Rockets add Lionel Hollins, Mike Batiste, Mahmoud Abdelfattah to coaching staff

The Rockets are adding Lionel Hollins, Mike Batiste and Mahmoud Abdelfattah to Stephen Silas‘ coaching staff, Twitter link. They’ll seemingly replace Jeff Hornacek, Will Weaver and DeSagana Diop, all of whom left once the 2021-22 season ended.

Silas recently finished his second season with the organization. He was hired in October, 2020 after Mike D’Antoni left, bringing two decades of experience as an assistant with the Hornets, Cavaliers, Wizards, Warriors and Mavericks.

Houston finished last season with the league’s worst record at 20-62 and will continue a full-scale rebuild. Hollins owns head coaching experience with the Grizzlies from 2009-13 and the Nets from 2014-16. Batiste has worked as an NBA assistant since 2014, while Abdelfattah coached the Rockets’ G League team to a championship this past season.

Hollins, Batiste and Abdelfattah will be tasked with developing Houston’s young nucleus, which includes Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Josh Christopher, Alperen Sengun and No. 3 pick Jabari Smith.