The Rockets are weighing the future of head coach Stephen Silas, sources with knowledge of the situation tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Fischer suggests Silas could become the next NBA head coach on the hot seat following Luke Walton‘s dismissal earlier this week.
Fischer’s report comes with a handful of caveats. Unlike Walton’s Kings, there were no playoff expectations for Silas’ Rockets this season. Additionally, staffers in Houston aren’t “waiting for this shoe drop” in the same way that team personnel in Sacramento were anticipating Walton’s exit. Still, Fischer says whispers have grown louder as of late about Silas’ job security — he has just one more year left on his contract after the 2021/22 season.
Silas’ primary goal for a Houston team without real playoff aspirations has been developing young players like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Those youngsters have gotten off to slow starts in 2021/22, and Fischer says rival coaches characterize the team’s offense as “disorganized and undisciplined.”
The 1-16 Rockets have the NBA’s worst offensive rating, worst assist-to-turnover ratio, and highest turnover rate. Of course, those numbers may be more the byproduct of the young, inexperienced roster than of Silas’ coaching.
As Fischer points out, Houston didn’t initially hire Silas expecting him to oversee a full-fledged rebuild, but the team has gone in that direction over the last 12 months, opting to pass on promising young players in favor of future draft picks in January’s James Harden blockbuster. Some people around the league believe Silas has been put in an impossible position.
“(Silas) is genuinely one of the nicest people in the NBA. He actually cares about people,” one assistant general manager told Fischer. “To put him with a bunch of really young dudes who probably don’t care about anything but their numbers and playing time, he’s just not the right fit.”
Another Western Conference executive who spoke to Bleacher Report wondered what exactly Silas was supposed to do with this year’s roster.
Although there’s no indication that any head coaching change is imminent, Fischer hears from multiple sources that veteran assistant John Lucas II, who has a strong relationship with general manager Rafael Stone, would be the likely interim replacement if Silas is let go during the season.
According to Fischer, Stone is more hands-on than the average NBA general manager, having walked onto Houston’s practice court at one point to preach defensive philosophy. If he were to make a coaching change, the GM would likely want to continue to have the same level of input into on-court tactics and decisions that he does now.
Why would Silas be on the hot seat? The Rockets have already won one whole game. What a stellar organization. The entire front office should be engulfed in flames.
Rockets are incurable, beyond the power of medicine
Change the coach = change the doctor
I think if they just waive KPJ they become better and the team he becomes the 15th man on is unaffected as well
Don’t they want to tank tho? Isn’t that why they sent John Wall home for no reason? Makes no sense. Pay two coaches to win 12 games this season? Lol
By not playing Wall you automatically tanking with this young roster… Stone has no leverage to buy him out so Stone should try to developp KPJ and JG around him and build a team culture with all the other good picks Houston got … Not a fan of Silas but putting an assistant makes no sense at all
Silas is a great guy, very personable guy, and knowledgeable coach. And, sometimes those guys’ ceilings are to be a great assistant coach, be in the league forever as an assistant coach, and make a lot of money…
as an assistant coach!
Sure, every assistant coach wants to have their own team (and HC contract) at some point, but sometimes, just as it is with players, you are who you are.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
“Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
I remember the time MJ was on SNL and he did a sketch with Stuart Smalley. It was pretty funny.
I myself am not impressed with Silas. Yes a great coach but to trade Harden and Westbrook last season and be left with what he has and this season having only won their home opener. The Rockets seem to have no order or something. They were in a few games but like last game blew it in second half. It was like 2 different teams. The one in first half played great. Team that came out of locker room looked disorganized. Turnovers and not making free throws, and not making much with the threes. I am not sure much even with assistant coaches like the one that played with the Jazz. Yes I would go with Lucas for interim. I knew Rockets would not get to playoffs or such but looking like this. My mother says Wood does not look great this season. Porter Jr is out. Have seen the bench more impressive like Martin Jr. and others. If see no turn around I would make change. Watching this kind of play night after night I cannot
I thought KPJ was the answer? I mean GWP keeps reminding us of him being the youngest 50 Point 10 assist player in NBA history constantly.
Porter’s only 21 years old, and has played just 90 games so far. You realize young players almost always struggle adapting to the NBA early in their careers and it takes time for them to fully develop, right?
Not the way you keep praising him. Terrance Ross scored 50 Points early in his career and I wonder if any Magic fan compared him to TMac?
Struggle, yes. But when you start out as a head case with terrible efficiency, copious turnovers, and a questionable BBIQ, you’re not destined for anything until you prove it on the court.
The kid has talent. But turning that into a successful career is another mater entirely. I’m skeptical.
Honestly when he got hired they should’ve told him what the expectations was you can’t sit John Wall and play a bunch of young guys and really expect them to make the playoff that’s crazy and now you wanna fire him green is young he’s like 1819 years old he is not Kobe and he even took Kobe time
Why would they fire him? Isn’t he doing exactly what they’re asking of him? They’re tanking and he’s fine with that and he’s doing a great job of it.
Incidentally, I hope they keep him. He can maybe beat his dad’s NBA record for futility when he coached the Charlotte Bobcats to a 7-59 record in 2011-2012.
The league should be weighing Tilman Fertitta’s future. Everyone – save for the Rockets’ homers – saw this coming from a year away.
I don’t know what they expect with Wall on the bench and no playmaker. During the early Process years the Sixers had the same issue. They needed to trade for someone like Ish Smith. Unless they trade for a PG there is nothing Silas can do.
Rockets should keep at it with Silas and trust the process. No one expected the Rockets to make any noise this year or any time soon. Gotta be patient. Wait for that next disgruntled superstar to arise and try to make a move. Until then, Let these young guys take their lumps and collect more talent/assets in the draft.
Dumbest move was sitting Wall. No team offense no learning for young guards. Then no advertising Wall for a trade. Makes no sense. Not a Porter fan. Watched a few gms. He is not a PG. More a combo guard. Probably best as third guard. But I doubt he’ll stand for that. Rockets should be all about development for this yr. And be ready to move all vets by TD. Then go all in on draft and FA. Hopefully you find some young FAs next yr. They were fools not taking Allen. That would been another core player. The owner is behind this mess. He is not a basketball guy.
I see Porter better at SF. Green at SG and Gordon at PG. Wood PF and Theis at C. Start off with that and have Nwaba, Brooks, Tate, Christopher (bring him back from G league), and Martin come from the bench
When you bench the upperclassmen and play the freshmen and sophomores you are gonna get smoked. If it is about player development you need some vet leadership on the court as well as the coaching to make progress. Why wouldn’t Wall play with KPJ out? Why isn’t Wall raising a stink about not playing? That can’t be helping his value. The quality of his next contract is based on what he is doing now and right now he isn’t doing anything. So what is future value?
That’s it exactly lol …..
Lol……..Wall isn’t helping or hurting his value. He’s making 90 million this year and next and then he will be on a minimum contract somewhere trying to chase a ring.
Really do you understand value. Rockets can’t trade him cause he got no value. If he played there is value in him teaching the young guards. If he played really well like CP3 did in OKC. Someone might take a shot on him. So then there is trade value. Not playing and getting fat. There is absolutely No value.
his value is injury prone guy who would hurt himself more if he plays this season
he’s more valuable as an expiring chip next season.
he’s in full agreeance with being shut down this season
Silas seems like a boob, but this roster isn’t his creation, and it doesn’t even appear that he has complete control over the rotation.
It’s Stone that put Wall in a never happened before full season quarantine, decided to add 4 1st round picks in one year (also never happened before), talked up KPJ as a PG and made no effort to sign any veterans that might have completed an NBA rotation to front this group. If Stone wants to tank, fine, and I’d have some respect for him not even attempting to put lipstick on this pig. But he has to own it.
It’s hard for me to really come down on anyone at this point. Obviously the coach was saddled with a very young team. One that’s a bit immature too (KPJ). But honestly, this team went into 2020 expecting to compete. Harden’s tantrum forced them to chuck that and rebuild. Can’t fault them for wanting younger draft picks vs young nba unproven players with little success and a clock.
This roster is not constructed correctly. Jalen Green is a guy who needs the ball in his to be effective, yet they keep insisting KPJ is the PG. Wood isn’t a rim protector. He’s just an offensive force and a defensive liability. Rockets need a guy like Mo Bamba who can protect the rim and control the boards. It’s too many guys not playing at their positions. Silas isn’t to be blamed because this roster is selfish and cares about it’s stats. They have very few professionals on this team who care about winning and it shows with the record they currently have.
While I agree with most of your comment, I think Silas is also to blame for his questionable rotations and decision-making. When you don’t understand moves being made as they happen in real-time it’s a problem.
Just one big hot mess.
Take it from me… you need a coach to get you through the tank. Then when you’ve acquired some real players you give him a bite at the apple or you move on immediately. No reason to waste money firing a guy only to pay someone else you’ll eventually fire. There’s no avail coach that will fix this this or next year.
“Another Western Conference executive who spoke to Bleacher Report wondered what exactly Silas was supposed to do with this year’s roster.”
I’d be interested to hear the front office answer that question…
Finally!!!
One was wondering when they were gonna get rid of him!
I always think it is a puzzlement that NBA teams don’t get rid of their HC’s more quickly, they seem to stick like barnacles & you can’t just get rid of them!
Silas apparently could not find the magic wand or the time machine that would make Houston contenders.
To Silas credit this team would look a lot different if they took Levert and Jarret Allen in the Harden deal. A starting line up of
Wall/KPjr
Gordon/Green/Nwaba
Levert/Tate/ K Matr Jr
Wood/Sengun/ House
Allen
Is a team that wins 30 games easy.