Ime Udoka likely safe despite Rockets collapse

While Ime Udoka will certainly be under fire for the part he played in the collapse, he signed a lucrative multiyear extension last summer that most league observers believe should shield him from being fired. The third-year Rockets coach is still considered one of the NBA’s elite defensive coaches, with this latest version of his team still finishing sixth in defensive rating despite losing their most impactful defender, Brooks, in the Durant deal (they were fifth last season). The offense — and the question of how to fix it — is another matter altogether.