockets achieved 52 wins for the second consecutive year, but were again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. With Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams returning from injury, and young players like Armen Thompson , Reed Shepard , and Taj Ethan continuing to develop, Udoka believes the team needs to go further this season.

“ We’re not just doing this to get to the first round, ” Udoka said. “ We want to really make an impact, and everyone’s eager to do that. ”

Last season, Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams both suffered season-ending injuries, impacting the Rockets' roster rotation. VanVleet missed the entire season due to a torn ACL in his right knee, and the Rockets finished the season ranking 24th in the league with 14.4 turnovers . Both players have now returned to training, and VanVleet has been cleared to participate in 5 -on -5 scrimmages and has participated in intra-squad scrimmages in the past few weeks.

Adams underwent surgery on his left ankle in January . The Rockets, led by him, ranked first in the league in offensive rebounding for the past two seasons. The return of these two veterans is expected to alleviate pressure on the team's backcourt organization and interior rotation.

Meanwhile, young players such as Armen Thompson , Reed Shepard , Tali Ethan , Alperen Shinkyung , and Jabari Smith Jr. continue to develop. General Manager Rafael Stone stated that their confidence has clearly increased after receiving more opportunities last season.

During the offseason, the Rockets acquired Marcus Smart and Bojan Bogdanovic , while bringing back Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams. Kevin Durant will also be entering his second season with the Rockets. Both Udoka and general manager Rafael Stone hope to reduce the playing time of the 37- year-old Durant, but Durant stated that he wants to stay on the court as long as the game requires it. " If the game needs me to play, I'm willing to play, " he said.

Image source: Internet