The Rockets are making it clear that the initial stage of their franchise rebuild is over. As they move to phase two, expectations are higher, starting with the appointment of a proven commodity in former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka to the lead role in Houston.
With that transition comes greater responsibility and accountability for the team’s young players — and that starts with Jalen Green, the team’s leading scorer and the No. 2 overall draft pick from the 2021 first round. Per Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Rockets have already communicated that message to the 21-year-old guard.
Buy Rockets TicketsThere’s a lot of anticipation and excitement about working with Udoka from the players, notably guard Jalen Green, according to sources. At the conclusion of his second season, Green was told he was going to be pushed and held accountable in the next phase of Houston’s rebuild, a notion that lines up with Udoka’s hire and one that the 21-year-old was fully on board with, sources said.
The magnitude of work to turn this organization around can’t be understated, although hiring Udoka is a strong first step. The Rockets have built up three seasons worth of bad habits and inconsistent development. Udoka’s calling card is a strong team defense, but nothing about what’s been displayed on the floor over in recent memory shows a team trending towards surviving on that side of the floor, save for some real additions in free agency.
Poolside chats and pragmatism — inside the two-week journey and the long-winded Rockets road that led to Ime Udoka and a new beginning.
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— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) May 1, 2023
With Stephen Silas dismissed immediately upon the conclusion of Houston’s 2022-23 season, it seems that the message of being “pushed and held accountable” came from general manager Rafael Stone, since the Rockets were without a head coach for much of April.
Whatever the case, Udoka is now the man tasked with enforcing that directive, and Green’s willingness to embrace that change is an important first step. But adapting and changing on-court habits will be more challenging, and that’s what talented young players like Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Sengun are being asked to do as Houston transitions to the next phase of its rebuild.
