What to take away from Stephen Silas and Rafael Stone's Media Day Presser

As the new NBA season creeks closer and closer, Rockets fans have a lot to be excited about their upcoming team. Sure, the team finished dead last in the Western Conference for the second year in a row, but head coach Stephen Silas and general manager Rafael Stone spoke about the importance of growth and development at the Rockets' media day.

What Stephen Silas & Rafael Stone want to see in 2022-23

""The main thing is we're gonna be super hard to play against on both ends on the floor." "

Stephen Silas

Team defense was the main issue for last year's team. The Rockets finished last in the league in opponent points per game and second to last in defensive rating. Rafael Stone saw the issue at hand and wanted to have an identity at both ends of the floor.

After an astounding 2021 draft class, Stone again came away with three players who look ready to make an impact sooner rather than later. "We're the youngest team in probably the whole NBA, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the guys from last year take that next approach," Stone said. Jabari Smith looks to make the biggest impact on the defensive end as Coach Silas raved about his intangibles.

""We know that his offense will come along eventually and we will help him get into that rhythm of making shots consistently, just like we did with Jalen a year ago" "But as far as Jabari's defense. It's legit, even at this age. We want all of our players to feed off his impact.""

Stephen Silas

Where will the Rockets rank in team defense by the year's end? Will the team stick to a defense-first ethos as Stone and Silas iterated? Only time will tell, but the future is bright here in Houston, and Stephen Silas and Rafael Stone can see the light.