Rafael Stone and Stephen Silas recently had a conversation about the events that rocked the franchise’s start to the season. The GM took the opportunity to clarify things with his coach.
« I told Stephen that when I recruited him I didn’t know things were going to turn out like this ”, reports the leader. “I wanted to make sure he knew I didn’t know. “Coach’s response at the time:” I didn’t know that when I was recruited either. I would have taken the job anyway. »
When he landed in Houston, Stephen Silas had no idea what was going on in Texas. During his first speech at the beginning of last November, the new coach had set a clear goal by seeing his workforce.
« We still have James Harden, so the goal is still to win the title “, He posted, while also assuring that he intended to reduce the game in isolation,” even if there will be because it is the game of Harden and Russell Westbrook ».
Barely a month later, the latter was sent to Washington while the bearded man was to be transferred in the following weeks to Brooklyn. Today, Rafael Stone believes that although the new management team did not have ” a perfect idea of what the future “Reserved for him, she did” no regrets ” to have.
Do not stay “with folded arms”
Because since these transfers, Houston has not collapsed sportingly. Drawing on rookies John Wall, Victor Oladipo and Christian Wood, she had a six-game winning streak that was finally stopped that night in Oklahoma City. In addition to remaining competitive, why not disrupt the hierarchy in the West, the team has put some assets in its game for the future.
Therefore, Tilman Fertitta logically has something to congratulate his GM. “ It is exactly as we imagined it “, describes the owner. “We didn’t even think about whether we wanted to hire someone else. We knew we wouldn’t miss an opportunity with Eli (Witus, vice president of basketball operations) and him. ” He adds : ” I can promise you one thing: we are not going to sit idly by. »
And Rafael Stone also warns: ” I am a man of transactions. We should always be looking for the next big deal. We must not leave an opportunity on the table. Being good enough is not enough. […] I’m trying to win a title. I want a ring. »
| Tirs | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Fte | Pts |
| James Harden | 8 | 36.3 | 44.4 | 34.7 | 88.3 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 10.4 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 24.8 |
| Christian Wood | 15 | 32.5 | 55.6 | 39.1 | 68.8 | 1.9 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 23.3 |
| Victor Oladipo | 7 | 31.7 | 40.7 | 34.0 | 73.1 | 0.1 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 21.0 |
| John Wall | 12 | 29.9 | 44.4 | 37.3 | 81.0 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 17.8 |
| Eric Gordon | 15 | 27.8 | 45.8 | 35.7 | 83.1 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 17.5 |
| Demarcus Cousins | 16 | 17.7 | 33.9 | 33.3 | 76.2 | 1.4 | 5.9 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 8.8 |
| David Nwaba | 17 | 22.6 | 47.5 | 28.2 | 65.6 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 8.6 |
| Jae’sean Tate | 19 | 25.5 | 52.9 | 34.3 | 65.5 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 8.4 |
| Danuel House | 8 | 27.1 | 39.6 | 35.5 | 78.6 | 0.2 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 8.0 |
| Sterling Brown | 17 | 20.2 | 47.1 | 44.1 | 100.0 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 7.6 |
| Mason Jones | 11 | 12.2 | 56.9 | 57.7 | 52.9 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 7.5 |
| Ben Mclemore | 12 | 17.6 | 39.2 | 41.2 | 87.5 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 7.2 |
| P.j. Tucker | 19 | 30.9 | 45.6 | 40.0 | 76.9 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 5.4 |
| K.j. Martin | 7 | 9.8 | 37.0 | 25.0 | 40.0 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.3 |
| Bruno Caboclo | 6 | 6.1 | 47.1 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| Brodric Thomas | 4 | 6.0 | 28.6 | 16.7 | 71.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 2.5 |
| Rodions Kurucs | 4 | 9.2 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
