Rockets’ coaching frustration cannot lead them to Jason Kidd

Many Houston Rockets fans are calling for a coaching change. Ime Udoka, the Rockets’ current head coach, has faced significant backlash after this year’s playoffs. His offensive system, or lack thereof, needs improvement, and his ability to develop young talent has also been questioned.

There may be a potentially interesting fit with Jason Kidd, the former head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, who was relieved of his duties earlier this week. Kidd is similar to Udoka in many ways, but there are some key differences.

Would Jason Kidd be a good fit in Houston?

Obviously, any potential replacement for Udoka would have to be seen as an upgrade. Does Jason Kidd qualify?

Kidd has spent 10 seasons as a head coach with three different franchises. He has had varying degrees of success. His biggest accomplishment was coaching the Mavericks to the 2024 Finals and the 2022 Western Conference Finals. However, in his other three years as the Mavericks’ head coach, they missed the playoffs.

Udoka’s biggest criticism is that he does not know how to coach a successful offense. Kidd may not fix those concerns. Dallas’ offense was mostly average over the past five seasons, despite three and a half years of Luka Doncic. Kidd has also been frequently criticized for his lack of creativity on offense.

Kidd’s defenses in Dallas were also mostly below average. Again, that came with three and a half years of having Luka Doncic, who is far from an elite defender. Still, given that Kidd had so much time with Doncic and was never able to put together a dominant regular season, it is fair to ask if he underachieved with the Mavericks.

Should the Rockets attempt to sign Jason Kidd?

Ime Udoka has serious flaws that will most likely need to be addressed if Houston wants to put together a deep playoff run. There is little evidence that Jason Kidd would address those flaws in any meaningful way. On top of that, he is far from the defensive mind and culture setter that Udoka has proven to be.

Sometimes a change of voice in the locker room is necessary, but Houston is not at that point. The Rockets have had one underwhelming season that could be attributed just as easily to injuries as coaching mishaps.

There may be an opportunity for Houston to switch coaches at some point. This is not that opportunity. Jason Kidd simply is not a big enough upgrade, if he is an upgrade at all.

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