Kerr says Silas is right coach for this team

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he considers the Rockets a dramatically changed team in the weeks since the Rockets previously faced the Warriors, which could be considered a good thing since the Rockets were at the time toward the end of a 20game losing streak.

He said, however, that going through a “transformation” can be a tough way to start for first-year coach Stephen Silas, before adding that Silas’ style might best fit the job.

“They’ve completely changed their team since we saw them a few weeks ago,” Kerr said. “They’ve been playing well. They beat Dallas (on Wednesday.)

“They’ve got a good groove going. Obviously,

( John) Wall is back giving them that great push in transition. (Kelly) Olynyk is playing well since the trade from Miami. It’s a different group.”

Only four players who played for the Rockets against the Warriors on March 17 — Jae’Sean Tate, Kevin Porter Jr., K.J. Martin and Christian Wood — also played Saturday. Wood was in his first game back after missing 17 with a sprained ankle and only Tate had played even 20 games this season.

“Not the easiest job to take over in your first year,” Kerr said. “But Stephen’s been around this league for a long time. He’s very respected out there for a reason. He’s passionate about the game, but he’s very thoughtful, analytical about the league and how to approach things.

“Obviously, Houston is in sort of a mode of transformation. They’re completely changing their team. That’s a tough job to be in charge of all that while all the change is happening day-to-day. He’s handled it beautifully, as I expected, because he’s a very thoughtful, measured person. I think that’s the right kind of guy for this job.”

Two centers get look at small ball

The Rockets, having gone from not playing centers at all at the end of last season to playing two at a time this season, were still working through the adjustments of playing Christian Wood and Kelly Olynyk together when they tested their revised lineup against a team that long has excelled with a late-game small-ball lineup.

Though the Warriors have changed greatly since the championship seasons, they still use Draymond Green in a small lineup to close games, spreading the floor in ways that a variety of small lineups will test the Rockets through the rest of the season.

“It is definitely tougher when they go small and we have the big lineup, not just because of the one-onone matchups and the help,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “I was watching film with Kelly today, and there are situations when we switch, guys like him, guys like Christian are natural helpers instead of staying home on shooters. Those are natural things for bigger guys.

“Kind of maintaining the ability to switch, stay home and help only as much as necessary is an issue when it comes to defending five-out.”

The Rockets’ lineup with both centers has had mixed results, though it did help produce the win against the Mavericks last week. There has been progress in keeping spacing offensively, but with adjustments needed in rotating defensively while still closing out on shooters. In the first three games with both starting, the Pelicans, Mavericks and Clippers combined to make 41.6 percent of their 3pointers, averaging 15.7 per game.

“The ability to change defenses has been good with them,” Silas said. “The question is, are we able to get to some switching with those guys? And containing penetration has been a little bit of an issue when it comes to the switching. We’re eight games in with Kelly and six total with both guys, so it’s a very small sample right now.”

Curry’s influence amazing to Silas

When Stephen Silas was a Warriors assistant in Golden State guard Stephen Curry’s rookie season, the Warriors took an average of 20.6 3-pointers per game, the sixth-most in the NBA. That would be 9.5 fewer than the Cavaliers take this season to average the fewest 3-point attempts in the league.

“It’s amazing, and he’s the one who did it, shooting 10 3s in a game and all that,” Silas said.

Curry averaged 4.8 3point attempts that season. He is attempting 11.5 this season.