Tag: Stephen Silas

Rockets guard Josh Christopher appreciates Kevin Porter Jr. sacrificing his playing time

“Throughout this whole season, KPJ has had my back,” Josh Christopher says. “I was definitely honored and really appreciative that he would let me rock like that. That was love.”

HOUSTON — Becoming a consistent player in an NBA rotation is very difficult to do. You must earn the trust of your coaches and the players you battle with on a nightly basis.

For Houston Rockets reserve shooting guard Josh Christopher, it has been a constant struggle to display his entire skills while limited to under 12 minutes per game this season.

Yet, if there is one thing you can say about Christopher, who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft, it’s that he is always ready when his name is called. Christopher’s hustle in his 18 minutes played helped the Rockets defeat Denver, 124-103, on Tuesday.

“I love Josh, and he knows how I feel about him,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “We have had a lot of talks about his playing time and what can get him on the court and how he can stay on the court longer. There was a time when he wasn’t in the rotation. We sent him to the G League. He came back and got into the rotation, and his minutes have been kind of up and down.”

Christopher made the best of nearly nine on-court minutes in the fourth quarter. He came up with three big steals to go along with seven points as Houston won its final home game of the season.

Christopher played extended minutes because of the grit he displayed throughout the quarter. He also received an assist from the sidelines by Kevin Porter Jr., a teammate and good friend.

“Josh was playing well, and he had been in for eight or nine straight minutes, and I was going to take him out,” Silas said postgame. “Scoot (Kevin Porter Jr.) was like, ‘You want to let him ride?’ I was like, ‘Yeah if you’re good, I’m good.’ He was like, ‘Let him ride.’ I was going to take him out again, and Scoot was like, ‘Nah, leave him in.’”

For those who have watched the Rockets play this season, they know it is not unusual for Porter to advocate for Christopher to get more playing time. Porter has raved about Christopher after he helped the Rockets defeat the Los Angeles Lakers last month.

“I have always harped on Josh being ready at all times,” Porter told RocketsWire after the game. “He was making plays, and the lead kept growing. In high school, the rule is to feed the hot hand, and he was rolling, so it was only right for him to continue to play.”

Christopher reiterated the support he had received from Porter after Tuesday night’s game at Toyota Center.

“Throughout this whole season, KPJ has had my back,” Christopher said with an appreciative tone. “He has been talking to me because we have been in the same position, as far as not knowing what is going on in the league or what is next for us.”

“He has had my back this year, so I wasn’t surprised. But I was definitely honored by it (the extended playing time) and really appreciative that he would let me rock like that. That was love.”

Christopher’s mentality of dealing with difficulties in life was instilled and taught to him by his father, Laron, at a very young age.

“One thing you know about Josh is that he is always going to be ready for the opportunity,” the elder Christopher said postgame as he waited on his son to finish talking to family and friends.

He elaborated on a phrase he uses with his son when he is going through rough times, not only on the basketball court but in life.

“Adversity visits the strong and stays with the weak,” he said. “So, he is always going to be ready, always have a strong mind.”

[lawrence-related id=112942,112906]

[mm-video type=video id=01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb/01gx4dmygqafba5m81bb-aa6c10e5a82b65b2debe916e714caf99.jpg]

Stephen Silas sees growth, maturity in Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr.

In an upset of Denver, Kevin Porter Jr. volunteered to stay on the sidelines so the #Rockets could ride Josh Christopher’s hot hand. “That is big-time maturity and growth,” Stephen Silas says.

HOUSTON — With 20 points in 35 minutes, including a team-high 9 assists and five 3-pointers (in 11 attempts, at 45.5%), Kevin Porter Jr. continued his strong run in Tuesday’s upset victory in the young Rockets home finale against first-place Denver.

But for the fourth-year guard, who turns 23 years old next month, perhaps his biggest assist came while not in the game.

Porter was at the scorer’s table midway through the fourth quarter, ready to replace second-year guard Josh Christopher, who had 10 points and 3 steals on 4-of-8 shooting (50.0%) in 18 minutes.

But Christopher’s energy was infectious for the Rockets, who were starting to pull away. Porter went to head coach Stephen Silas and offered to stay on the sidelines to milk the hot hand. In postgame comments, here’s how Silas says it all went down:

Josh was playing well, and he had been in for eight or nine straight minutes, and I was going to take him out. Scoot was like, ‘You want to let him ride?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, if you’re good, I’m good.’ He was like, ‘Let him ride.’ I was going to take him out, again, and Scoot was like, ‘Nah, leave him in.’

That shows maturity, from Scoot. That is big-time maturity, growth, caring about his brother, caring about his team, helping his coach. … All of those things, he showed in that moment. It’s game 80, and we haven’t won as many games [20-60] as I’d like. But moments like that are a coach’s dream.

As Houston’s 2022-23 season enters its final days, it was an encouraging display of leadership by the team’s starting point guard.

Scroll on for highlights, reaction and video interviews.

Alperen Sengun outduels Nikola Jokic as Rockets blast Nuggets

“I thought Alpi had the best defensive game of his career,” Stephen Silas says of Alperen Sengun’s night versus Nikola Jokic and Denver. “He did an amazing job. I was proud of him.” #Rockets

As a talented European big man, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun has drawn a few wishful comparisons during his first two NBA seasons to back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets. After his rookie season, Sengun referred to Denver’s big man as an idol.

For at least one night, though, the student became the teacher. In Tuesday’s shocking blowout win against the first-place Nuggets, the 20-year-old Turkish prospect had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals on 7-of-14 shooting (50.0% FG).

Meanwhile, Jokic (14 points, 10 rebounds) was forced into eight turnovers in 25 minutes as the Rockets (20-60) pulled away late for a feel-good victory over the Nuggets (53-26). It was Houston’s final home game of the 2022-23 season.

“I thought Alpi had the best defensive game of his career tonight,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said postgame of Sengun. “He did an amazing job. I was proud of him.”

“I just need to be focused,” Sengun told AT&T SportsNet Southwest’s Vanessa Richardson of his defense. “I understand that when I want to do defense, really hard, I can be good. It’s going to be a big year, next year. I’m going to do my best all the time.”

Scroll on for further highlights, interviews, and analysis.

In 32-point outburst, Jalen Green takes over late as Rockets shock Nuggets

Jalen Green (+27 in 39 minutes) bounced back from a bad third quarter with a dominant fourth as the #Rockets upset Denver in their home finale. “He can really, really score,” Stephen Silas says.

HOUSTON — In their final home game of their 2022-23 season, the young and rebuilding Rockets (20-60) pulled off perhaps their best win to date in Tuesday’s 124-103 blowout (box score) of Denver. The Nuggets (53-26) hold the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Rockets were led by second-year guard Jalen Green, who had 32 points on 12-of-27 shooting (44.4%) while going 4-of-8 from 3-point range (50.0%). After missing all seven of his shots in the third quarter and picking up a technical due to his frustration with not getting calls from officials, Green responded with 16 points and 4 assists in a dominant fourth quarter as Houston pulled away.

“The shots weren’t falling, he wasn’t as efficient as he’s been lately, but he didn’t stop,” head coach Stephen Silas said postgame. “He didn’t let that deter him. He stayed within his game. He can really, really score, and once he gets it going, it’s usually pretty good for us.”

The Rockets were a team-best +27 in Green’s minutes, and the 21-year-old was focused postgame on the result. Despite having one of the NBA’s worst records, the Rockets have defeated each of the top four teams (Milwaukee, Boston, Philadelphia, and Denver) by record.

“A bunch of our wins are against the best in the NBA right now,” Green said. “That’s when we play at our best. That’s hope for the future.”

Playing against back-to-back NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (14 points, 10 rebounds, 8 turnovers), young Rockets center Alperen Sengun (20 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) had a fourth straight double-double in a performance that Silas called the best of his career on defense.

Rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. (16 points, 13 rebounds) had a double-double for the Rockets, as well, while Kevin Porter Jr. had 20 points to go with a team-high five 3-pointers and 9 assists.

Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews with players and head coach Stephen Silas, and reaction from Houston fans and media members. The Rockets close out their 2022-23 schedule with road games on Friday and Sunday versus Charlotte and Washington.

Report: Rafael Stone returning for fourth season as Rockets general manager

Rafael Stone is set to return in 2023-24 for a fourth season as #Rockets general manager, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The fate of Stephen Silas is less clear.

After three rebuilding seasons, the future of Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas is clearly in question. That doesn’t appear to be the case, however, for general manager Rafael Stone.

Previously second in command to Daryl Morey, Stone took over his role in October 2020 when Morey stepped down (weeks before accepting the lead position in Philadelphia). While Houston’s record has been the NBA’s worst over that span, Stone chose to pivot to a rebuilding movement prioritizing youth and draft assets following the forced departure of superstar James Harden in January 2021.

Though Stone’s Rockets have often been hard to watch, those lowly results are generally understandable within the rebuilding context and accompanying roster construction. Thus, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Stone will return in 2023-24 for a fourth season as the lead basketball operations executive. From the story:

General manager Rafael Stone is certain to lead the next steps, despite rumors that had been planted in recent months and picked up through Final Four weekend.

Feigen did not reference any potential source of those planted rumors, though they appear to have been inaccurate.

Houston’s massive salary cap room in the 2023 offseason (about $60 million) combined with continued development by young prospects Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. and an influx of draft capital from Brooklyn have always been among the pillars of Stone’s rebuilding plan. Thus, it makes sense that he is able to see that plan through for at least one season with cap room.

Time will tell whether the Rockets reach the same conclusion on Silas, who is responsible for the day-to-day development of those prospects. Further clarification could come after Houston’s 2022-23 regular season ends on Sunday in Washington.

[lawrence-related id=112909,112899]

Stephen Silas acknowledges uncertain future with Rockets

Stephen Silas hasn’t heard from the #Rockets about his future: “I have a three-year contract, and this is the last home game of my three years. Whatever happens, happens after this.”

For a third straight year, the Houston Rockets will finish the 2022-23 campaign with one of the NBA’s three worst records.

On paper, that doesn’t speak well of head coach Stephen Silas, who has overseen the on-court product throughout each of those years.

Then again, there are obvious extenuating circumstances. Notably, Silas was hired in November 2020 when the Rockets had a veteran-laden roster led by former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Within months, they had transitioned to a rebuild with numerous players age 21 or younger.

Silas was signed to a three-year contract with a team option for a fourth season, which means this is the last year Silas is owed a guaranteed salary from the franchise. If the Rockets want to go a different direction, there’s a clear path for them to do so.

The question is whether general manager Rafael Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta believe a change is prudent — specifically how will they evaluate Silas within the context of a young roster that was destined to have massive growing pains regardless of who the coach was.

With approximately $60 million in salary cap space, there is an argument to be made that a coach with more winning experience might make Houston more desirable on the offseason market. This is Silas’ first stint as an NBA head coach, and while the win-loss records are largely out of his control, the fact remains he hasn’t yet won at a high enough level to draw attention around the league. Thus, the team might want a more proven option.

Prior to Tuesday’s home finale versus Denver, Silas expressed pride over his team’s performance over these three years, but added that he had yet to hear from either Stone or ownership about his future.

Among his comments:

I found strength in myself that I didn’t necessarily know that I had. I am proud of the job that I’ve done. I have a three-year contract and this is the last home game of my three years, so whatever happens, happens after this, but… I can’t be anything but proud.

In response to a follow-up question, Silas acknowledged the lack of talks regarding his future with the team after this season.

Houston finishes its 2022-23 season on Sunday in Washington, and the team typically makes Stone available to the media within a day or two as part of the “exit interviews” to wrap up the year and preview the offseason. That could be the first opportunity to hear the team’s perspective on how things will play out with Silas.

[lawrence-related id=112899,112858]

Podcast: Key storylines to watch as Rockets enter season’s final week

For Kevin Porter Jr., Stephen Silas, 2023 NBA draft positioning, and beyond, today’s @TheLagerLine breaks down key storylines as the 2022-23 #Rockets season enters its final week.

As the NBA’s 2022-23 regular season enters its final week, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets (19-60) have long been eliminated from playoff contention. Even so, there are several important storylines to watch as a pivotal offseason approaches.

Tuesday’s new episode of “The Lager Line,” sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, offers a preview. Podcast hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves evaluate Houston’s recent form, including positive signs shown by Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard and renewed questions surrounding head coach Stephen Silas.

Should Houston make a coaching change after the season? Is Toronto’s Nick Nurse a top candidate? Reports from Raptors media suggest it’s possible, and Tuesday’s show breaks down his candidacy along with other criteria the Rockets may consider when making these decisions.

Finally, the show concludes by exploring which late-season games are most important when it comes to 2023 NBA draft placement for the Rockets. This includes games pertinent to Houston’s own pick, as well as one that is likely headed to the Rockets from the Clippers.

Tuesday’s full podcast can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

[lawrence-related id=112858,112713]

‘Not backing down’: Alperen Sengun battles as Rockets fall to Anthony Davis, Lakers

“Tonight was a really tough matchup, but he didn’t back down from it, not one bit,” #Rockets coach Stephen Silas says of Alperen Sengun facing Anthony Davis. “I love that.”

After losing to the Rockets in Houston last month, the full-strength Lakers got some revenge in Sunday’s 134-109 blowout (box score) at Toyota Center. This time, superstars Anthony Davis (40 points, 75% FG, 9 rebounds) and LeBron James (18 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) were available, and each made a major impact as Los Angeles (40-38) got a much-needed victory in the 2023 playoff race.

The Rockets (19-60) were led by young guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., but each was decidedly less efficient relative to Friday’s victory over Detroit. Green had 24 points and 7 assists on 7-of-21 shooting (33.3%), while Porter had 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting (43.8%) — though he did make 6-of-10 from 3-point range (60.0%).

Second-year big man Alperen Sengun stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks on 9-of-17 shooting (52.9%), while rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. had an efficient 14 points and 6 rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%).

“I’ve challenged him this season, when it comes to the defensive end, and he’s responded,” head coach Stephen Silas said of Sengun. “I’m happy for him. He’s supremely confident, and he’s going to be a really good player in this league. For him to be that, it has to be on both ends of the floor. He’s not backing down. He’s trying really hard. He’s really rebounding the ball. He’s trying to do all the coverages.”

“Tonight was a really tough matchup, but he didn’t back down from it, not one bit,” Silas concluded, as relayed by Lachard Binkley of SB Nation’s The Dream Shake blog. “I love that.”

Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews with players and head coach Stephen Silas, and reaction by Houston fans and media members after Sunday’s loss to the Lakers. The Rockets close out their 2022-23 home schedule with Tuesday’s Toyota Center season finale versus Denver, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.

DJ Augustin returns to Rockets, impressed by Kevin Porter Jr.’s evolution as point guard

“The way he slowed down his game and his pace, you can see that it is opening things up for him more,” DJ Augustin says of Kevin Porter Jr.’s growth as a point guard. #Rockets

After 13 years in the NBA, veteran guard DJ Augustin had called it a career. Although the man who made Houston his adopted hometown had not officially made a retirement speech or submitted paperwork to the league, Augustin was content being at home with his family.

A former first-round pick in the 2008 NBA draft by Charlotte, Augustin played portions of two seasons with the Rockets after being traded from Milwaukee in March 2021 as part of the PJ Tucker trade. He was waived by Houston in February 2022 and was claimed by the Lakers, where he played 21 games to end the 2021-22 season.

“I was done playing,” said Augustin, a point guard, as he prepared for Friday’s home game versus Detroit. “I had a few teams calling, but I was pretty much just at home with my family, being a dad. I was still working out and doing things, but for the most part, being on a team, I wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”

Only one team could get Augustin to give up “Daddy Duties” and return. “The only situation I was willing to go to was Houston,” said a smiling Augustin. “Not thinking it would happen, and one day I got the call. That is how life is sometimes. I am just happy to be back.”

That call came from Rockets general manager Rafael Stone while Houston was in the middle of a five-game road trip in late March. During his first stint in Houston, Augustin averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game, but his main objective was to help Kevin Porter Jr. transition into a starting point guard, a position he was still learning.

Before the 2021-22 season, Augustin had noticed the work Porter had put into becoming better at his new position in the offseason.

“He is just trying to put it all together,” Augustin said of Porter’s transition. “Switching positions and becoming a point guard ain’t easy. It is not something that you can just do all the time.”

During his time away from the game, Augustin noticed that Porter had finally started evolving from a natural scorer to a team leader.

“I have been watching his whole season,” Augustin said of Porter. “The way he slowed down his game and his pace. You can see that it is opening things up for him more. He knows when to use his body and control the game and be a real point guard. I am happy to see him do that, and he is growing a lot.”

Porter’s growth and maturity have been displayed over the four games that Augustin has been on the bench and in the locker room with him. He is averaging 24 points per game, including back-to-back 30-plus point games. His 33-points, four steals, and seven made 3-pointers in Friday’s victory against the Pistons put him in some elite company. The only other Rockets player to perform that feat was former NBA MVP James Harden, who did it four times in Houston.

“It is good to have DJ back, because he is a player who has played my position for a very long time, and he shows and tells me different things I may not see,” Porter said. “He has a great approach to how he sees the game and breaks it down in a way that can be easily explained. It is good to have him back.”

[lawrence-related id=112774,112756]

[mm-video type=video id=01gww2dxbhtc528z4dxc playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gww2dxbhtc528z4dxc/01gww2dxbhtc528z4dxc-5844a082820b609fd5163ca81e441674.jpg]

Rockets unlock best versions of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green with simultaneous 30-point games

“Mahmoud [Abdelfattah] has been telling me to put that pick and roll in for a month, and I finally did it tonight,” Stephen Silas says of new sets for Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. #Rockets

HOUSTON — If we’re being honest, no one outside the city looked at the Rockets’ schedule and said that Friday night’s matchup between Houston and the Detroit Pistons was a game to watch.

If we are honest with one another, there were probably fans within Houston that chose to participate and watch the other activities.

There were different events near Toyota Center, such as concerts and the annual fan fest surrounding the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament as the city hosts the Final Four at NRG Stadium.

Over at Minute Maid Park, the Houston Astros held their ring ceremony Friday as they received their 2022 World Series championship rings before taking on the Chicago White Sox.

So, a matchup between two teams with a combined win total of 34 (Houston 18, Detroit 16) games barely moved the needle — unless you did not want to fight the crowds at the other events.

Yet, fans at Toyota Center took in a glimpse into what the young Rockets can become in the future as Houston defeated Detroit, 121-115. The Rockets have now won four of their last six games at home.

The dynamic backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green carried over momentum from their previous game in Brooklyn, where they came up short in the fourth quarter. Porter finished the game with 33 points, and Green scored 32 to help the Rockets end a seven-game losing streak and sweep the season series over the Pistons.

It was the first time this season and the third time ever that Green and Porter scored 30-plus points in the same game. The previous times were in 2022 against the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets.

“We wanted this one bad,” Porter told reporters postgame. “Definitely, the last couple of games, we felt like we should have closed some out. We knew that Detroit was our first home game back, and we definitely wanted this one to start off our home stretch.”

Porter also had four steals while making 7-of-13 attempts from 3-point range. He became one of only two Rockets to have ever recorded at least 30 points, four steals, and seven made 3-pointers in a game, joining former franchise icon James Harden — who completed the feat four times during his Houston playing days.

As for Green, he continued his upward trajectory as he looks to become one of the NBA’s future stars. He added 5 assists with his 32 points, which gave him five straight games with four or more assists. Beyond that, Green now has the ninth-most 30-point games by a player 21 years old or younger through his first 139 career played.

One reason Porter and Green had so much success Friday was due to a pick-and-roll play that assistant coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah recently drew up to help relieve some of the defensive pressure that the two young guards have continuously faced this sseason.

“Mahmoud’s been telling me to put that pick and roll in for a month, and I finally did it tonight,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “Rick Higgins was like, ‘Put it in,’ so I put it in, and they went. They were playing off each other, getting downhill. They drew the second defender to make the play to the other one. They were just playing off each other. I think we saw a lot less of them kind of bouncing things out and more of them just attacking and making the reads.”

Silas knows that his young backcourt tandem with Porter and Green has potential. While some of their inexperience occasionally seeps through and affects their production, he still believes in them and what they can accomplish on the court.

“They know how much confidence I have in them,” Silas said. “If they don’t know how much confidence I have in them, then something’s wrong. I was proud of the way they played.”

On Sunday, Houston continues its final homestand of the 2022-23 season by hosting the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center.

[lawrence-related id=112756,112748]

[mm-video type=video id=01gwhb3jgyzp8zd0jqrt playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gwhb3jgyzp8zd0jqrt/01gwhb3jgyzp8zd0jqrt-c5a50b896f2371a4687b157037568893.jpg]