Is it officially a hot seat? I’m not sure, butESPN recently put out their list of NBA coaches with the most pressure to win this season, and Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka is listed at number two. Here’s what ESPN had to say about Houston’s leader, and the fact he hasn’t been able to get the Rockets past the first round.
Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets
Jamahl Mosley had the most success of the six coaches who were let go this summer, leading the Orlando Magic to 46 wins and a seven-game first-round playoff
series loss to the Detroit Pistons. Ultimately, the Magic concluded that Mosley had been given enough chances and it was Sean Sweeney’s turn to try to deliver the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2010.
Udoka’s path with the Rockets mirrors Mosley’s time with the Magic: Udoka has transformed a lottery team into a playoff team, but he has been unable to get out of the first round in multiple tries despite a talented young roster. With Houston committing big dollars to Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, it’s officially time for Udoka to translate his team’s potential into actualized success.
The good news for Udoka is that veteran guard Fred VanVleet will return to the court after missing last season with a knee injury and Houston didn’t lose any crucial rotation players this summer.
The bad news? Serious questions linger about the Rockets’ ability to create enough spacing on offense and execute in close games. Udoka, who made his name as a defensive-minded coach, must prove he can find creative answers to the scoring issues.
Houston’s collapse in last season’s first round against the Luka Doncic-less Lakers was the type of painful defeat that can pull a group closer together or fracture its chemistry. While Udoka has some peace of mind thanks to a lucrative long-term contract extension he signed in 2025, the time has come for the Rockets to turn the corner.
So as we get closer to the season starting and the Rockets are facing expectations again this year, the seat is definitely warming up for Udoka, even if it isn’t quite hot yet. The biggest issue from my standpoint is the lack of accountability. The same accountability that Udoka expects from his players, he has yet to exhibit himself, at least publicly. And while it’s certainly the players that play the game, one of the biggest culprits for the Rockets’ lack of playoff success under Udoka is that he has such a rudimentary offensive system (if you can even call it that). Some may even consider it THE single biggest culprit. So while we can blame Alperen Sengun for not developing a three, Kevin Durant not developing any maturity, and Reed Sheppard for not playing stronger D, the failure of Udoka to maximize the offensive talent he does have on the team stands just as high on the list as any if those. If it continues this season, will it cost Udoka his job?
