Well, that didn't take long.
Paul Silas is now 2-for-2 in getting the "interim" tag removed as an NBA coach in Charlotte, as the Bobcats just extended him through the 2011-12 season and now officially consider him their "head coach" instead of their "interim head coach."
Silas took over for Larry Brown this season, and at this point, interestingly enough, they have each coached this Bobcats team for exactly 28 games. Brown went 9-19. Silas went 15-13 and has directed Charlotte to victories over Boston, the L.A. Lakers and Atlanta in the past 10 days.
This one-year extension was the right move for the Bobcats, to give a bit of stability at a spot where the team desperately needs it. The Bobcats are already on their fourth head coach in seven years, which speaks to the franchise's lack of continuity.
This sort of thing has happened to Silas before. He took over the Charlotte Hornets in midseason once, replacing Dave Cowens, and then did well enough to get the head job there, too.
Silas is a tough coach and also not as good an "X and O" man as Brown, but he's better than Brown at instilling confidence in players. He smiles more. Under Silas, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson in particular have looked like different players.
And while Charlotte (24-32) still wouldn't make the playoffs if the NBA season ended today, at least the Bobcats now have a chance to do so. While Brown got them there in 2009-10 with a superb coaching job, the team stopped listening to him this season.
They are listening to Silas, and this was a good move for owner Michael Jordan to make. The timing is a bit curious -- couldn't this just as easily have been done at the end of the season? -- but Silas is a good man and a good coach, and I'm happy for him.
We're moving!
11 years ago
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