Coach Udoka with an update on Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore

Coach Udoka with an update on Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore

The Houston Rockets are looking for their eighth straight victory as they host the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at the Toyota Center. Before Saturday night’s game, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka spoke to the media.

Coach Udoka discussed the Rockets’ matchup with the Jazz, Jalen Green, and gave an update on Alperen Sengun’s and Cam Whitmore’s rehab progress.

During Saturdpregameegame, Coach Udoka was asked if Cam Whitmore and Alperen Sengun had started any on-court activities.

From Coach Udoka’s response, it seems that neither is particularly close to coming back, with Whitmore the only one of the two to step on the court during rehab so far. Sengun’s initial diagnosis was that he would be out for the rest of the season, but that was before the Rocket’s late push into the play-in game. Even with the possibility of more games, it doesn’t seem like Sengun will be back at any point this season.

Whitmore has an outside chance, but the Rockets will play it safe with their rookie shooting guard.

Coach Udoka also discussed Jalen Green’s recent great play. He discussed how film study during the offseason and the season has helped and how having vets like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet has helped throughout the season.

I asked Coach Udoka about teams putting their bigs on Amen Thompson and how they have taken advantage of that strategy.

Since coming back from injury, Thompson has played to his strengths, especially since entering the starting lineup. Teams are trying to force him to take the outside shot, but as Coach Udoka mentioned during his press conference, he has not fallen into that trap.

The Rockets go for win number eight in a row as they take on a short-handed Jazz team. The Rockets are only two games out of the play-in and can inch even closer Saturday night.

For the pregame-game press conference, head to the Rocket Fuel YouTube page.