Ime Udoka recently fired some indirect shots at James Harden while comparing him to Fred VanVleet. As many NBA fans might be able to remember, Udoka used to be the coach of the Boston Celtics but was let go due to his having a romantic relationship with a member of the Celtics’ management.
Since he is still an excellent coach on the court, he was instantly recruited by the Houston Rockets. Members of the basketball community will be aware that the Rockets have turned into one of the worst teams in the league after the departure of their franchise star, James Harden.
Due to his recent conflicts with the Philadelphia 76ers, Harden made his desire to be traded very clear and public. He also appeared to like the possibility of returning to his old team. However, when asked about it Udoka made it clear that he preferred the addition of Fred VanVleet to their roster. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out what he had to say.
Ime Udoka opines that James Harden does not pass the basketball
Although one could argue that prime James Harden was one of the most offensively talented players in the history of the league, he also built up an infamous reputation for himself due to his style of basketball. Rockets fans will still be able to remember his isolation style of play that required a lot of ball usage.
While that might have made sense at the time, Udoka made it clear that he preferred VanVleet over Harden and cited the growth of the Rockets’ young core as his reasoning.
“Nothing against James, but Fred is just a better fit. I coached James in Brooklyn. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around… If we want Jalen [Green] and the young guys to take the next steps, we need them to have the ball.”
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka on why he wanted Fred VanVleet over James Harden:
“Nothing against James, but Fred is just a better fit. I coached James in Brooklyn. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever been around… If we want Jalen [Green] and the young guys to take the… pic.twitter.com/VZcHR8cJQX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 5, 2023
Despite the fact that Udoka started off with a disclaimer, there is no hiding the fact that he shared the opinion that Harden does not pass the ball. This is a claim that has gained quite a bit of momentum in recent times.
Even though James is known for being a good playmaker, one must wonder if he will be content allowing the other Rockets to handle the ball more while he takes a backseat and facilitates. In that regard, Udoka might have gotten it right by choosing VanVleet over Harden.