Rockets' Head Coach Crucial to Playoff Aspirations

Ime Udoka will play a bigger part in Houston's season than you think.

Apr 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka coaches against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

NBA head coaches can often go overlooked by the mass media when their team is finding success. Fans are so quick to drag coaches through the mud when a team is underperforming, but it's rare that a team's success will be greatly recognized through the head coach.

The Houston Rockets have one of the best coaches in the NBA in Ime Udoka, and he's already displayed immediate success with the franchise as they transition from a rebuild to playoff expectations.

The Rockets saw a 19-win increase from 2023 to 2024, with most of the same core. Aside from the additions of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Houston's 2023 draft class, Udoka and his staff were able to develop the young core into contenders for the Play-In Tournament. The Rockets finished 41-41 last season, one spot out of the 10th seed.

Entering 2024-25, the Rockets have legitimate reason to believe that they can be a playoff team, and Udoka is a big reason for that. It will be year two of VanVleet, Brooks, and other veterans meshing with the young core of Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson, among others.

Udoka's first season as the head coach saw Houston finish with a top-10 defense, something that is so important in an NBA driven by offense. There were growing pains on the other side of the ball, but Houston lacked true shooters. The hope is that adding rookie Reed Sheppard to the mix will fix that problem.

The former Boston Celtics head coach recently ranked No. 8 on CBS Sports' NBA coach rankings. Udoka will look to back up that ranking as the Rockets enter the 2024-25 season with confidence.

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