Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Rockets' Ime Udoka publicly calls out Alperen Sengun for defensive struggles

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 12/21/23

Ime Udoka benched Alperen Sengun during Wednesday's Houston Rockets' loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets head coach wasn't pleased with his big man's pick-and-roll defense, so he held him accountable.

During his one-year spell with the Boston Celtics, Udoka split opinions for calling out his players during news conferences. It would appear he's using similar tactics in Houston now, too.

"The mistakes I talked about," Udoka said. "We want our bigs to be up and stay beneath the rollers. Okongwu got out a few times. Capela, same thing. When they're not setting screens and slipping, you have to be able to adjust and defend those actions. That's what I saw. Not the best pick and roll defense."

Ime Udoka on benching Alperen Sengun and what he saw from him on defense:

"The mistakes I talked about. We want our bigs to be up and stay beneath the rollers. Okongwu got out a few times. Capela same thing. When they're not setting screens and slipping, you have to be able to… pic.twitter.com/qpuTiuDqri
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 21, 2023

Udoka is walking a fine line. Not every player responds to being publicly criticized. Some prefer that to happen behind closed doors. However, that isn't Udoka's style. He believes in being honest with his assessments and strives to build mental toughness within the locker room. Not everyone will agree with his methods. Some will be concerned that he could alienate the team.

However, Udoka has earned the opportunity to do things his way. He has transformed the Rockets into a competitive unit that plays hard on both ends of the court. He has gotten buy-in from his roster and is already improving the players at his disposal. If his method of calling out Sengun doesn't work out, he knows not to do it again.

Houston currently sits ninth in the Western Conference. It's on a three-game losing streak. Udoka is trying to motivate his young team. It will be interesting to see how Sengun reacts to his coach's criticism and whether the rest of the team to up their game in the hope of avoiding being put in a similar situation.

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