With the noise and buzzing rumors around, Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas fully understands the uncertainty of his coaching security to nearly conclude the 2022-23 season.
And in pregame of his club’s eventual 124-103 Tuesday dub against the Denver Nuggets, Silas expressed his own encouragement on what he brought to Houston amid a lack of progress from the past few years.
“I have not been perfect at all. But I am proud of the job that I’ve done,” Silas said, via Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “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.”
Silas is on the final guaranteed year of his four-season contract with the Rockets, a pact that he signed with them in the 2020 offseason.
At that time, he believed that he will inherit the guiding mantle from Mike D’Antoni by leading James Harden in the franchise’s continuing pursuit of that elusive title. As such, it turned out disastrous, as the superstar guard requested a trade and all other competitive pieces parted ways.
An unexpected rookie year of head coaching in Houston last 2020-21 ultimately signaled a teardown in the franchise, ushering in a new age of rebuild in the post-Harden era. For the past two seasons, the Rockets have compiled the worst record in the league out of the other 29 teams.
On this stretch, Silas and the Rockets endured embattled experiences marred by disappointments, team controversies, and such. Amid these, he is more than happy to see himself get matured and cherish that growth.
“This is a hard job, and there have been some down times that I’ve had to fight through the last three years,” Silas said of his growth. “I found strength in myself that I didn’t necessarily know that I had. I found that I can bring a group together. I found that I can help young guys with not just basketball but with life. You never know until you do it.”
Albeit having no key progress to boast about in his reigns as the team’s head coach, Silas managed to form that unwavering bond with the team’s young nucleus.
Houston compiled coveted young prospects in the last two years like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and K.J. Martin. Despite their lack of experience, they’ve been an absolute bright spot in the team’s extended reconstruction that is yet to deliver a major step.
No matter what happens at the end of the road, Silas is hopeful that his youthful squad can only feel delighted and proud of what they were able to build.
“I hope my players understand how hard it is to win in this league, how hard it is to be successful, how much work you have to put forth,” Silas said.
“But I also hope they feel we’re moving in the right direction and they’ve improved and they’ve come together as a group and they feel like they’re in a better spot today than they were at the beginning of the season.”
