Ime Udoka is back on the bench, and Rockets fans should rejoice

Ime Udoka (center) will rely on new addition Fred VanVleet (left) to help lead Houston’s young team in 2023-24.

NBA basketball returns Oct. 24. We are counting down the days like the seconds on a shot clock — literally, that’s what we’re doing. As of Oct. 1, our writers will list 24 storylines heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.

A new storyline will drop each day. Here is No. 18:

Ime Udoka is back on the bench, and Rockets fans should rejoice.

Don’t expect a reboot of Udoka’s first season (2021-22) in Boston, where he took the Celtics to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. Houston’s talented, young personnel aren’t at that level yet.

But count on the Rockets making a major leap in phase 2 of the rebuild this season as Udoka lays down a culture of accountability and hard work. Established veteran additions Fred VanVleet and Jeff Green — along with Dillon Brooks — will be key in Houston shaping a defense-first mindset.

In Udoka’s lone season in Boston, the Celtics finished No. 1 in defensive efficiency, while also ranking top 10 in offense en route to the Finals.

The 46-year-old also represents one of the most recent branches sprouting off the Gregg Popovich coaching tree. In Houston, he brings aboard several assistants from his time at previous stops in San Antonio, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston in Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Tiago Splitter, Cam Hodges and Mike Moser.

“Ime is special because he’s not that far removed from today’s culture and this generation,” Hodges told NBA.com. “He’s a fierce competitor who is great at relationship building. He’s a former player. Everything they’ve done, he’s already done it. His demeanor is just about business. Your players see that, and they’re gonna take on that identity as well.”

Like VanVleet, Green and Brooks, Udoka carved out a respectable NBA playing career through hard work, stability and tenacity. Expect the Rockets’ new veterans and the coaching staff to quickly instill those traits for a franchise enduring a three-year postseason drought.

It’s unlikely Houston will return to the playoffs in 2024, but you’ll see marked change that is sustainable. Having that will be paramount for the development of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and rookie Amen Thompson.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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