THE LIST GROWS
Rockets line up longtime assistants Borrego, Griffin for Monday meetings
Two assistants pop up as candidates, James Borrego, right, and Adrian Griffin.
The Rockets might be close to choosing a coach, but that will not stop them from considering options.
While seriously weighing veteran coach Mike D’Antoni and longtime assistant Stephen Silas to be their next head coach, the Rockets will interview San Antonio assistant coach James Borrego and Orlando assistant Adrian Griffin in Houston on Monday, two individuals said on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process.
Borrego, considered among the top candidates for the Memphis coaching position, returned to the Spurs last season after finishing the 2014-15 season as the Magic’s interim coach. He went 10-20 after Jacque Vaughn was fired.
Borrego, 38, had been with the Spurs from 200310 before stints in New Orleans and Orlando.
Worked with Harden
Griffin, a Rockets player in the 2003-04 season, had been an assistant with Milwaukee and Chicago before joining Scott Skiles in Orlando last season. He was a USA Basketball assistant for several seasons when Rockets guard James Harden played for the senior national team.
Griffin, 41, has long been considered a strong coaching candidate, having interviewed with Portland, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Utah. A star at Seton Hall, he played for six NBA teams over nine seasons.
Borrego and Griffin interviewed for the Magic position before Orlando selected former Pacers coach Frank Vogel.
No stone unturned
The Rockets’ interviews with Borrego and Griffin, arranged Friday, are considered part of the determination to meet with a large array of coaches, as they did in the six-week coaching search when they selected Kevin McHale in 2011.
In addition to D’Antoni and Silas, the Rockets have interviewed former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, former Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek (who will be named the New York Knicks coach), Los Angeles Clippers assistant Sam Cassell, TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Toronto assistant Rex Kalamian and Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik.
They also met with interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who withdrew from consideration, and associate head coach Chris Finch.
D’Antoni and Silas emerged as front-runners for the position, with D’Antoni expected to have Bzdelik with him to serve as a defensive specialist and Silas to lead a staff that would include former Grizzlies and Nets coach Lionel Hollins as his lead assistant.
D’Antoni, 65, has been a head coach with the Nuggets, Suns, Knicks and Lakers after a successful career in Italy. He is 76ers associate head coach, but after great success in Phoenix when he helped inspire the NBA move to the more wide-open offenses the Rockets favor, he has gone 202-290 outside of his 253136 five-season run with the Suns.
Silas, 42, has never been a head coach, save a 12-game stint as Charlotte acting head coach in 2011. He has been an assistant for 16 years with Charlotte, New Orleans, Washington, Golden State and Portland before returning to the Hornets for his current position under former Rockets assistant Steve Clifford.
Hollins, who finished his 10-year playing career with the Rockets in 198485, has a 262-272 record as a head coach, 214-201 in Memphis.
Interviews with every Rockets coaching candidate have included conversations about the coaching staff a head coach would assemble.
Staff a consideration
With D’Antoni, an emphasis was placed on bringing in a defensive specialist. With Silas, who had a second interview to meet with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, it was about adding a veteran coach. Though Silas also has indicated a great deal about his potential coaching staff, rather than just a lead assistant who has been a favorite of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and has a relationship with Silas and his father, longtime head coach Paul Silas.
Still, with the Rockets not ready to begin negotiations with any candidate, they will interview coaches as the search begins its fourth week.