Ime Udoka expected to develop young Rockets player into ‘excellent player’

Although Ime Udoka has only been a head coach in the NBA for two seasons, he has already made his mark.

Udoka is widely regarded as one of the best young coaches in the NBA. In his first year as head coach, he led the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals.

His predecessor, Brad Stevens, on the other hand, played on the sidelines in Boston for eight years and never led the team further than the Eastern Conference Finals.

Udoka faced a tough challenge last season, joining a Houston Rockets team that had won just 22 games in 2022-23 and attempting to push them into the postseason in the vaunted Western Conference. The Rockets came agonizingly close, finishing just one spot outside of the play-in tournament as the team dealt with a slew of injuries.

Under Udoka’s leadership, Fred VanVleet played one of his best seasons and Dillon Brooks was a very different (and better) player than he was with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Brooks accepted a lesser role and took just 10.7 shots per game, while being around 15-15 in field goal attempts per game in each of his final four seasons with the Grizzlies. However, he still averaged 12.7 points with a much better shooting efficiency.

Udoka made the strategic decision to move Amen Thompson, a point guard, to the wing, allowing him to play Thompson and VanVleet simultaneously while also maximizing Thompson’s ability on the glass. It proved to be a wise decision.

Now, Udoka must figure out how to get the most out of incoming rookie Reed Sheppard, despite the depth of the Rockets’ roster. Sheppard’s Summer League returns have shown that Udoka and the Rockets could have a legitimate talent, as explained by Yardbarker’s Adam Taylor.

“Sheppard has been one of the stars of Summer League so far. His shot-making, off-ball movement and hustle on both ends of the court have quickly endeared him to Summer League fans. Through four games, he is averaging 20 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists.”

Taylor also mentioned the former Kentucky sharpshooter as a player who could be an immediate asset to Houston, while noting that Udoka could play a role in maximizing Sheppard’s talent.

“Sheppard is already a rotational player at the NBA level and should develop into an excellent player under the guidance of head coach Ime Udoka.”

Because of Sheppard’s positional versatility, he could be asked to step onto the court with Jalen Green as a secondary floor general or with VanVleet as a reserve scoring guard. He immediately becomes the Rockets’ best long-range shooter, something the franchise lacked last season.

The Rockets may have gotten a steal in a draft class that was generally considered flawed, especially if Udoka can help harness and develop Sheppard’s talent.

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