When the Boston Celtics hired Ime Udoka ahead of the 2021-22 season, it was a weird time. Danny Ainge had shockingly stepped down as GM, and Brad Stevens moved into a front office role. Nobody was expecting the change, yet in the blink of an eye, Udoka was the new head coach.
But after just one season, it was all over. Udoka helped the Celtics reach the 2022 NBA Finals, but after that, he was suspended indefinitely for an inappropriate relationship with a fellow member of the organization. The full details of the issue were never released, and they likely never will be, but now, Udoka is with the Houston Rockets.
And Houston looks good.
Ime Udoka always brings elite defense
Udoka took over as the head coach of the Rockets before the 2023-24 season. Immediately, his impact was felt. Houston didn’t make the playoffs, but something positive was brewing, and it all started on the defensive end.
In the 2022-23 season, the Rockets had the second-worst defense in the NBA, with a defensive rating of 118.6. The very next year, Udoka’s first season in charge, that rating shot up to 112.8, which ranked 10th in the league.
Now, in Udoka’s second season as head coach, the Rockets have the second-best defense in the NBA, with a 106.0 defensive rating. His mindset has completely turned the organization around.
“Every team that’s won a championship is usually a top-five ranked defense,” Udoka told Michael Pina of The Ringer. “That’s a non-negotiable for me.”
That’s exactly what Udoka has lifted the Rockets into being, and it’s what the Celtics were when they made their run to the Finals in 2022—an elite defense.
Boston’s 106.2 defensive rating in the 2021-22 season ranked first in the league. Udoka utilized Marcus Smart’s intensity, Robert Williams’ versatility, and a group of tall, lengthy wings to maximize the Celtics’ defensive potential.
Udoka helped the Celtics become the most feared defense in basketball, but the franchise had to let him walk. While there have been no in-depth details regarding what exactly went down, Brad Stevens’ teary-eyed reaction to the instance at his press conference should be enough for every fan to understand that Boston did what they had to do. And it's nobody's fault but Udoka's.
It was clear that he had to go, but that also meant the Celtics’ play style would change.
Things have worked out pretty well for Boston since then. Joe Mazzulla has turned into one of the best coaches in the NBA, and he helped the Celtics raise Banner 18. They even had the second-best defense in the league last season.
Regardless, there’s no denying that Udoka’s defense-first approach breeds results. Now, the Rockets get to learn that same lesson.