12:52pm: The Rockets don’t expect to hire a coach this weekend, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. The front office wants to take more time to consider its decision.
11:39am: Stephen Silas is getting serious consideration for the Rockets’ head coaching job, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Hornets assistant was in Houston for a second interview Thursday and met with team owner Leslie Alexander. If the Rockets hire Silas, they would like to add former Nets coach Lionel Hollins as his top assistant, Feigen reports.
Silas “crushed” his interviews, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, and a Silas-Hollins team is being weighed against a possible pairing of Mike D’Antoni and current Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik (Twitter link). Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian is a candidate to join the coaching staffs in both Houston and Washington, Wojnarowski adds.
Only 42, Silas already has 16 years of experience as an assistant coach. The son of former NBA player and coach Paul Silas was hired by the Charlotte Hornets in 2000 and has also spent time with the Cavaliers and Warriors. The Rockets have liked Hollins for years and had hoped to add him to Kevin McHale’s staff when Kelvin Sampson left, Feigen tweets, but he was hired in Brooklyn before that could happen.
LES that is ok with me if u really do consider the Silas/ Hollins combo as the houston rockects head and defense coach
It’s strange that the Rockets have been eyeing Hollins considering he’s been openly lukewarm toward the growing popularity of analytics.
I like this over the other choice with Antoni and company. A young guy in Silas with experienced coaches to help him. I knew nothing of the assistant coaches we had with Finch and the other guy always doing the half time interview. Silas seems to have nailed his interviews so hopefully a sign of no Antoni
You will never regret hiring Lionel Hollins, he is a quality coach and a fine man.