This article was compiled from: The Athletic
作者： Shams Charania, Kelly Iko and Jared Weiss
原标题：Rockets hiring former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, per sources: Why the move makes sense for Houston
Sources told The Athletic that the Houston Rockets decided to hire Uduka as head coach. He will be Sellars' successor and the 16th head coach in Rockets history.
Uduka beats 7 other contenders
Sellars, who scored 59-177 during his three-year tenure with the Rockets, was fired by the team in early April. Previously, Uduka was suspended for the 2022-23 season for violating Celtic's team policy, and the Green Army finally confirmed the transfer of interim manager Mazura.
After firing Sellars, the Rockets drew up a shortlist of eight head coaches. In addition to the final winner of Uduka, including coach Nas, who was just fired by the Raptors, Warriors assistant coach Atkinson, former Lakers coach Vogel, former Hornets coach Borrego and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and others, after two rounds of interviews, the Rockets finally finalized Uduka to coach the Rockets.
Uduka coached the Celtics for the 2021-22 season: 51-31 in the regular season, 62.2% win rate, 14-10 in the playoffs, 58.3% win, leading the team to the Eastern Conference championship. During that season, he was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in February and March. Previously, Uduka served as an assistant coach for the Spurs, 76ers and Nets.
Why did Rockets hire Uduka?
Uduka meets all the requirements the Rockets have for a new manager, who needs a manager who can resonate with both young players and veterans, while also being respected in the locker room and on the court. Uduka is also a defensive head coach whose creativity, aggressiveness and execution took the Green Army to the NBA Finals.
Uduka is expected to inject the same intensity into the Rockets' inexperienced youth force. Players like Jaylen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Shin Kyung need real help and guidance. The Rockets are in a critical period of rebuilding, and Uduka should be the best person to lead the Rockets back to victory.
What can uduka bring to the rocket?
Hiring Uduka on the pitch and in the dressing room makes perfect sense. Previously coaching the Green Army, Uduka held everyone accountable, revolutionized Celtic's basketball culture, and proved himself to be an effective coach throughout the Finals. One of the main reasons Sellars left class was that his rockets were perceived to lack accountability.
Uduka lost his job with the Green Army because of his bad connections. Celtic said that Uduka violated multiple violations in the workplace, but officials did not disclose further details, and even when Uduka was finally fired, the Celtic only cited "violating team policies" as a reason.
Although there have been detailed reports of Uduka's inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate, the whole story is still a lot unknown. The Rockets have gone through investigations to learn more about the specifics, hoping to prove to employees and fans that hiring Uduka is fully justified. It has to be said that this scandal in Uduka is an indelible stain on his career, he has remained silent for the past 7 months, and the rocket has given him a chance to atone for his sins.
The Rockets haven't made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season, when they lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. This season, the Rockets ended up with a 22-60 record, with the same 14% chance of winning the draft as the Spurs and Pistons. Before the draw, the Rockets finalized their new head coach candidate.