Boston Celtics: 3 biggest challenges facing Ime Udoka as new head coach

The 2021-22 NBA season is upon us, and the Boston Celtics are set to start a new chapter with new head coach Ime Udoka.

Coming off a disappointing and underachieving 36-36 season, the Celtics front office went through a couple of surprise changes that were necessary to shake things up a bit for a team seemed to have lost their favor as an overall team despite the transcendence of young, rising superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

To be fair, injuries and the invasion of COVID-19 were factors, but it was apparent Brad Stevens lost the locker room as the head coach and former president of basketball operations Danny Ainge simply lost his touch in roster building and adding quality players to surround that young duo of Tatum and Brown.

Boston Celtics start the offseason with suprise moves

So, what happens after the team is bounced out of the first round of the playoffs by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and the mighty Brooklyn Nets?

Ainge decides to resign and the team moves Stevens from the head coaching ranks into the front office.  As one of the first moves as the new president of basketball operations, Stevens hires Udoka who served as an assistant coach under Greg Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs.

Udoka wasn’t the biggest name out there, but he checked all the boxes of what many critics felt the Boston Celtics needed in their next head coach.  He is a former player, who is African American coming from an organization with a history of championship success.

Above all, Udoka will bring a new energy to the bench that is expected to ignite excitement amongst the players.

So, when thinking about the 3 biggest challenges facing the Celtics new head coach besides taking over for a coach like Stevens who was considered one of the top young coaches in the league, it all starts with getting this team lead by Tatum and Brown back on the path of championship contention.