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Marcus Smart: “A lot of times you see guys, this league tries to turn guys into one-dimensional. We got our guys, so we need you not to do this when it’s like we can do it. And you need us to be able to do it because on nights where your guy, they’re taking them out, you need some other way to get some production. So definitely that familiarity with Ime Udoka allows me to go out there and understand that I can play free and play with confidence because I don’t have to worry and look over my shoulder every time I do something right or wrong.”
The respect Smart immediately had for Udoka, because of his direct and sometimes harsh approach, was mutual. In many ways, the two of them are alike. They take pride in their toughness, their defiance, their resilience and, above all, their insatiable desire to win. So, once they had a chance to reunite in Houston five years after their only season together and finish what they started, it was a no-brainer for both. The pair, reunited, face their old team, the Celtics, Monday night. With the Rockets at 6-1 and Smart serving as a key reserve so far, the reunion is going well. “I thought he was a perfect fit who addresses a lot of what we were missing,” Udoka said in a one-on-one interview with The Athletic late last week. “I thought we lacked a little depth at point guard, and he brings that defensive identity. We still have high-level defenders, but he brings that edge and toughness and tone-setting that Dillon (Brooks) brought to us before he left the building.”
“He’s not a conventional coach. He can be very controversial. He challenges norms that most coaches wouldn’t challenge, especially against certain players,” Smart said. “That’s the beauty of who he is as a coach and who he is as a person. It’s not a facade. It’s real. I grew up around that my whole life, so it wasn’t anything new to me.”
“There are some guys who have that defensive mentality, but it’s rare to have a guy who comes into the game and impacts it the way he does on that side of the ball,” Udoka said. “You saw it with Dillon, you saw it with Pat (Beverley). There are certain guys you have to prepare for because of what they do defensively. He’s one of them.” “(Udoka’s) mentality matched mine,” Smart added. “He allowed me to be me without any persecution.”
In 2021, Smart was a beloved figure among Boston fans and an unquestioned leader in the locker room. If Udoka was going to be true to himself and establish his no-nonsense persona as head coach, he’d have to hold Smart to the same standard he held everyone else. But when first-year coaches handle these situations the wrong way, they can alienate players in irreparable ways. Udoka decided to meet with Smart one-on-one and explain why he needed to suspend him for Boston’s preseason finale and how crucial it would be for their relationship to be even stronger coming away from this one incident. “My main rule is being on time and respecting everyone’s time,” Udoka said. “After I let him know my decision, we sat down and had a good talk, and that set the tone for who we were gonna be as a team and what kind of example I wanted him to set for everybody else. That’s just how I am. I’m an equal opportunist, whether it’s the starters, the bench guys or whoever it is.”
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Will Guillory: Per Ime Udoka, Alperen Sengun is out tonight in Dallas with low back soreness. Marcus Smart is likely to return after missing the last few games with a left forearm strain.
Will Guillory: Rockets injury report: -- Alperen Sengun (low back soreness) and Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) are QUESTIONABLE. -- Reed Sheppard (low back soreness) and Steven Adams (right soleus strain) are OUT.
Mike Curtis: Alperen Sengun (low back soreness) and Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) are questionable for tomorrow's game against the #Mavs. Reed Sheppard (low back soreness) and Steven Adams (right soleus strain) are out.
The Rockets have ruled out Alperen Sengun (low back soreness) for Wednesday's game against Milwaukee. Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) is questionable.
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Will Guillory: Rockets injury report at Milwaukee: -- Alperen Sengun (low back soreness) is OUT. -- Steven Adams (Right Soleus Strain) is OUT. -- Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) is QUESTIONABLE.
Will Guillory: Ime Udoka says Marcus Smart will be OUT tonight vs Atlanta. The hope is he can return on Wednesday at Milwaukee. Steven Adams is also out tonight and Udoka says he expects Adams to miss a week or two after the team did some imaging on his calf.
The Rockets have downgraded Marcus Smart (left forearm strain) to out for Monday’s game against Atlanta.
Varun Shankar: Steven Adams OUT with a right soleus (calf muscle) strain. Marcus Smart questionable.
