The name Udoka conveys an attitude about Amen Thompson that begins crystal clear
The The Houston Rockets have been through something in an identity crisis of late as they have suffered a couple of disappointing defeats against some teams they should be dealing with fairly easily. There are times when the Rockets look like they desperately need a general to orchestrate the offense, as things tend to get stuck for them, especially late in games.
To that end, some question whether or not Reed Sheppard he could be thrust into the starting lineup full-time as he is one of the few true point guards the Rockets have on the roster. Some even think Shepard could start on the bill Amen Thompsonunorthodox ball handler in the mold of Ben Simmons.
Rockets head coach Making Udokahowever, close that notion.
“Not right now, if ever,” Udoka said when asked if he would move Shepard into Thompson’s starting lineup, via SI’s Lachard Binkley .
Here’s Imen’s response to a question about possibly moving Reid into the starting lineup for Amen.
“Not now, if ever” https://t.co/g8KmlLRTFV pic.tvitter.com/A5Kv2KSEKSrv
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) February 10, 2026
Considering the Rockets prioritize being solid defensively to cover Alperen Sengun’s deficiencies on that end of the floor, it’s unlikely that Udoka will sub in Sheppard, who has a lot of defensive deficiencies, for Thompson, who is one of the best defenders in the league.
The Rockets take on the Clippers on Tuesday
The Rockets lost their previous matchup against the Clippers after allowing Kawhi Leonard will jump for 41 that night. But they held Leonard to just 24 points on Tuesday, and the Clippers fell to the Rockets 102-95.
Kevin Durant led all scorers with 26, and was just one of five Rockets players to score in double figures. Houston played an eight-man rotation, which speaks to how Udoka views his roster at this point in the season.
2026-02-11 03:37:00
