While it took the Rockets one of the longest stretches in recent memory —six weeks— to conduct a coaching search and ultimately hire Stephen Silas, the wheels were in motion 24 hours after the Rockets returned home from the Orlando bubble.
There were wide-ranging emotions within the organization, which had just been through the pain of another playoff letdown and Mike D’Antoni’s abrupt decision to walk away from the franchise. But the most important task on the to-do list was forging a path for the immediate future.
With then-GM Daryl Morey unsure about his own future with the franchise, Rafael Stone, Eli Witus and other key members of the front office had already put plans in motion to pick the next head coach.
Given that whoever would emerge from the vetting process would be owner Tilman Fertitta’s first official hire — an important marker for any new regime — it would be a lengthy, drawn-out, meticulous one.
