There have been gossips going around that the Houston Rockets are looking to move James Harden and Russell Westbrook. So the first order of new coach Stephen Silas? Squash those rumors.
Silas spoke on First Take and denied they want to trade their superstar duo. He explained that he wanted to coach the Rockets so badly because of the opportunity to have the two MVPs.
“As far as James, he’s our guy. In the interview process, I talked to both James and Russ, and let them know that the reason I want this job is because of them. I expect those guys to be here. I haven’t heard anything else to the contrary. That’s how I feel about it, and that’s how it’s going to be.”
After the departures of longtime general manager Daryl Morey and coach Mike D'Antoni, there has been a lot of talk about the Rockets moving away from the advanced analytics approach. Their run-and-gun style was very reliant on transition and three-point attempts. The team went “microball,” sacrificing rebounding and interior defense for a high-octane offense.
That exact style, however, was not able to achieve success in the NBA Playoffs. This past season, they bowed out in the second round for the second straight time.
In Stephen Silas' formal public introduction, new Rockets general manager Rafael Stone also reiterated that they are sticking with their core roster, with Harden still carrying the torch.
“For the last eight years or so, our goal has been to win a championship because we had James Harden. We still have James Harden. Our goal is still to win a championship. And if you’ve got him, you know you’re halfway there. It’s incumbent on me, Stephen, and the whole team to figure out the rest of the whole. But the key piece is there.”
It looks like the future of the Rockets still relies on Harden and Westbrook.
For now.
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