Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone was effusive in his praise of former coach Stephen Silas on Monday afternoon.
Stone met with the media at the Toyota Center hours after the franchise announced it would officially decline to pick up Silas's fourth-year option for the 2023-24 season, ending Silas's tenure in Houston after 177 losses and a trio of successive seasons in the Western Conference cellar. Stone noted Monday Silas is "as good a person as you could ever hope to work with," emphasizing Silas's impact on him as a colleague. When pressed for why Silas was ultimately dismissed, Stone was concise.