Rockets telegraph big roster changes in post-Daryl Morey, Mike D’Antoni era - ClutchPoints

The Houston Rockets have already undergone a significant shift in culture with former head coach Mike D’Antoni and president Daryl Morey stepping down.

Rafael Stone will essentially fill the void left by Morey in the basketball operations department, while former Dallas Mavericks head coach Stephen Silas takes over for D’Antoni as head coach.

The new regime hardly seems wedded to playing “small ball.”

Stone said Thursday the Rockets will not limit themselves strictly to wing players and guards, which is essentially what Houston did last season. Rather, Stone indicated the Rockets could choose to add some size this offseason.

Rafael Stone says the Rockets aren't necessarily tethered to micro-ball going into the offseason "We're definitely not going into this process thinking 'We don't want anyone over 6'7."

Says the Rockets may add some size to provide Silas with some more "optionality".

— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) November 5, 2020

Granted, this is a fairly ambiguous statement from Stone. While he is not shying away from the possibility of adding size, he is not outright suggesting the Rockets will go after big men, either.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see how Stone assembles the roster for Silas in his first year as a head coach.

Silas is regarded as a strong offensive mind, which is fitting considering he was an assistant for a high-scoring Mavericks team. Likewise, it might be pertinent to emphasize Dallas’ size was a major part of its success, especially with stretch bigs running pick-and-pop with Luka Doncic.

James Harden and Doncic actually share pretty similar skill sets with their ability to get to the rim or create space with step-back jumpers. Is it possible Stone and Silas hope to replicate the Mavericks’ roster look in Dallas?

The answer to that question remains to be seen. There has also been plenty of trade speculation involving Harden and Russell Westbrook, though nothing to suggest the Rockets will move either star.

In any case, Stone and Silas could oversee something of a roster overhaul.