In April 2023, the Houston Rockets decided against picking up the fourth-year option on Stephen Silas, the head coach of the team at that time. He was associated with the team when it was aggressively rebuilding itself following the trade of James Harden.
The Rockets were desperate to flip the narrative, and they went from being a team that seemed beyond hope four years ago to securing the second seed in the Western Conference during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Silas was far from successful in leading the Rockets to a glorious resurgence. When he was at the helm, he led the team to 59 wins and 117 losses, barely enough for a respectable comeback. It hardly seems a surprise that the team decided to part ways with Silas, and now, years later, Jabari Smith Jr. has spoken up about why Silas was not the best fit for the Rockets.
Jabari Smith Jr. Believes Stephen Silas Was Not the Best at Team Management
The 6-foot-10 forward, who has become an indelible part of the Rockets, had a very different opinion about why Silas never returned to the Rockets for a fourth season. Smith stated that while Silas was a good coach and knew everything about basketball, he struggled to control the players.
“He knows basketball. Knows what he’s talking about. But as far as controlling us, it was tough for him,” he noted, further adding that head coach Ime Udoka and players like Dillon Brooks and point guard Fred VanVleet imposed some control on the Rockets.
Jabari Smith Jr on Stephen Silas🚀
“Silas was a good coach but nobody could control that. He’s the nicest dude in the world. He knows basketball. Knows what he’s talking about. But as far as controlling us it was tough for him. Ime, Fred, & Dillon came & put some control on it.” pic.twitter.com/jx3ALmfjlZ
— COACH (@RocketsCulture) July 2, 2025
It is fair to argue that the players indeed needed to be reined in during a period when the team was sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference and desperate to turn itself around. Considering Smith’s reasoning for Silas’ disengagement, current head coach Udoka has successfully controlled the players and propelled the team to its first playoff in the 2024-25 season following Harden’s exit.
The Rockets can finally be said to have finished their rebuilding phase. Touted by Bleacher Report as one of the “10 NBA Plot Twists That Left Everyone Stunned This Season,” it is now accepted that while a Rockets resurgence was expected, nobody had anticipated the revival to be so dramatic.
“After going on a run to finish last season 41-41, the Houston Rockets were expected to make a leap this season. Even the highest expectations did not have Houston fighting for the second seed in the West.”
Besides Udoka’s coaching and exceptional team management capabilities, the Rockets have put on an impressive show, both offensively and defensively. Hence, while Silas’ engagement with the team was perhaps not as long as he had hoped, his mission as the Rockets’ head coach can now be considered fulfilled. The Rockets have finally salvaged themselves.
