According to ESPN, the Houston Rockets I chose Ime Udoka to be the next head coach for the franchise following his split from Stephen Silas earlier this month. Udoka steps into the rebuilding situation as rumors swirl about James Harden’s potential return this summer.
As many of you know, Udoka was suspended and eventually fired by the Boston Celtics after news broke of an inappropriate workplace relationship involving Udoka. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Houston Rockets investigated the facts of the situation before making a decision to hire him. Udoka was suspended just days before training camp, which led to Joe Mazzola taking over as Boston’s interim head coach before being hired full-time in February.
In his first year as head coach, Emi Udoka led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals After the Celtics started the year all the way in 10th place in the East in late January. The second half of the season was dramatically different, however, as Brad Stevens’ moves to the roster had a huge impact as well. Udoka has been credited with enabling Marcus Smart to run the show at the point position, unleashing Jayson Tatum’s abilities, catapulting him to All-NBA first team, and more.
While news of his suspension left the team shrouded in uncertainty, Mazzola quickly stepped in and led the Celtics to an even better (and scoring) start. Mazzola was one of the coaches under Odoka and is clearly fit for the job as the Celtics stand as one of the league’s top contenders for the championship.
Udoka will inherit a very different team because the Rockets have a 14 percent chance of being the No. 1 pick overall. The Rockets have young talents like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr., and more. And more with the chance to add a very good young piece to the draft this year. Rockets also have plenty of room for cover. If early reports are any indication, some of that cap space may be heading toward a James Harden reunion, and Boston could have a direct impact on that if Philadelphia Seventy Sixers They are sent home early in the second round. Harden was traded off the Rockets for the start of the 2020-21 season to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving over Brooklyn Networks.
In the end, the Celtics are just fine without Ime Udoka as they still have championship aspirations, and Ime Udoka seems to be doing just fine after getting the job. We hope this brings an end to this chapter and all parties can move forward.