Rockets’ Stephen Silas Opens up on Relationship with James Harden and Russell Westbrook

The Houston Rockets are heading into a new direction. After a poor 2020 postseason, they made a lot of changes on each front in the organization. From changing things in the front office to trading their two superstars, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Rockets are looking for a complete revamp.

One of the big managerial changes was to hire Stephen Silas as their new head coach. Although Mike D’Antoni is one of the biggest names in the league, his tactics failed for the Rockets during crucial times. Moving forward, it’ll be exciting to see how Silas handles the James Harden-less Rockets.

Stephen Silas talks about James Harden and Russell Westbrook

In modern NBA, star players have a huge role in making key decisions for the franchise. If it wasn’t for the approval of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, Houston couldn’t have hired Silas. The Rockets coach talked about the same in a recent interview. He said:

“Those are the guys who vouched for me to get the job.”

At the time, the two superstars agreed to Silas’ hiring. But things changed pretty quickly as both of them requested a trade in the offseason. While Westbrook’s trade request was fulfilled instantly, the same can’t be said for the ‘Beard.’

However, Silas maintained that his relationship with Harden was rock-solid despite the recent controversy.

“The relationship I had with [James Harden] was good. We had some good conversations over the last few days…We texted back-and-forth after the [trade] happened.”

With both Harden and Westbrook gone, the Rockets have handed the keys of the franchise to John Wall. But can Wall change things in H-Town? That remains the biggest question moving forward this season.

Can John Wall bring success for the Houston Rockets?

Prior to joining the Rockets, Wall was going through a hard time. He missed almost 2 whole calendar years due to recurring injury issues. However, since joining Houston, Wall has looked in a phenomenal touch.

With Harden gone, Wall would need someone to back him up on the offensive side of things. To that end, the franchise replaced Harden with Victor Oladipo, who is a fabulous player in his own right.

However, looking at the current competition in the Western Conference, it seems highly unlikely that the Rockets can make it all the way to the NBA Finals.

What are your thoughts on the new Houston Rockets? Can the Wall-Oladipo duo accomplish what Harden couldn’t in 8 years? Share your views in the comments section below.