As the Rafael Stone-Stephen Silas partnership as general manager and head coach enters its third season in Houston, it’s Stone who seems to inspire more confidence from Rockets fans.
In a recent fan survey conducted by The Athletic, questions related to Stone’s performance as general manager generally drew a more positive response than one for Silas as coach. Among the findings:
Do you believe in Houston’s version of “The Process”? (89.9% yes)
What is your confidence level in GM Rafael Stone and the front office? (52.1% confident, 37.8% very confident)
What is your confidence level in head coach Stephen Silas and the rest of his (new) coaching staff? (43.5% confident, 9.6% very confident, 38.6% unsure)
Were you pleased with Houston’s 2022 draft class? (81.3% very pleased, 14.8% somewhat pleased)
Both Stone and Silas were hired to their current positions in the 2020 offseason and started with the 2020-21 league year.
When combining the various degrees of approval, the questions related to Stone’s performance as the leader of Houston’s rebuilding plan all received an approval rating of approximately 90% or higher. On the other hand, the question pertaining to Silas and the coaching staff barely broke 50%, from a confidence perspective.
Rockets fan survey results [PART 1] https://t.co/jGtYy2AnIV
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) August 30, 2022
Some of this is simply the unique nature of their jobs. Led by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr., most experts around the NBA have concluded that Houston’s haul in the 2021 and 2022 draft classes looks very strong, on paper. For now, at such an early stage in their careers, these types of prospects are going to largely be viewed through a bigger-picture lens, as opposed to grading solely by initial on-court production. In short, time is on Stone’s side.
On the other hand, immediate on-court production — where the Rockets have had the NBA’s worst record for two years running — is a bigger part of the evaluation with Silas, since he’s not directly involved with personnel decisions. While it’s hard to imagine any coach winning frequently with a roster this young, it’s also hard to inspire confidence without at least some tangible improvements.
The good news, for Silas, is that fans do seem to understand the circumstances. It’s worth noting that while barely over 50% expressed confidence, only 8.3% said they were not confident. The lion’s share (38.6%) of the other side is simply “unsure.”
That would seem to indicate that Houston’s fan base is open to being convinced on Silas and the rest of his staff. With the likes of Green, Sengun, and other first-round rookies from 2021 entering their second NBA seasons, a jump forward in their play during the 2022-23 season would likely bolster Silas’ numbers in a hurry.
