The Houston Rockets are on the verge of being eliminated as they trail the Golden State Warriors 3-1 in the series. With the hopes of participating in the NBA Playoffs dwindling, many are wondering what moves the franchise may make in the offseason to improve the roster. Head coach Ime Udoka opened up about what could be in store for Houston once the offseason begins.
There is some belief that the Rockets are a superstar away from becoming a legitimate threat for a title run. Rumors are that Kevin Durant could be available, as the Phoenix Suns are seemingly going to blow up the roster in the offseason. Houston could be an intriguing landing spot for the 36-year-old forward. However, Udoka is humming an entirely different tune, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Instead, the Rockets' head coach claims he was brought in to lead a group of young players and that the team would be utilizing all of its high draft picks. Udoka, who is 47 years of age, seems more inclined to continue drafting young players and develop the roster, similar to the approach of the Oklahoma City Thunder and its star players.
Article Continues Below“We're all on the same page as far as what we have in our organization and wanting to see it through and seeing what all these young guys can become,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka told ESPN recently. “When you have this many high draft picks, you want to see who becomes what. I understood when I came to take the job that we were going to try to develop these guys and see what we can get to. I think they've all shown growth and potential. And the next step is, who can be that consistent leader for us?
“So, to try to expedite the process by going out and getting one piece now is kind of doing a disservice to what we all talked about coming into it. That's our vision, and I think the playoffs this year will give us a good picture of that and put guys in different situations and high-pressure situations to see how they react to it.”
Game 5 between the Rockets and Warriors tips off on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST. A loss means Houston will go home early despite entering the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. A victory keeps the team in the fight, and they'll get to live to see another day.