Ime Udoka keeping Rockets' offseason goals simple for young team

It's not the way the Houston Rockets wanted this to go. 

After a 52-30 season that saw them win the NBA's Southwest Division for the first time since 2019-20, the Rockets must have felt they had the perfect blend of youthful energy and veteran presence to make noise in the NBA playoffs.

The issue? They ran into a Golden State Warriors team that has been there and done that quite a few times before. Credit to the Rockets, because they battled Stephen Curry and the Warriors for all seven games of the series, but they ultimately were upset as the second seed in the Western Conference by the seventh-seeded Warriors.

On Tuesday, head coach Ime Udoka relayed that while his team had taken some nice steps, they ultimately weren't happy with the way things turned out.

"We've become more consistent, and that was a big goal of ours going into the season," Udoka said, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. "We've taken steps. That showed not only in our record, but guys' growth and understanding. We always want more — selfish, greedy, whatever you want to call it as a coaching staff and as a team. So, [we're] not happy with how it ended, feel like we should still be playing. But a lot of learning experience there that'll help us going forward."

The Rockets have a very bright future. Jalen Green averaged 21 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He may not ever be Cade Cunningham, who went one pick before him in the 2021 NBA Draft, but the Rockets have to be happy with their selection of him at No. 2 overall.

Alperen Sengun went No. 16 overall in that same draft and he was a first-time All-Star in 2024-25 after averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Amen Thompson, the No. 4 pick in 2023, averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game and looks like a rising star in the league. Jabari Smith Jr., who went No. 3 overall in 2022, averaged just 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season, but he could improve.

The Rockets have the young pieces and an exciting nucleus. They just need to figure out how to put it all together and make a run.

That's what this offseason is for, according to Udoka. It's all about development.

"Everybody's goal is to be better and come back better. That was the message that we went away with. The things we've done that got us to this point [are good], but we all have to come back better, and this is a huge offseason for everybody," he told the media.