Silas sees hope amid a blizzard of losses

Stephen Silas has seen some long losing streaks. Up close and personal.

He was the lead assistant on his father Paul’s coaching staff with Charlotte in 2011-12. His dad even handed him the reins to lead the team for several games that season.

The Bobcats were fortunate not to have to play a full 82-game schedule. In a lockout-shortened season, Paul Silas’ last as a head coach, the Bobcats finished with the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history.

Their 7-59 record included a stretch of 16 straight losses, and they finished with a run of 23 defeats in a row, tied for the fifthlongest skid in NBA history.

Stephen Silas’ rookie season as a head coach is not that bad … yet.

His Rockets are in a rut that

puts them about halfway to the franchise mark of 17 straight defeats, set by the San Diego Rockets in the team’s first season in the NBA.

Having suffered eight losses in a row, four by at least 20 points, the team is searching for answers. The Rockets travel to Cleveland for a Wednesday game against the Cavaliers, who are foundering at 11-21 and had a 10-game losing streak before beating the Hawks on Tuesday.

As the losses mount, not being not good enough is not a good enough answer. The effort has been there, but the belief — as difficult as that is to measure — hasn’t.

“I have been around some long losing streaks in my career,” Silas said. “That’s just part of an NBA season if you’re a middling team. You have some losing streaks.”

The Rockets aren’t a contender by any stretch of the imagination, but they are certainly better than their 11-18 record. They have, however, earned that record with inconsistent play and, more importantly, inconsistent players.

Thanks to injuries, trades and other issues, Silas has showed up at work each day not knowing who would be available.

In 29 games, Silas has been forced to use 17 different starting lineups. The Rockets have had eight different lineups in their eight-game losing streak.

“The difference in this (streak compared to others) is that we are missing two starters every game … at least two starters every game,” Silas said. “Throughout this whole streak, we have been missing at least two guys we depend on. Like 40 points out of our lineup and defensive guys who have really helped us become the No. 5 defensive team in the league.

“That’s what makes it different. There’s the hope that as we get guys back and as we kind of become whole, then things will get better.

“I’ve been with teams where there was no hope. There was no person coming through that door to right that ship. We have that here.”

While Christian Wood isn’t Michael Jordan or Hakeem Olajuwon, his absence with an ankle injury has been particularly painful for the Rockets.

Wood, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, has missed all eight of the losses. DeMarcus Cousins, who had been starting at center in Wood’s place, was waived Tuesday, making the Rockets even more shorthanded.

Take away a team’s best player (make that two best players if you count James Harden, who was traded after eight games), and a middling team becomes a bad team.

Just three years ago, the Rockets won 17 straight games, the secondlongest streak in team history.

Oh, what a different time that was.

The squad was a championship contender that would finish with the NBA’s best record at 65-17.

Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker are the only two players remaining from that roster.

Danuel House Jr., who has been with his hometown team for three seasons, had never experienced longer than a four-game skid with the Rockets.

“It’s all new to everyone here, too,” House said. “We’re not blaming nobody. We’re not pointing the finger at nobody. There are things that I could have done better.

“Once we get through the midst of this storm, everything else should be a cakewalk.” House believes this is the low. “Everybody on the team wants to do their best,” he said. “It’s not like one guy is trying to go out here and stink it up. Guys are going out here to play … the game that they love at the highest level. “We’ll find ways.”

Two and a half weeks without a win can wear on a team.

“Our spirit isn’t great right now,” Silas said. “We’ve gotta figure out a way for it to turn in the right direction.”

By we, he means him.

The first-year head coach doesn’t believe the Rockets are without talent, injuries notwithstanding.

It is on him to work on the team morale. Any victory right now would help with that.

This is a good time to visit Cleveland.