Silas fulfills lifelong dream by taking over Rockets
HOUSTON — The Rockets on Friday announced their selection of Stephen Silas to be head coach, calling the former Warriors, Hornets and Mavericks assistant “a basketball lifer” who is “ready to lead his own team.”
“I’d like to thank Mr. Fertitta (Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta) and Rafael (Stone, the Rockets general manager) for this tremendous opportunity as well as all of the mentors I’ve had over the years, especially my dad, Paul,” Silas said in a statement. “Basketball has been a huge part of my life since the day I was born and this is the moment I’ve strived for. I’ve been fortunate to have coached some great players over the course of my career and am excited to work with this incredibly talented team as we build upon the success they have established."
Silas, 47, had been with Dallas for two seasons and is credited with helping the Mavericks produce the best offensive rating in NBA history. The Rockets are the only team to have averaged more than the Mavericks’ 15.1 3-pointers per game last season. The Rockets had chosen Silas as a good fit for their style and strengths of their roster but also to help build on the philosophy that had worked while building around the backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
“The success Coach Silas had with Dallas last season reinforced the notion that he is more than ready to lead his own team,” Stone said. “The strengths of our core players are a great fit for Coach Silas’ system and ideology, and I’m looking forward to working with him to find ways we can continue to improve our roster.”
Silas worked as an assistant under his father, Paul, who had been a candidate for the Rockets’ head coaching position in 2003, Don Nelson, Steve Clifford and Rick Carlisle. He succeeds Mike D’Antoni who told the Rockets on Sept. 13 that he would not return. D’Antoni on Friday became an assistant on Steve Nash’s staff with the Brooklyn Nets.
“This is an opportunity that was well-earned and long overdue for Coach Silas and we’re thrilled to have him as head coach,” Fertitta said. “Stephen is
a basketball lifer who is highly regarded around the league. Our basketball operations leaders Rafael Stone and Eli Witus, along with Tad Brown and Patrick Fertitta, conducted an extensive search of many worthy candidates, but in the end we knew Stephen was the right person for the job. I know Stephen cannot wait to get to work and I hope Rockets fans are as
excited as I am for the upcoming season.”
D’Antonio joins Nash with Nets
Former Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who helped changed the way the game is played when Steve Nash was his two-time MVP point guard in Phoenix, will rejoin
Nash as his assistant coach in Brooklyn.
D’Antoni will go from coaching James Harden and Russell Westbrook with the Rockets to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Nets.
D’Antoni told the Rockets Sept. 13 that he would not return as coach after four seasons in which he had the best record (217-102) in franchise history and the second-best record in the NBA in that stretch, trailing only the Toronto Raptors.
The Rockets under D’Antoni reached the Western Conference Finals once and conference semifinals three times, losing three times to the eventual NBA champions including this season’s loss to the Lakers in five games.
D’Antoni will join a staff with former Spurs and 76ers assistant coach Ime Udoka and former Magic and Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.
D’Antoni had been a candidate to be the 76ers coach before Doc Rivers left the Clippers and was the choice in Philadelphia.