Stephen Silas, son of Paul, replaces D’Antoni as head coach of Houston Rockets

Do you know who the most recent head coach for the Houston Rockets was?

That’s right. Mike D’Antoni. You’ll remember him most fondly when you think back to the 2003-08 Phoenix Suns. He led those teams to a combined 253-136 record. Ah, the good days.

Now, who is the new head coach for Houston?

Correct, again. Stephen Silas. He’s the son of Paul Silas who played in 239 games for Phoenix from 1969 to 1972, averaging 14.1 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Paul was also an assistant coach for the Suns from 1995 to 1997.

Last question. According to the Houston Chronicle, who is one of Stephen’s targets to be his lead assistant on the Rockets?

This one is a bit tougher than the others but if you guessed Jeff Hornacek, bonus points for you. Horny played for the Suns from 1986 to 1992, averaging 13.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. He also was the head coach for the 2013-16 Suns with an overall 101-112 record.

Apparently, the Rockets like former Suns and what is Phoenix Suns basketball most known for? Offense. It’s no surprise that’s what Stephen sold Houston on. His offensive ingenuity and strong family history stood out and played a big part in him being selected for the position.

Stephen is only 47 years old so he is on the younger side compared to other head coaches in the league. He has experience coaching elite guards, including Luka Doncic and Steph Curry most recently as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks. So, he is expected to shape his own system around James Harden (ASU alumni) and Russell Westbrook that is versatile and ready for the defenses thrown at them.

Congrats, Stephen! Good luck!