When the Houston Rockets hired Stephen Silas in November 2020 to be their next head coach, they had a pair of recent league MVPs (James Harden and Russell Westbrook) under contract and planned on contending for the NBA title in the 2020-21 season.
Since then, things haven’t gone as planned. Harden and Westbrook each forced their way out of town via trades, and Houston’s remaining roster has been ravaged by injuries. As a result, the Rockets (13-32) entered Monday with the Western Conference’s second-worst record, with draft lottery odds far more of a talking point than a playoff push.
Nonetheless, general manager Rafael Stone indicated in Monday’s post-trade deadline press conference that he isn’t blaming Stone for the team’s unexpectedly poor season to date. Instead, Stone offered a strong endorsement of his first-time head coach. His comments:
He’s been great. He’s been exactly who we hoped he’d be. The challenges, I don’t think either of us foresaw when he was hired. … He’s been really, really good.
He’s very resolute, he knows what he wants to accomplish. His message to the team is consistent.
Despite a 20-game losing streak, Houston entered Monday with two wins in its last four games. That would seem to be a clear signal that Silas has retained the team’s focus in recent weeks, despite rapidly changing parts (via trades) and the historic nature of their unexpected skid.
Stone’s press conference can be viewed in its entirety below.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51XHW-5uEe4