Ime Udoka's Legacy As The Rockets' Coach Is On The Rise

Entering just his third season with the Houston Rockets, head coach Ime Udoka has already made a lasting impression with the franchise. The Rockets were one of the league's worst teams for several seasons until the front office brought in Udoka to turn things around.

Udoka, Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks joined forces to help the young Rockets nearly make the postseason in Udoka's first year in Houston. They then combined to become the second seed in the Western Conference after winning over 50 games last season.

Next season has even more expectations for the Rockets with the addition of Kevin Durant and the improvement of Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun. Udoka has the opportunity to bolster his own legacy with a quality coaching performance throughout the season. It's a performance that will have to push forward without his floor general and leader after an injury to VanVleet.

Udoka's performance this season hinges on how much the young players improve and how well they mesh with the new additions.

Thompson and Sengun must lift a heavier burden for the offense next season. The Rockets can't afford to depend solely on Durant to hit tough shots in isolation. He's fully capable of doing so, but the Rockets won't be able to compete against some of the league's top teams with that level of play.

Udoka has the opportunity to lean further into some of his young players' strengths. Using Sengun as a fulcrum for the offense when he's not scoring himself, and taking advantage of any handling improvements from Thompson over the summer.

The more offense that can be initiated from players other than Durant, the more effective Durant can be when he can focus on playing his brand of basketball.

He'll partially be responsible for playmaking duties with VanVleet out, but Sengun and Thompson could also be leaders for the team on the offensive side of the ball.

Udoka's task is to empower his young players to take strides this year. Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. are two more players who have the opportunity to take leaps into the upcoming season. Sheppard, especially, will have opportunities to increase his role with the team if he can improve his defensive abilities to go along with his offensive potential.

A quality season for Udoka's Rockets depends on the quality of the offensive attack. There's no doubt the Rockets will likely continue to be an elite defensive team, but Udoka could complete the turnaround and etch his name into franchise history if the team's offense can reach the level of its defense. That would mean he's piloting a championship caliber team that may have the opportunity to bring the franchise's third title.