One Area Ime Udoka Can Improve on Next Season for the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets had just suffered through the three worst seasons in franchise history after trading away their franchise player, James Harden. The Rockets wanted to move on from the rebuilding stage to phase two, where they focus more on winning and not just player development.

The Rockets started the process by not renewing Stephen Silas' contract and moving on to a new head coach. The Rockets hired Ime Udoka to lead the team from a lottery team to a playoff contender and eventually a championship contender.

Udoka and the Rockets knew they had to bring in more veteran leadership on the court as well. Udoka wanted players who matched his personality, so they brought in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. From the first day in training, it was evident that there was a different vibe around the team. Udoka made it evident from the start that he was the leader of the team.

The change in leadership on and off the court led to the Rockets improving by a league-best 19 games in Udoka's first season, as the Rockets came up a few games short of making the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Udoka and the Rockets all said after the last game of the season that anything short of a playoff berth would not be acceptable.

The Rockets not only achieved a playoff berth in 2024-25, but they also exceeded expectations by winning 52 games and finishing second in the competitive Western Conference. The Rockets then pushed the Golden State Warriors to seven games and fell just short of advancing to the second round. During the season, Udoka experimented more with his lineups and gave players like Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun more responsibilities.

Those decisions paid off as the Rockets became one of the surprises of the NBA. However, there were some decisions made and not made that did cause issues throughout the season. In the last installment of our series, we discuss one area Ime Udoka needs to do better next season.

Ime Udoka Needs to Open up the Offense More Next Season

The Rockets developed a reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and also the league's best rebounding team. The Rockets realized early on that if they wanted to be competitive, they had to outplay their opponents and avoid getting into high-scoring battles each game.

That led to the Rockets, at times, struggling on the offensive end and having to depend on their defense more than they would have liked. Even though the Rockets improved their shooting late in the season, they were still a bottom-10 3-point shooting team and middle of the pack in points per game.

Having a middle-of-the-road offense works during the regular season, but in high-profile games and especially in the playoffs, this becomes an issue. The Warriors took advantage of the Rockets' struggles on offense as they forced the ball out of Jalen Green's hands and made Alperen Sengun a jump shooter.

The Rockets are a heavy pick-and-roll team, and the Warriors knew this, so they trapped Green at every opportunity and took him out of the series. Udoka will need to develop a more effective game plan centered on getting players like Green on the move and creating more catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Also, getting Sengun more on the move instead of just being a post-up player. Udoka, like most coaches, is a creature of habit, but he will have to venture out of his comfort zone on the offensive end. To Udoka's credit, he did employ the double big lineup, which was something he was reluctant to do at the beginning of the season, and it turned out to be a revelation for the team.

For the Rockets to take that next step, Udoka will have to adapt just like the players and open up his offensive gameplan.