Ime Udoka to represent Rockets on 2023 NBA draft lottery stage
In what could be a symbolic move, new Rockets coach Ime Udoka will be the team’s on-stage representative at the 2023 NBA draft lottery on May 16, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
General manager Rafael Stone served in that ceremonial role last year when Houston landed the No. 3 pick (Jabari Smith Jr.) in the 2022 first round. But Udoka carries a much higher profile than former head coach Stephen Silas, which may make him more of a natural fit to represent the Rockets in such settings.
Each year, the NBA allows teams owning the 14 non-playoff draft slots to choose who represents them as the order is counted down. Coaches, executives, owners, current players and former players are among the frequently used options, depending on the team.
General counsel Clay Allen will serve as Houston’s representative in the backstage room where the lottery is actually conducted, just as he has in each of the previous two years.
The prize of the lottery is 7-foot-4 French big man Victor Wembanyama, who is widely expected to be drafted No. 1.
Ime Udoka Leaving Celtics Past Behind With Rockets: ‘Hasn’t Come Up’
The distance between Houston and Boston is some 1,600 miles as the crow flies.
It may seem even further as the Ime Udoka travels.
The season may be way too young for conclusions, but after Udoka was suspended and ultimately let go by the Celtics and the Rockets were 20-62, both are no doubt welcoming the 3-3 start.
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“What happened in Boston is what happened in Boston,” one Rockets source told Heavy Sports. “It hasn’t come up with anyone. And this team hasn’t been 3-3 in I don’t know how many years — three, four years?”
The Rockets lost nine of their first 10 last season and 15 of their first 16 the year before. They were 2-4 after six in 2020-21 and, yes, 3-3, to start 2019-20, Mike D’Antoni’s last year on the Rocket bench.
Ime Udoka Now Has Fred VanVleet With Rockets
For the Rockets, Ime Udoka isn’t the only key addition. Though building with promising kids, the club signed 29-year-old free agent Fred VanVleet, ex of the Raptors to lead from within.
Back in April, he’d expressed his frustration with getting some Toronto mates to live up to their talent, telling Heavy Sports, “I’ve been screaming it for two years, you know what I mean? I think that at a certain point you can’t make anybody grow up. It’s going to happen at their own pace and their own speed, and that’s the frustrating part about maturity and just the development stage is that you can harp on it all you want to.”
He was apparently determined to get things in order when he arrived in Houston. According to a source, he was telling people, “Man, all this s*** that’s been going on around here, that’s all gonna change. I’m makin’ sure of that.”
Thus far, VanVleet has been backing it up on the floor to the extent that he’s shooting less and assisting more than he did last year. He seems to be bringing the promising youth along and setting an example.
“He’s exactly what that group of guys needed,” said a league source. “Young guys all want to establish themselves when they show up in the league, and the way (VanVleet) plays shows them they can still get theirs — and get it easier — if they work through each other. And once a young guy starts to taste a little success, that’s a great motivator in itself.”
Rockets Assist Numbers Already Improved
With, again, the caveat that it’s a small sample, the Rockets do appear to be playing more as a team.
“The stat that everyone’s talking about with Ime, because it’s kind of followed him from Boston to now, is the assists to turnover ratio,” said the source, “His teams have historically been high in the league in assists, and with that comes everyone touching the ball and getting shots and being happy.”
After averaging 22.4 assists and 16.2 turnovers last season, the Rockets are averaging 27.0 assists and 13.8 turnovers. They have five players averaging between 14.2 and 18.2 points. One of the latter is center Alperen Sengun.
“This team hasn’t thrown the ball in the post and played through a big man this much since Yao Ming,” said the Rocket source. “It’s been all James Harden and one-on-one stuff, and it stayed a lot that way even after James left. Ime’s changed that and it’s been really good.”
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 2500 Location: Inland Empire
Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2023 9:54 am Post subject:
One day we'll find out for sure what officially happened.
But boy are they keeping this under wraps.
Bye. _________________ "This trophy removes the most odious sentence in the English Language. It can never be said again that 'the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics.'" -Dr. Jerry Buss (1985) R.I.P., 33 x M.V.O.
Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 67744 Location: In a world where admitting to not knowing something is considered a great way to learn.
Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2023 11:14 am Post subject:
^^^It's my understanding his infraction involved the wife of a top Celtic executive.
He has the 22-60 Rockets playing above 500 11-9. _________________ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
^^^It's my understanding his infraction involved the wife of a top Celtic executive.
He has the 22-60 Rockets playing above 500 11-9.
Otherwise known as the owner's wife and yes they are going to keep this under wraps because the higher ups of the NBA and the NBA media all know the real story.
We can only hope Paul Pierce gets drunk and goes on IG live to spill what the real story was.
gumby wrote:
One day we'll find out for sure what officially happened.
But boy are they keeping this under wraps.
Bye.
Hopefully sooner rather than later because the curiosity is killing me
Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 67744 Location: In a world where admitting to not knowing something is considered a great way to learn.
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:31 pm Post subject:
No idea who this is
George Costanzas Burner
@ANotNormalLad1
Hello NBA burner account here, Ime Udoka was having an affair with Wyc Grousbecks wife Emilia Fazzalari, it started sometime during the second half of the season
7:17 PM · Sep 23, 2022
from Philadelphia, PA _________________ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
George Costanzas Burner
@ANotNormalLad1
Hello NBA burner account here, Ime Udoka was having an affair with Wyc Grousbecks wife Emilia Fazzalari, it started sometime during the second half of the season
7:17 PM · Sep 23, 2022
from Philadelphia, PA
I posted this when the story broke. Wyc Grousebeck is the majority owner of the Celtics and Emilia is his wife and co-owns the Celtics with him.
Coach Ime Udoka returns to Boston with a rebuilt Houston Rockets team
Former Celtics coach and players reflect on his progress after his suspension and dismissal in 2023
Ime Udoka walked off the floor after his first season as coach of the Boston Celtics on June 16, 2022, two wins short of an NBA championship, yet proud of what was accomplished. On Saturday, Udoka will return to the sideline to coach at TD Garden for the first time since that summer, as coach of the Houston Rockets. In between the NBA Finals appearance and becoming the Rockets coach was the Celtics’ suspension and dismissal of Udoka for an improper work relationship.
After being hired by Houston, an accountable Udoka is trying to move on. He remains close with his old Celtics players and has made the rebuilding Rockets a winner much faster than anticipated.
“My [Celtics] players will reach out and talk about how proud they are about what we’re doing and then vice versa. I see what they’re doing as well,” Udoka told Andscape on Dec. 17. “The biggest piece from just being there for only one season was those relationships we formed. And some of those guys I’ll talk to for the rest of our lives. And so, there is a close bond and you look back at what could have been, but also understand the impact you had and the relationships [you] will continue to have going forward.”
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The Celtics hired Udoka on June 28, 2021. He paid his dues before landing his first NBA head coaching job, having served a combined nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs. The former NBA journeyman guard/forward took over a Celtics squad that reached the Eastern Conference finals in three of the previous four seasons before losing in the first round of the playoffs in 2021.
After a tough 23-24 start, Udoka coached the Celtics to a 51-31 regular-season record and to the 2022 NBA Finals in his first season. It was Boston’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. Udoka also became one of five rookie head coaches to reach the NBA Finals in the past 25 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and finished fourth in NBA Coach of the Year voting.
“Ime is great. Obviously, under the circumstances, we didn’t get to give it another run and it really showed,” former Celtics guard Marcus Smart told Andscape. “For somebody as a first-year head coach to come in and take the team that he had with Boston, not only to the Finals, but halfway through the season be right at .500 and then take the team to the Finals, that’s not really heard of too often. And we got to give him his credit right there. We built a special relationship.
“Ime played. As a [former] player, he understands a lot of the things we go through as players. That connection only gets stronger when you can talk to somebody in control as a coach or somebody that’s out there that understands what you’re going through.”
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka at a practice for the 2022 NBA Finals on June 15, 2022, at TD Garden in Boston.JESSE D. GARRABRANT/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES
In September 2022, however, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck announced that the franchise was suspending Udoka for the 2022-23 season after an investigation by an outside law firm found multiple violations of team policies. The Celtics named Joe Mazzulla interim head coach in Udoka’s absence.
Smart, now with the Memphis Grizzlies, said that the departure of Udoka had a profound impact on Boston last season. The Celtics fell short of returning to the NBA Finals. They were eliminated in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals in seven games by the Miami Heat.
“It definitely put a dent in us,” Smart told Andscape, describing Udoka’s suspension and firing. “We were on a high wave of making it there [to the Finals] yet coming up short. We we’re expecting after a full [season] under [Udoka], we can do this again and we can really get into it. And we just didn’t get that chance. And when you get a taste of something like that, it’s hard not to want it. And then when you don’t get it anymore it’s like, ‘Dang, what happened? What could have happened? What could we do?’
“It definitely put a dent in us. But the beauty about this game is we’re professionals and we got to go out and play. Unfortunately, it happened. But we definitely learned a lot from Ime.”
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The Nets strongly considered hiring Udoka to replace fired coach Steve Nash early during the 2022-23 season. Brooklyn, however, promoted Jacque Vaughn to coach on Nov. 9, 2022. The Celtics named Mazzulla its permanent head coach on Feb. 16, officially ending Udoka’s time with the franchise.
Udoka played professionally in the NBA, the then-D-League, France and Spain from 2002 to 2012 before becoming an NBA assistant from 2012 to 2022. His dismissal from the Celtics gave him his first lengthy break from pro basketball since going undrafted out of Portland State in 2000.
“I missed the day-to-day with the guys. Obviously, it’s all about the players. Once you’ve played, it’s very similar to the day-to-day relationships and camaraderie and bonding with the guys,” Udoka said. “I don’t think that changed as much as a coach. I think most coaches would say, ‘X’s and O’s is great, playing the games is great, but being around guys and those relationships you form is probably the biggest thing.’ ”
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka (left) and general manager Rafael Stone (right) speak to the media at Udoka’s introduction as the Rockets’ next coach on April 26, 2023, at the Toyota Center in Houston.LOGAN RIELY/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES
On April 24, 2023, the rebuilding Rockets announced the hiring of Udoka as their head coach. The Rockets investigated with the league office and with the Celtics, among others, before making the job offer, according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said in a statement at the time that Udoka’s vision “best aligned with the goals the Fertitta Family and myself have for the future of the Rockets.”
“Obviously, he had a really successful season in Boston,” Stone told Andscape. “Even though it was a short track record, he had this really good track record. We spent a lot of time together in a short period. I got a sense of who he was as a person. I felt really comfortable. There are no people that I’m aware of that have lived flawless lives and who have not made mistakes …
“What happened before wasn’t a big hang-up for us. The bigger thing was how we thought he could fit, how he would fit with the group we had and the group we were trying to compile. How I could imagine working with him going forward. And we spent time together and got to know each other, I felt it could be a really good fit.”
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On April 26, 2023, the Rockets introduced Udoka as their new coach during a news conference. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said the NBA was comfortable with his franchise’s hiring of Udoka.
During the news conference, Udoka addressed the “elephant in the room” about his dismissal from the Celtics.
“That’s obviously going to be the elephant in the room,” Udoka said. “You have to talk about it going forward, obviously going into a new situation. For me, it was what I could learn from that year off and how you can grow and improve. I’ve always been one to preach and be about accountability. So, you got to do that yourself when you’re in that situation. So, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for me.
“It wasn’t something that I was going to sweep under the rug. You have to address what you’ve been through, what you learned throughout that year and how you can be better going forward. So, that’s the only way I know how to do it, hit it head on and start talking about other things.”
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka (right) talks to forward Tari Eason (left) during the third quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Dec. 23, 2023, in New Orleans.SEAN GARDNER/GETTY IMAGES
The Rockets had talented young players on the roster: Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and rookie Amen Thompson. Udoka also played a key role convincing key free agents to sign with Houston, including 2021 NBA All-Star guard Fred VanVleet, defensive-minded guard Dillon Brooks and veteran forward Jeff Green, who won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. The combination of young and veteran players gave the Rockets a much-needed mix on the roster.
When asked why he wanted to play for Udoka in Houston, Jeff Green said, “The connection I had with him in Brooklyn knowing his coaching style and watching him in Boston for that [season], seeing how he could get a group going. He has bluntness, which I love, being more direct from coach to player. But he also puts his players in a position to succeed and pulls out the best in him. That is a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of.”
Udoka said during his news conference that he has made the playoffs every year of his career and doesn’t want that to end now. While Udoka wouldn’t offer details, he said his Rockets players showed their postseason expectations by the win totals they each predicted. While expectations for the Rockets were low entering the season, they have been one of the surprise teams of the NBA, entering Tuesday with a 18-17 record.
Sengun is averaging team-highs of 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds and he was the NBA Player of the Week for last week. VanVleet is averaging 17.5 points and Green is averaging 17.3 points. The defensive-minded Rockets also entered Tuesday with the NBA’s fifth-best defensive rating (111.4).
“I see the potential, obviously, but you have to turn that into something realistic,” Udoka said. “There was a combination of the young talent and the free agent opportunities that we had to bring in. And then just the organization in general trying to get there what they call phase 2. They’re starving for winning and wanted change. What I wanted was a lot different than what they had here. We wanted to bring in structure and accountability and all the things that they’re asking for. With the mix of young guys and veterans, I saw the potential there.
“Now the thing I would say is they’re a lot quicker to grasp what we’re trying to do. That happened pretty quickly. But credit to them, the effort was never a problem. It was never a thing about they weren’t going to play hard and be competitive. I saw that from day one even in the summer workouts. And so that kind of boded well for what we wanted to do going forward. And now it’s a chance to take incremental steps and get better. When you look at our record overall, it might surprise some people. But we have a competitive group.”
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On Sept. 16, 2023, Smart married his fiancée Maisa Hallum in Newport Coast, California. Among the attendees were his former Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Daniel Theis, Terry Rozier and Grant Williams as well as Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II. Also attending were Udoka, Mazzulla and Celtics general manager Brad Stevens.
Udoka’s presence at Smart’s wedding was an example of how he has kept a close relationship with his former Celtics players.
“We talk regularly, all of them,” Udoka said. “During the year they checked on me when they could. Obviously, we talked initially and then I gave them the space to do what they do and they did the same. But I caught quite a bit of them in the offseason in L.A. I went to Marcus Smart’s wedding.”
It’s uncertain what to expect from the Celtics crowd when Udoka is announced at the end of the Rockets’ introductions on Saturday. As for the Celtics players, it appears there will be a lot of respect shown.
For Udoka, returning to Boston is the next big step toward moving forward with his life.
“You might think for a minute what it’ll be like going back,” Udoka said. “But big picture, it’s not the thing that’s at the forefront of my mind.”
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