- Two important news linked with the Houston Rockets broke out yesterday.
- The first is that they have a new head coach – Stephen Silas, former Dallas Mavericks’ assistant coach.
- The second is that their former general manager Daryl Morey found a new job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Silas Taking Over the Rockets
Stephen Silas will become the new head coach of the Houston Rockets, several sources confirmed today. They should sign a four-year contract over the next few days, solving one of the biggest enigmas of this free agency. The Rockets were after a new coach since Mike D’Antoni decided to leave, and Silas’ arrival to Toyota Center comes as a big surprise for the NBA community.
This will be his first head-coaching job, but despite that, the 47-year old holds vast experience of working in the league. Silas’ was a scout for the Charlotte Hornets back in 1999, while his father Paul led the franchise from North Carolina. He would become an assistant coach next year.
After that, he changed several teams, among which the Cavaliers, Wizards, and the Warriors. In 2010, Stephen Silas returned to Charlotte to work as an assistant coach for the Bobcats, who would later transform into Hornets.
Dallas acquired him in 2018, and during his stint with the Mavs, Silas had a massive impact on the development of the team.
”I’m going to miss him a lot, Houston got a great coach, he’s a big reason for my growth as a player,” said Luka Doncic after hearing the news.
Rick Carlisle had a similar statement.
“A great hire for the Rockets. Stephen did a great job for us here in Dallas, helping us get back to the playoffs. Thrilled for him and his family,” he stated.
Silas will be under massive pressure in Houston because the fans expect him to take a step forward compared to D’Antoni’s results. He has two former MVP’s in his starting lineup, but a one-dimensional team, with no big players involved. D’Antoni traded them all once, completely switching to the small-ball basketball.
76ers to Hire Morey
Daryl Morey, who stepped down from the position of Rockets’ general manager two weeks ago, will have a fresh start in Philadelphia. The 76ers will clinch a five-year deal with Morey, whose new role would be to oversee the franchise’s basketball operations.
Morey’s contract with the Rockets will officially expire on November 1, and the 76ers are waiting for that formality to take place and proceed with the completion of their deal.
After 13 seasons in Houston, Morey decided to step down from the GM position for several reasons. Among them is the fact that the Rockets couldn’t win the title, even though he and the management did everything possible to provide all the resources to D’Antoni.
Also, his support to protesters in Hong Kong created various problems for Morey, who will now have a fresh start with the 76ers.
The team from Philly recently decided to make massive changes in its organization. The first one was a switch at the head coach position, moving on from Brett Brown and adding Doc Rivers.
