Stephen Silas lauds support system for Kevin Porter Jr. in Houston
While clearly talented, second-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. was only made available to the Houston Rockets via trade due to a series of troubling off-court incidents in Cleveland. As a result, head coach Stephen Silas immediately stressed the importance of having the appropriate structure in place to help him succeed, both on and off the court.
Having recently completed a stint at the G League bubble, Porter is now playing major minutes for the parent NBA team, which has been ravaged by injuries for much of the 2020-21 season. Before Wednesday’s home game versus Golden State — in which Porter started at point guard for a fourth straight outing — Silas was asked about the integration of his young prospect and the support system in place for Porter in Houston.
Here’s what Silas said in response to that question:
I think it’s been good. We’ve been in constant communication. He has done everything we’ve needed him to do. I think the situation of him going to the G League bubble helped.
He really knows that we care about him. We care about him as a basketball player, but we care about him as a person, as well. It’s a daily process. Trust isn’t build in just a day, or a week. It’s built day after day, week after week, and month after month. It seems like it’s going in a pretty good direction. … For him, coming in, it’s been a pretty good start. He’s getting a really good opportunity, and we have a lot of trust in him.
There’s going to be ups and downs, and conversations to be had. Just like with every other player. But we are making sure that for all of our young guys, that my door is always open, and there’s a support system around that can help them be successful, on and off the floor.
Porter entered Wednesday averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 1.5 steals in 34.5 minutes per game with the Rockets. At just 20 years old, the 6-foot-4 guard is considered a key long-term building block as Houston looks to rebuild following the recent trade of James Harden.
