Rockets start coaching search with Stephen Silas and Wes Unseld Jr.

We’ve had a lot of rumors to this point about the coaching search for the Houston Rockets, but no concrete info about interviews, but now a few names from reliable sources are starting to drift in, with Houston set to interview Stephen Silas of the Dallas Mavericks and Wes Unseld Jr. from the Denver Nuggets.

Silas was rumored to be Houston GM Daryl Morey’s second choice before Mike D’Antoni was hired in the summer of 2016, so it looks like he’s getting another crack at it. He’s the son of former NBA coach Paul Silas and has spent time as an assistant with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, and now the Mavericks.

He has extensive experience in player development, technology, and NBA scouting systems for the coaching staff. Should he win the job, it would be his first head coaching position in the Association.

Unseld Jr. is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld and has also never before been a head coach, but has extensive experience as an assistant, working for the Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and now the Nuggets.

He’s been described as, “someone who thinks team first with a good understanding of the game. As a coach, he has an unbelievable work ethic... a grinder, and he has a reputation for developing young talent. He’s also personable, pragmatic and possessed of a pedigree that’s just about as regal as it gets around any golden court.”

Sounds just like what the Rockets need, but how do Houston’s two superstars handle a first-time NBA head coach? That would be the big question about either of these two.