Mavs coach Rick Carlisle on Stephen Silas: ‘Great hire for Rockets’

Silas was the top assistant to Carlisle in Dallas, where the Mavs just finished off a season with the most efficient offense in NBA history.

Add head coach Rick Carlisle to the long list of Dallas Mavericks to praise former co-worker Stephen Silas for his new job in Houston.

Now 47 years old, Silas will be an NBA head coach for the first time with the Rockets. Based on his accomplished track record after 20-plus years in the assistant ranks, he appears quite worthy of the promotion.

Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, here’s what Carlisle — a former NBA champion and Coach of the Year — said regarding Silas, who was his top assistant coach with the Mavs over the past two seasons.

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.

The success Silas and the Mavs had last season — when Dallas was the most efficient offense in NBA history, statistically — played a large role in Houston’s decision to hire him as Mike D’Antoni’s replacement.

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic and team owner Mark Cuban also praised Silas upon hearing the news of his agreement with the Rockets.

Here’s a rundown of Silas’ coaching career to date, which now spans more than 20 years. He’s the son of former NBA head coach Paul Silas, who coached in Charlotte at the time of Stephen’s first job.

1999–2000 Charlotte Hornets (scout)
2000–2002 Charlotte Hornets (assistant)
2002–2003 New Orleans Hornets (assistant)
2003–2005 Cleveland Cavaliers (assistant)
2005–2006 Washington Wizards (scout)
2006–2010 Golden State Warriors (assistant)
2010–2018 Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (assistant)
2018–present Dallas Mavericks (assistant)

Silas’ deal with the Rockets was broken by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “The Rockets were sold on Silas’ offensive ingenuity and his pedigree [with] Rick Carlisle, Steve Clifford, and his father, Paul Silas,” Woj tweeted.

“Silas has coached some remarkable guards in his NBA career, including Luka Doncic, Kemba Walker, and Steph Curry,” Woj added. “Now, he gets to run offense for [James] Harden and [Russell] Westbrook.”

[lawrence-related id=39662,39653]