Rockets make brilliant investment in team's true leader

Few organizations turn their fortunes around as quickly as the Houston Rockets did two summers ago. Everyone talks about the players. To be sure, adding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks changed everything:

But arguably, neither was the most consequential addition the organization made.

That would be Ime Udoka. The Rockets' head coach is their spiritual leader. Often, a team is discussed in terms of "whose team" it is. Usually, the designation goes to a star player.

As of now, the Rockets are unambiguously Ime Udoka's team.

That's commonly understood among fans. Now, it's official. Udoka just signed a lucrative extension with the Rockets.

He'll be worth every penny.

Rockets make brilliant investment in their future

That's saying something. Udoka signed on for many, many pennies per season.

In fact, per Shams Charania, Udoka will be one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. That's beautiful. He's one of the best coaches in the NBA.

There's no reason for fans to count Tilman Fertitta's dollars. Udoka's money doesn't count towards the salary cap. Still, it's encouraging to know that Fertitta is willing to pony up for one of his most valuable assets. Udoka figures to be on the Rockets' bench for years to come:

He's got a chance to be among the best coaches in Rockets' history.

Rockets' head coach has a golden opportunity

Granted, it would be wildly impressive for Udoka to insert himself ahead of Rudy Tomjanovich in the all-time hierarchy. Otherwise, Udoka has a chance to be among the very best to ever coach in Space City.

Let's look at his track record to date. In 2022-23, the Rockets had an 111.7 Offensive Rating (27th) and 119.3 Defensive Rating (29th). Just two years later, those marks have risen to 115.3 (13th) and 110.8 (4th).

No, that's not all courtesy of Udoka. Again, VanVleet and Brooks have helped tremendously. Still, it's worth noting that this is a Rockets team without a clear-cut top-20 player. The Rockets overachieved by winning 52 games in 2024-25. Udoka will continue to keep this team ahead of schedule.

So far, he's done it by instilling a sense of toughness in this team. Udoka also deserves ample credit for finding a defensive scheme that maximized Alperen Sengun. The Rockets' offense could use some tinkering, but it's possible that Udoka had more pressing priorities. Rockets fans should get excited to see what he's got in store for their future:

He's one of the most important people in the organization.