Paul Silas out as Charlotte Bobcats coach

April 30, 2012
Paul Silas out as Charlotte Bobcats coach

Paul Silas will not be back to coach next season with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Silas will not get a new contract, following a 7-59 record in the season just completed. That means the Bobcats will hire their fifth coach since the franchise’s inception in 2004.

Silas took over for Larry Brown in December of 2010. He finished last season 25-29.
During that season the Bobcats lifted the interim tag from Silas’s job description and gave him a contract extension through the end of the season just completed.

Silas, 68, has coached four NBA franchises (the Clippers, the Hornets, the Cavaliers and the Bobcats) over 12 seasons. His all-time coaching record is 387-488.

The Bobcats are expected to quickly engage in a coaching search. Potential candidates could include former Portland Trail Blazers coach (and one-time N.C. State great) Nate McMillan and former New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni. Another possibility could be Orlando Magic a#sistant coach Patrick Ewing, who has close ties to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan.

Ewing, among the best centers in NBA history, played on the original Dream Team with
Jordan. As players they both were represented by agent David Falk.

Silas’ best accomplishment as Bobcats coach was probably the development of Gerald Henderson, arguably the Bobcats’ best player. Henderson wasn’t playing much for Brown, and Silas went to work on the former Duke star’s confidence. When the Bobcats traded Gerald Wallace to Portland two months into Silas’ tenure, Silas inserted Henderson into the starting lineup. He’s been a fixture there ever since.

During Silas’s 1 ½ seasons with the team the front office chose to dismantle the roster that reached the playoffs in the spring of 2010. After trading Wallace, primarily for draft picks, the Bobcats sent Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee in a three-team trade that allowed the Bobcats to draft big man Bismack Biyombo.

While those moves made long-term sense, it saddled Silas with one of the least-experienced, least-talented rosters in NBA history. As injuries mounted and Silas was forced to play rookies Biyombo and Kemba Walker heavy minutes, the Bobcats lost their last 23 games and finished with the worst winning percentage (.106) in NBA history.

Silas hoped he’d be succeeded as Bobcats coach by his son, Stephen, his lead a#sistant. Stephen Silas filled in as head coach several games the latter part of this season, with the blessing of the front office.


Inside the NBA: Paul Silas out as Charlotte Bobcats coach

Nobody can save that franchise, not right away anyways

I'd feel bad for cats fans if they get D'antoni but Silas deserved to get fired after that putrid season

and who should get fired for the wizards putrid season [pic]

[pic] this guy stay following me around

but they already fired Flip Saunders

the unfortunate part is that any one who takes the job pretty much knows they wont be there for long. so that takes any good coach out of the question.

i mean, what else can you do when Gerald Henderson is your FRANCHISE player. They market the !! outta that dude like he's Kobe in Char. I love my boy Hendo [pic] but he aint no franchise player. They traded away all players capable of scoring consistently

I think we should of kept him for 1 more year to save money cause next year we gonna be a#s anyway then after we get another nice player in 2013 draft we then get a legit head coach. i pray stephen silas doesnt get the job [pic]. Ewing would be cool if he knows what hes doing

mikes not paying what it would cost to have dantoni coach that team

kemba in dantonis system though [pic]

that would be the perfect team for him to take over though

Highlight of the season is Paul silas throwing Tyrus Thomas into a locker

Dont know who wants to coach us

Dont blame Nate M. if he doesnt want to coach us, I'd like to see us go after him though

[pic] had to happen but dont nobody want to coach the bobcats.... them niccas got alot of work to do to become a playoff team in the east.....

I'm STUNNED

I dont see this franchise turning around for a couple years. If they luck up and get #1 pick, I dont think Davis is a franchise turn arounder.

its not his fault the bobcubs sucked. not a single coach would be able to come in and make them cats look respectable. it was just a very very bad roster. these dudes need an up and coming coach. too young to be trying to get vet coaches like d'antoni and nate. patrick would be nice. i've always wondered what he could do as a coach.

but i heard mike offered Silas a front office position. so that nicca is good.

Good man, unfortunate situation.

Bobcats fans saying the right stuff in this thread. Other fans just saying !! to say !!. !!ing Boxden people, besides Boog (he lives in NC) and Mos. DMT has the most obvious post I've ever read.

Next 2 #1 picks could eventually lure a credible head coach [pic]

I knew either he was going to resign or get fired that man need to go home and relax after the season he just had! Much needed[pic] R$R let someone else deal with it!

[pic]

Guess you have to work harder Mike!