The Houston Rockets wasted very little time making their first big change of the NBA offseason. Shortly after the conclusion of the regular season, they decided to move on from their head coach Stephen Silas.
Silas spent three seasons as the head coach of the Rockets, going 59-177. It was an impossible situation for him to be put in as Houston’s ownership cleaned house in his first season on the job. Tanking and stockpiling young players was their No. 1 goal, which led to some serious growing pains and underwhelming performances on the court.
Other than 15-year veteran Eric Gordon, who was traded to the LA Clippers ahead of the deadline, the entire rotation in Houston had three or fewer years of NBA experience. Bringing in some veterans to help develop the young guys on the roster would be ideal.
Also, their next head coach needs to be someone with experience as well. That is exactly what Nick Nurse would bring to the table, as he is expected to be “a prominent part of their head coaching search” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
NBA NEWS & COACH RUMORS: Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors & Houston Rockets Updates
Nurse was fired by the Toronto Raptors on Friday after five seasons with the team. He experienced the highest of highs north of the border, winning the NBA Finals in his first season on the job. He also had some lows, missing the playoffs twice. During the 2020-21 season, Toronto went 27-45, landing the No. 4 pick in the subsequent draft and landing Scottie Barnes.
Nurse also took home the Coach of the Year award in 2020, as his tenure with the franchise got off to a hot start. While things tempered off the last three seasons, Nurse will be a hot commodity on the coaching market this offseason.
NBA NEWS & COACH RUMORS: Nick Nurse, Toronto Raptors & Houston Rockets Updates
In addition to Nurse, the Rockets have already interviewed former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego and Ime Udoka, the former Boston Celtics head coach who was suspended for violating multiple team rules. Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel is also part of the head coaching search.
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