Rockets Coaching Search: Can Ime Udoka Change Houston's Misfortunes Like In Boston?
HOUSTON — A blown 25-point lead to the New York Knicks on Jan. 6, 2022, had the Boston Celtics' season in an abyss. The Celtics were three games under .500 (18-21), and it appeared Boston had declined under first-year coach Ime Udoka.
But instead of accepting the Celtics' fate as a non-playoff team, Udoka fueled his team with in-season adjustments and meetings to help save the 2021-22 campaign. The Celtics finished the regular season 33-10. And a successful post-season run led to Boston falling in six games to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.
"No one really expected them to win a championship," Celtics beat reporter John Karalis said. "In fact, I'd had some early-season conversations with front office people that stated, 'we're not winning a championship this year.' So even they didn't expect the run they went on. Udoka was a big part of them making that run."
Udoka orchestrated one of the greatest in-season turnarounds in league history and established himself as one of the NBA's most prominent coaches.
Violating team policies led to Udoka's premature exiled from Boston after one season. But his firing has made him one of the top candidates for the Houston Rockets coaching vacancy.
Although the Celtics already had a foundation in place when he replaced Brad Stevens as head coach. Udoka had an impact on helping the Celtics reach another level as contenders in the eastern conference.
"He certainly had a pretty good impact on the team," Karalis said. "It took him some time to get some buy-in from them, but he worked at it and held them accountable. Eventually, they turned around a pretty mediocre start, so while there was a foundation in place that had had some playoff success, it seemed a step away from a run to the Finals."
Udoka's coaching philosophy embodies the lessons he learned as an assistant under Gregg Popovich for seven seasons with the San Antonio Spurs. He is a defense-first coach who wants to replicate the 2014 Spurs' ball movement.
Udoka would help enhance the Rockets' defensive struggles. But becoming the 16th coach in franchise history would put him at the helm of developing Houston's young corps, headlined by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were already All-Star teammates before Udoka's arrival. But each player took a significant step forward in their respective game under Udoka — making Brown and Tatum one of the league's best tandems.
"Tatum became a significantly better playmaker under Udoka, who challenged him to find his teammates more often," Karalis said. "Jaylen Brown had some of that as well. But Tatum's growth from pure scorer to setting up his teammates was pretty significant and helped that monster run."
The Celtics have maintained their success since Udoka's exit after one season. But even amid the success under first-year coach Joe Mazzulla, players still hold a great deal of respect for Udoka.
Players fought for Udoka after Stevens stepped down at the end of the 2020-21 season. The Celtics wanted Udoka's tough-love coaching style. And according to Karalis, Boston needed it.
Udoka proved he has the drive, philosophy and respect warranted to help a team reach another level. And Houston is hoping Udoka can replicate his mid-season turnaround in Boston to change the Rockets' misfortunes.
"Losing him after one season was tough," Karalis said. "Udoka spent his time in the NBA as a grinder of a player, and he carried that work into his coaching career. The players respect that about him, and he uses that experience to connect with his guys.
"He's been through the battles as a hard-nosed role player. He's been part of a championship team. He carries himself like a leader and a guy who knows what he's doing, and the guys tend to follow."
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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