Ime Udoka stood before a white board 15 months ago in Lake Charles, Louisiana as he offered a harsh message to his new team.
"17. 20. 22."
Udoka scribbled the Rockets' win totals across the previous three seasons, offering an immediate challenge to the young squad. Houston's head coach joined a franchise mired in the bottom of the Western Conference before last season. His mantra remained the same as it did during his lone year as head coach of the Boston Celtics: play focused, play with effort, or don't play at all.
"If you're not playing hard, whether you're the best player or the worst player, he's going to treat you the same," Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr.