HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- After watching his team trail by 15 points at the end of the first quarter in their of their 121-113 loss in Memphis before the All-Star Break, a frustrated Ime Udoka hinted changes could be coming to his team’s rotation, specifically, his starting lineup.
“I think after that game everything was on the table,” Rockets guard Fred VanVleet said.
The Rockets re-convened from the break on Wednesday to practice before Thurday’s game in New Orleans, and Udoka said the starting lineup he’s used 35 times this season, which he did not have available to him in Memphis, will continue to be the one he uses against the Pelicans.
“Took a look at some things over the last 27 games and I wanted to get a look when we are more whole,” Udoka said.
The Rockets used their main starting lineup of VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, and Alperen Sengun for 27 of the first 28 games of the season.
That five-man unit outscored opponents by 10 points per 100 possessions through its first 27 games together, but Brooks strained his oblique in game 28, a loss to Indiana, and the team has been without at least one starter in 18-of-26 games that have followed.
“You’re looking at Dillon missing nine games, Fred missing the last five, Jabari missing four and the ups and downs we had to start those games with different lineups,” Udoka said. “I felt we played a lot better, obviously, in the first 27 than the last 27, so I want to get back to that consistency and we'll take a look at our group going forward as is and see if we can get back to the consistency and competitiveness that we had in the first 27.”
VanVleet’s return from the adductor strain that kept him off the floor the five games prior to the break, so Udoka will be able to turn to his regular starting five for the first time since February 4. The Rockets lost that game in Minnesota, but two nights before they beat Toronto by 29 in a game they led by 14 after a quarter.
“I looked at our last 27 games,” Udoka said. “I think we’re 1-13 when we lose the first quarter and 8-4 when we win the first quarter.”
The Rockets -6.2 net rating in the first quarter over the last 27 games is sixth worst in the NBA. They are 9-18 in that span.