Zach Lowe expresses uncertainty on Ime Udoka’s Rockets future

The Houston Rockets did well to respond with an emphatic 115-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their first-round matchup, doing just enough to stave off elimination. But while they may live to see another day, circumstances are still looking dire for the Rockets. Kevin Durant has already been ruled out for Game 5, while Austin Reaves might be on his way to returning for the Lakers, the team that holds a 3-1 series lead.

It’s safe to say that a first-round exit is not what the Rockets front office dreamed up when they traded Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and a 2025 first-round pick to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Durant. They are even performing worse than they did last year when they lost to the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series.

Falling short of expectations could lead to another overhaul from the Rockets front office, and NBA analyst/insider Zach Lowe said that he’s not ruling out the possibility that Houston moves on from head coach Ime Udoka.

“I still think given the injuries, I mean this is really not based on what I’ve heard, but just my gut, but I would really be surprised if they move on from Ime. I don’t think it would be completely outrageous or out of play, but I would bet that he stays as the coach,” Lowe said on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show.

Udoka has turned around the Rockets from an also-ran in the early 2020s to a legitimate playoff team in the loaded Western Conference. But some might be wondering whether another coaching change is necessary to take this team to the next level.

The Rockets’ offense can be unsightly at times, although that’s not Udoka’s fault entirely. He has to make lineups with multiple non-shooters work, and that’s simply difficult to pull off in today’s NBA. But it doesn’t help that Udoka has a tendency to call out his players in the media, which could end up bringing down the team’s morale and have the locker room quit on the coach.