Inside The Rockets

Rockets To Field Ime Udoka, Nick Nurse Among Head Coaching Replacements?

For the Houston Rockets, out goes Stephen Silas and in comes a host of championship-caliber coaches that could take his spot, including former Celtics coach Ime Udoka.

Matthew Legros

Rockets To Field Ime Udoka, Nick Nurse Among Head Coaching Replacements?
Rockets To Field Ime Udoka, Nick Nurse Among Head Coaching Replacements? /
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The Houston Rockets and coach Stephen Silas are no more, as the team declined to pick up his fourth-year option, but who will replace him at the helm of their rebuild?

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that several coaches, with and without current jobs, are potential suitors for the lottery-bound Rockets franchise, including:

"If Raptors head coach Nick Nurse becomes available, he'll be a serious consideration too."

Rumors of Nurse returning to the city of Houston to coach the Rockets surfaced weeks ago. Nurse's availability may not be open, but in the event that he finds his way out of Toronto, the Rockets are expected to pursue the clever play-caller hard.

Aside from 2019 champion Nurse, Ime Udoka stands out among the crowd. Though his reputation took a hit in wake of a sexual scandal while with the Boston Celtics, his rap sheet with the Celtics speaks volume.

He turned Boston around after starting the 2021-22 season at 17-19 and under his leadership, steamrolled the league finishing 34-12 en route to an NBA Finals berth.

Udoka's defensive schemes were on full display as his troops shutdown the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving-led Brooklyn Nets in a first round sweep, and gutted out a win against the reigning champion-Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson is one of Steve Kerr's right hand men, helping the team win the 2022 NBA championship. As a head coach, he sports a 118-190 career record with one playoff appearance in a 2019 five-game loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.

Frank Vogel ignited a red-hot 17-3 start for the Los Angeles Lakers and kept the fire burning through the COVID-19 pandemic, galvanizing L.A. to the 2020 NBA Championship in The Bubble. He has made his bones as a defensive oriented coach dating back to his days with the Indiana Pacers and has seen the Conference Finals or better on three occasions.

All four candidates provide championship DNA in their various coaching roles and know what it takes to win at the highest level, promote defense and inspire their teams -- something Houston needs more than most other things moving forward.

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Matthew Legros
MATTHEW LEGROS

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