Ime Udoka's Job With Rockets Isn't Done After Playoff Berth

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka has plans beyond just making the playoffs.

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka at a press conference before a game against the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is back in the playoffs just three years after leading the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals.

Udoka led the Celtics to the Finals in his first season as head coach, and he'll look to do the same with the Rockets.

ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton named Udoka as one of five coaches with "plenty at stake" during the postseason.

"Mazzulla's predecessor has turned the Rockets into a top-five defense in just two seasons after taking over a team that lost 60 games. Another deep playoff run for Udoka, who guided the Celtics to the 2023 Finals, would cement him as one of the NBA's top coaches. But Udoka has more playoff experience than most of his stars. Three Houston starters, including Thompson, will be making their playoff debuts," Pelton writes.

Udoka has done a tremendous job with the Rockets in his first two seasons, moving the team from 22 wins to 52 and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. That job should already put him as one of the best coaches in the NBA, but he probably doesn't feel like he has accomplished much yet.

Playoff success, especially against a team like the Golden State Warriors that has so much lore, would help Udoka gain a little more respect, but his job is to take the Rockets to a title, and that's what he's focused on more than anything.

Udoka's Rockets are set to play the Warriors on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. CT for Game 1.