Rockets' Ime Udoka Finishes Seventh in NBA Coach of the Year Voting

Ime Udoka's lone vote for Coach of the Year showcases his impact during his first season at the helm of the Houston Rockets.

Apr 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka coaches against the Golden / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

HOUSTON — Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka fell short of winning Coach of the Year honors. In fact, he didn't even finish in the top three. However, the minor recognition he received within his first year at the helm showcases his impact on the franchise.

Udoka finished seventh in Coach of the Year voting and received one vote for second place. Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault won the honor after leading his team to a Western Conference-best 57-25 record. 

The complete voting results for the 2023-24 NBA Coach of the Year. pic.twitter.com/QatGZpJjYj

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 28, 2024

Udoka led the Rockets on a 19-win improvement during his first season with a 41-41 record. The year prior, Houston finished 22-60, which marked the second-largest jump in team history.

The Rockets not only saw a jump in their win total, but several of Houston's young players improved their play under Udoka. Alperen Sengun made arguably the most significant jump, averaging a career-best 21.1 points on 53.7 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 63 games. Sengun finished third for Most Improved Player of the Year.

Jalen Green also made significant improvements under Udoka. He developed into an all-around player, averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

"It was a new challenge with the youngest team that I've coached," Udoka said during exit interviews on April 16. "The parallels between here and Boston [Celtics] were not that much different. I had that to lean back on. But I learned that I could find some joy in some struggles and keep a good attitude at times."

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