The Houston Rockets have been one of the biggest surprises of this year. They have steadily climbed up the ranks and established themselves as the second-best team in the Western Conference this season. On Inside the NBA, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith discussed Ime Udoka’s impact on the Houston side’s unexpected resurgence in 2023-24.
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When asked if he is surprised to see the Rockets so high up in the West, Smith said that he expected them to be good, but they have surpassed his expectations. The Jet had them “anywhere between three to six,” previously.
Barkley also said that the Rockets being number two was surprising to him. He believes that Udoka’s leadership has a lot to do with the team’s success. He said, “We knew Ime was going to go down and solidify the coaching situation, but nobody thought they would be number two in the West.”
As a former Rocket, Chuck is happy with their success and believes that they are only going to be better from here. He said, “This team is ahead of schedule, but nobody thought they were going to be number two.” After Smith and Chuck’s assessment, Shaq chimed in to break down the key to their success.
The big fella outlined that the Rockets are playing with a lot of energy which has resulted in them dominating in both home and away games. Shaq counted himself as part of the group that was surprised by the Rockets’ position in the league. He also gave a shoutout to Alperen Sengun while complimenting the team.
Shaq said, “He plays the game the right way and I like the way they play.” Other than the surprising element, TNT’s panel acknowledged that Udoka is a “terrific” basketball coach who knows how to get the best out of his players.
Currently, the Rockets are on a five-game winning streak and have a 27-12 record. They are only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder who have the best record in the league.
