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Common Mike you couldn't wait 3 or 4 more games before writing this.
Udoka continues to make case for more playing time with season high
Mike Monroe
Spurs forward Ime Udoka likely earned himself more playing time with Sunday's performance against the Houston Rockets at the AT&T Center.
Udoka scored a season-high 16 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, and grabbed seven rebounds. He also took a long defensive turn muscling up against Houston's Ron Artest.
Coach Gregg Popovich seemed to acknowledge that Udoka has earned more time.
“He didn't get much time in the beginning of the year,” he said. “We've been holding him back a little bit. He's been keeping himself in shape. He's been working hard before and after practices. He's a pro, and he had a great game tonight.”
Udoka said his goal Sunday was just to bring the Spurs some energy and defensive intensity. When he made three of his first four shots, he opted to keep looking for offensive opportunity.
“I hit a few shots early and was playing (power forward) a little bit, so I got to crash the boards and run around, but I was just trying to help the team,” he said.
Stump speech: Popovich believes Rockets coach Rick Adelman deserves consideration for Coach of the Year for keeping his team in the mix for a high Western Conference seed despite major roster changes and key injuries.
The Rockets traded starting point guard Rafer Alston and elevated second-year point guard Aaron Brooks to a starting role. All-Star Tracy McGrady underwent season-ending knee surgery Feb. 24.
“They've played well without people for two years now,” Popovich pointed out. “Yao (Ming) was out for a very long time last year, and they won 20 in a row, or some crazy number like that.
“Tracy's been out a lot this year, and they've won. They're a deep, talented team, and I think Rick Adelman's done an amazing job of keeping all the pieces together and keeping them on a winning track.”
Adelman was flattered by Popovich's praise.
“In this long season, you're going to go through ups and downs through injuries and everything else. We've had some major changes. We've been able to overcome them and continue to come back from them. I think it bodes well because it's a character of the team that shows up.”
Popovich doesn't care much for postseason awards but gave Adelman an unsolicited endorsement.
“Rick's a Coach of the Year candidate for what he's done, and the players deserve a lot of credit for sticking together with a lot of injuries.”
Worth noting: For the first time in 15 games, Tony Parker was not the Spurs' leading scorer. Tim Duncan, scoring in the 20s for the first time since Feb. 17, at New York, led the Spurs with 23 points. Parker had 22 ... The Spurs are 10-6 in games decided by three points or less after starting the season 9-2.
Common Mike you couldn't wait 3 or 4 more games before writing this.
Really...Common Mike you couldn't wait 3 or 4 more games before writing this.
udoka has been playing better for the past few games, compared with how he played during the 1st half of the season. props to ime. hope he'll continue playing well during the post season.
As I stated before udoka strikes me as a guy that shows up when nothing is expected of him and shows up at the right time
Well you could also say that he shows up when the pressure goes up. I think he's playing a lot tougher now that it's getting to money time.
Udoka gives the Spurs some physicality together with Gooden and Fab and Kurt. There are certain matchups where the Spurs will need his muscle.
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