Ime Udoka With High Praise for Marcus Smart After Debut

On Sunday, the Houston Rockets faced off against the Dallas Mavericks in the last leg of their two-game series in Macao. It served as veteran guard Marcus Smart’s first exhibition match as a member of the Rockets.

Smart scored a game-high 20 points with five rebounds and four assists. He shot 53.8% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range, one-upping Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving in his return to the court.

As captured by NBA TV, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka praised Smart after his preseason debut.

“He’s really cerebral on both sides of the ball and has played in big games. His experience, and the edge and toughness that he brings every night, is going to be invaluable for us. Nights where maybe Fred (VanVleet) can’t play back-to-back early in the season, it’s great to have another point guard out there that’s gone through the fire.”

A Defensive Specialist

Over the summer, Smart signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Rockets. He has a prior working relationship with Udoka from their respective stints with the Boston Celtics.

Smart averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game over 62 games last season. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year is anticipated to further solidify Udoka’s defense-oriented scheme.

Smart is joining a Houston backcourt that features the likes of VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and Bruce Thornton. The 32-year-old is expected to be a solid contributor from the second unit or as an occasional fill-in for VanVleet.

With the Rockets coming off a 52-30 record and entering next season with stronger depth, there are high expectations for the franchise to break through as a serious title contender in the Western Conference.

One of the big decisions that Udoka will need to make regarding Smart is how he will handle the development of Sheppard. The 22-year-old could face a reduction in playing time with VanVleet’s return to the starting lineup, and Smart’s strong preseason performance only adds to the positional battle.

Overall, a lot can happen over the course of an 82-game regular season. Based on Udoka’s recent comments, it seems that the head coach may lean more on Smart’s proven impact than Sheppard’s potential in the weeks following Opening Day.

Houston’s next preseason game is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This will be another opportunity for Houston’s backcourt to make their case for the upcoming season.