Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has nothing but high praise for two members of the Mavericks who he has a close
relationship with.
When guard Kyrie Irving was playing for Brooklyn, Udoka was one of the Nets’ assistant coaches during the 2020-21 season. And when forward Grant Williams was playing for Boston, Udoka was the Celtics’ head coach during the 2021-22 season.
Both Irving and Williams are now in the starting lineup for the Mavs, and Udoka has a lot of love for each player. Udoka particularly embraced Irving, who had to eventually share the ball with James Harden after Harden joined the Nets following a Jan. 14, 2021 trade with the Rockets.
“Obviously he’s playing with another ball dominant guard (in Luka Doncic) that was very similar to when James Harden came to Brooklyn,” Udoka said. “So, we took (Irving) off the ball.
“It takes a little bit of time to get used to Luka, I’m sure. They hit the ground kind of running this year more-so than last year where it probably was more experimental at times.”
As far as Williams is concerned, Udoka pointed out the competitive spirit he brought to the court when he played for the Celtics.
“He had a bravado about himself that you need to have to be good,” Udoka said. “I love Grant because the time we spent together was invaluable for our team.
“He’s doing that here in a consistently bigger role. But he was integral to what we were doing in Boston.”
Williams and Udoka were together when the Celtics advanced to the 2022 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. What Willams gave the Celtics in energy and as a vocal leader, Udoka sees him giving that same tenacity to the Mavs.
“The shooting was a big piece,” Udoka said. “He came into the league not shooting as well, but I think those numbers were just due to a poor start.
“He bought into that role and defended multiple positions, and I think he brings some of that here to Dallas as well.”
Udoka also likes the spice Irving gives the Mavs, who beat the Rockets, 121-115, on Tuesday.
“Whether (Irving) has the ball or is off the ball, he’s really good obviously offensively,” Udoka said. “And that was very similar to what I saw in Brooklyn where he understood who James is and he put the ball in his hands and worked off the ball with Kevin (Durant) as well.
“He’s very adaptable, and (there’s) not a lot that surprise me on a daily basis whether it’s a practice or a game.”
GREEN SCORES WELL – WITHOUT SCORING: Mavs coach Jason Kidd isn’t one who gets caught up in who scores points when measuring his players. That certainly was the case with guard Josh Green.
During the Mavs’ 130-117 triumph over Washington on Nov. 15, Kidd had this to say about Green’s overall game against the Wizards.
“For Josh, one of the games that stands out was the Wizards’ game,” Kidd said. “He didn’t score at all, and I thought that was his best game of the year.”
Green finished that game against the Wizards scoreless with four rebounds, one assist and one steal in a game-high 37 minutes. And he missed all 
four of his field goal attempts, which were all three-pointers.
“When you look at Josh it’s not about scoring,” Kidd said. “It’s about him playing hard and winning the 50-50 balls and being a force on the defensive end.
“Sometimes we get caught up and we are judged only on scoring, and I know in this league it’s all about scoring. But he didn’t get a new (three-year, $41 million) deal because of his average points. It’s about what he does for us on the defensive end.”
And Green has been true to form and a major factor for the Mavs on defense this season.
“Looking at what Josh has done here of late, there are some positive things,” Kidd said. “We need him to play defense first and then get out and run.
“He’s always been judged on how hard he plays, not how many points he scores.”
BRIEFLY: Adolis Garcia, a right fielder for the world champion Texas Rangers, sat courtside at Tuesday’s game. Garcia received a thunderous ovation when he was introduced to the sellout crowd . . . Forward Maxi Kleber has only played five games this season, and hasn’t played since he was suffered a small right toe dislocation in the Nov. 8 game against the Toronto Raptors. “I think he started on the court a little bit,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Tomorrow we’ll see if he’s able to get out of the boot. If not, he’ll just continue to keep rehabbing.” . . . During their two-game trip to Los Angeles last week, the Mavs held the LA Lakers to just 101 points. It was the fewest points the Mavs have allowed in a game this season. The Mavs followed that up Saturday when they gave up just 107 points during their 19-point loss to the LA Clippers. That’s the fourth-fewest points the Mavs have allowed in a game this season. “I think if you look at the last two games with the Lakers — even with the Clippers – in the Clippers’ game we didn’t score the ball like we have here in the past,” Kidd said. “But our defense gave us an opportunity. It wasn’t where we gave up 125 or 130 (points). Again, there are stretches where our defense is really good. It’s just that we have to be consistent, and that’s what we’re fighting for right now is just being consistent on the defensive end.”
X: @DwainPrice
Share and comment