Category: Houston Rockets Blog

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Houston Rockets hire Ime Udoka as new head coach

The Houston Rockets yesterday named Ime Udoka the team’s new head coach.

Udoka becomes the team’s 15th head coach in franchise history.

In his lone season as head coach of Boston in 2021-22, Udoka helped the Celtics bounce back from a .500 record the previous season to win 51 games, capped off with an impressive run to the NBA Finals which included Game 7 victories over Milwaukee and Miami.

“We are excited to welcome Ime to the Houston Rockets,” said Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone. “Ime’s intelligence, drive and toughness were the traits we were looking for in a coach to lead our team through this next stage of our development as we strive to become a champion. We were honored to have the opportunity to speak to multiple outstanding candidates throughout the interview process and felt that Ime’s vision best aligned with the goals the Fertitta Family and myself have for the future of the Rockets.”

Udoka’s Celtics ranked first in the league in both field goal defense and fewest points allowed in 2021-22 after the team ranked 13th in defensive rating the previous season. He was a two-time winner of the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month award and finished fourth in voting for Coach of the Year.

Prior to becoming head coach of the Celtics, Udoka was an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio staff from 2012-13 through 2018-19, Brett Brown’s Philadelphia staff in 2019-20 and Steve Nash’s Brooklyn staff in 2020-21, Those teams made the playoffs in each of Udoka’s nine seasons as an assistant, with the Spurs winning the title in 2013-14. Udoka was also a member of Popovich’s staff for USA Basketball during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Per the Houston Chronicle, “Udoka led Boston to the 2022 Finals in his first season as a head coach but was suspended in September and dismissed in February for having an improper relationship with a staff member, considered a violation of team rules. During the All-Star break two months ago, the Celtics agreed to a long-term contract with Joe Mazzulla, who began the season as their interim coach.”

More from the Chronicle: “Udoka issued a statement after he was suspended, apologizing for his actions without specifically addressing them. He has not commented since. “I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” Udoka said in the statement. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”

As a player, Udoka spent parts of seven seasons in the NBA from 2003-04 through 2010-11 while appearing in 316 games with 80 starts. After going undrafted in 2000, he had brief stints with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York but spent most of his time in the NBA Development League and playing overseas. Udoka’s first full NBA season was as a 29-year-old for Portland in 2006-07 and the following season, he helped the Spurs reach the Western Conference Finals. Besides Popovich, Udoka played for Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, Nate McMillan and Paul Westphal.

Rockets will reportedly hire Ime Udoka as new coach

Via the Houston Chronicle:

Step one of a pivotal summer for the Houston Rockets is now complete as the franchise reportedly reached a deal Monday to hire Ime Udoka as its next head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Udoka, 45, comes to Houston following an NBA career that spans two decades. He played for five different franchises from 2002-12, and then quickly moved to coaching as he took an assistant role on Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio. Udoka parlayed that role into the head coaching job with the Celtics in 2021-22, in which Boston went 51–31 before reaching the NBA Finals.

Rockets sign Willie Cauley-Stein

The Houston Rockets have signed free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein.

Cauley-Stein (7-0, 240) was briefly with the Rockets during the preseason before joining their NBA G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley. He signed a 10-day contract with Houston on Feb. 27 and rejoined the Vipers following that stint. Rio Grande Valley advanced to the G League Finals, which concluded on Thursday.

In 422 career NBA games with 256 starts, Cauley-Stein has averaged 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 22.0 minutes per game. He is shooting 54.4% from the floor for his career, including 59.0% over the past three seasons.

Rockets sign Willie Cauley-Stein to 10-day contract

The Houston Rockets have signed center Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day contract.

Cauley-Stein (7-0, 240) was briefly with the Rockets during the preseason prior to joining their NBA G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley. In 10 regular season games for the Vipers, he has averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 28.3 minutes per game while shooting 64.5% from the floor. Cauley-Stein also appeared in 16 games for Rio Grande Valley during the G League Showcase.

The seven-year NBA veteran was originally the sixth overall pick by Sacramento in the 2015 draft and spent last season with Dallas and Philadelphia. In 422 career games with 256 starts, Cauley-Stein has averaged 8.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.4 apg in 22.0 mpg while shooting 54.4% from the floor.

Rockets sign Boban Marjanovic after recently waiving him

The Houston Rockets have signed Boban Marjanović after he cleared waivers. The Rockets needed to waive Marjanović on Feb. 10 in order to complete two transactions at the NBA trade deadline.

Marjanović (7-4, 286) was originally acquired by Houston via trade with Dallas on June 24, 2022. He has appeared in 17 games this season and became the ninth player to have appeared in a game for all three Texas teams.

For his career, Marjanović is averaging 23.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per 36 minutes played. He is one of 14 players listed 7’4″ or taller to have appeared in an NBA game and the fourth Rocket, joining Yao Ming (7’6″), Chuck Nevitt (7’5″) and Ralph Sampson (7’4″).

Rockets trade Bruno Fernando and Garrison Mathews to Hawks for Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky and draft picks

The Atlanta Hawks acquired center Bruno Fernando and guard Garrison Mathews in a trade with the Houston Rockets for Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky and 2024 and 2025 second round draft picks (Oklahoma City’s own).

Fernando has appeared in 31 games (four starts) with the Rockets this season, tallying 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.0 block in 11.7 minutes (.516 FG%, .682 FT%). The center from Luanda, Angola has rejected two-or-more shots in eight games this season, including two four-block outings.

Selected 34th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 NBA Draft, Fernando’s rights were traded to Atlanta on July 6, 2019. Over the course of his four-year career, Fernando has suited up for Atlanta (2019-21), Boston (2021-22) and Houston (2021-23). He owns career averages of 3.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 150 games (17 starts). Fernando was the first native of Angola ever drafted into the NBA.

Fernando played two years at Maryland (2017-19), seeing action in 64 games (53 starts), recording 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in 26.4 minutes of play (.595 FG%, .763 FT%). He left Maryland ranked second all-time in field goal percentage (.595 FG%), tied eighth in career blocked shots per game (1.6), tied ninth in career double-doubles (25) and 10th in rebounds per game (8.7).

Mathews, a career .366% three-point shooter, has appeared in 45 games for Houston this season, averaging 4.8 points and 1.4 rebounds in 13.4 minutes. During the 2021-22 campaign, the 6-5 guard averaged career bests of 10.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist, seeing action in a career-high 65 games, while making a career-high 33 starts.

Undrafted in 2019, Mathews signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards on July 3, 2019 and re-signed as a two-way player with Washington on Nov. 21, 2020. He signed a training camp contract with Boston in September 2021 and was claimed off waivers by the Rockets on Oct. 18, 2021 and signed to a two-way contract, which was converted to a standard NBA contract on Dec. 18, 2021. In his four NBA seasons, Mathews has appeared in 192 games (57 starts), notching 6.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 18.6 minutes of play. He also saw action in three postseason games with the Wizards during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

The Franklin, Tenn., native spent four seasons at Lipscomb (2015-19) and finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer in the Division I era with 2,478 points.

Holiday was acquired by Atlanta on July 6, 2022, via a trade with the Sacramento Kings. He has appeared in 28 games for the Hawks this season, averaging 4.5 points in 14.7 minutes of action. Kaminsky signed with the club as a free agent on July 12, 2022. In 26 games played this season, Kaminsky is averaging 2.7 points and 1.4 rebounds in 6.8 minutes.

Weekly Houston Rockets notes: Jan. 30, 2023

Weekly positive-minded Houston Rockets team notes:

Jabari Smith Jr. had 12 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals in the win at Detroit on 1/28. He is the only rookie to have posted those numbers in a single game this season and is the first Rockets rookie to have done so since Hakeem Olajuwon.

Alperen Sengun averaged 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists in January while shooting 62.4% from the floor. He had the first two triple-doubles of his career this month and became the youngest center in NBA history to record one.

Houston has outrebounded its opponent in each of the past seven games, tying for its longest streak since an eight-game span from 11/1-11/16/17. The Rockets lead the NBA in rebounding differential this season (+5.1 per) after finishing last in each of the previous two seasons.

Beginning with Wednesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, the Rockets will play four of their first five games in February at Toyota Center before having five straight road games from 2/10-2/26 broken up by All-Star weekend.

Rockets coach Stephen Silas frustrated after latest loss

Via the Houston Chronicle:

Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas isn’t one to lose his cool as he guides the NBA’s second-youngest roster. But Silas’s frustration was palpable Wednesday night after Houston’s 108-103 loss to Washington’s Wizards.

The Rockets appeared well on their way to the team’s first winning streak since mid-December as they leapt out to a 55-36 lead late in the second quarter. But as has become all too common this season, Houston couldn’t hang on in the second half. Washington began to cut into the Rockets’ lead at the end of the third quarter, and in the final frame, the Wizards went on a furious 23-4 run to secure a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Such a poor second half performance irked Silas as he spoke to the media postgame.

“Late third quarter we got away from the things that are about winning, about building winning habits, about taking the right shots, about making the right pass,” Silas said. “We’re not a team that can take anything for granted. It’s just disappointing. It’s actually unacceptable.”

The Rockets are 11-37 this season, which is the worst record in the league.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Jalen Green at 22.1 PPG, Kevin Porter Jr. at 19.2 PPG, and Alperen Sengun at 15.4 PPG.

Weekly Rockets notes: Jan. 16, 2023

HOUSTON ROCKETS TEAM NOTES

Alperen Sengun is averaging 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists over the past three games… he recorded the first triple-double of his career at Sacramento on 1/11 and surpassed Kevin Porter Jr. as the youngest Rocket with one in franchise history at 20 years, 170 days.

KJ Martin has scored 20-plus points in two of the past three games and five times overall this season after doing so six times his first two seasons combined… he is one of four players averaging at least 10.0 ppg while shooting 55.0% or better from the floor in fewer than 25.0 mpg this season.

After wrapping up a four-game road trip tonight at the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston will play six of its next eight games at Toyota Center from 1/18-2/3.

The Rockets have shot 45.0% or better from the floor in each of the past three games after doing so once the six games prior… since the start of last season, 24 of Houston’s 30 wins have come when shooting at least 45.0%.