Ime Udoka's 'No Nonsense' Style Helped Turn Around the Rockets

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was the main reason for the culture shift in Houston.

Dec 29, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets wanted a culture change after the 2022-23 season ended. The Rockets were coming off another season where they finished toward the bottom of the standings. The 2022-23 season was the third year of the Rockets' rebuild following the departure of James Harden.

After the conclusion of the season, the Rockets let go of Stephen Silas and started their head coaching search. It didn't take long for the Rockets to zero in on their number one candidate, Ime Udoka. The Rockets were the first team that offseason to hire a new head coach, as they knew Uodka was the person to turn around the franchise.

During a behind-the-scenes look into the Rockets 2023-24 season, Udoka spoke about his "blunt" approach and how he made clear from day one that this would be a different Rockets team.

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During his first press conference, Coach Udoka mentioned youth not being an excuse. In fact, youth was brought up a lot during the Rockets' prior three seasons, as Houston was one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Udoka emphasized that being happy with just player development was not enough.

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta also clarified that Udoka's hiring signified the end of phase one and the start of phase two. Udoka was not brought in to develop the young players. He was brought in to win games.

Ime Udoka's effect was present all season long as the Rockets became one of the best defensive teams in the league after ranking near the bottom defensively for the previous three seasons. The Rockets ranked in the top ten in several categories, including first in opponent fast break points.

Nothing exemplified Udoka's no-nonsense approach more than his philosophy on who finishes games. Most coaches, no matter what, stick with their starters in clutch-time situations. Throughout the season, the Rockets' coach would bench his starters and finish the game with who he felt was playing the best.

Udoka's coaching made a difference, not just on defense. The Rockets had been one of the most turnover-prone teams since 2021. With Udoka holding players accountable and bringing more structure to the team, the Rockets finished their best season ever in taking care of the basketball.

The Rockets have much bigger goals for the upcoming season. Everyone from the team's owner down to the end of the rotation expects the Rockets to make the play-in game at least. For the Rockets to go from a much-improved team to the playoffs, they will need to continue to build on the foundation that Udoka started to build last season.

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