“Ultimate tank commander”: NBA fans wheezing over Stephen Silas being part of 3 20+ game losing streaks
The blame game for the disappointing season of the Detroit Pistons has persisted for weeks, and this time, the internet is taking shots at the team's associate head coach, Stephen Silas. Examining Silas' history, it's evident that this isn't the initial instance of him enduring an extended period of losses, as he has been part of three out of the nine 20-game losing streaks in the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons took a huge swing in free agency by getting Monty Williams to be one of the highest-paid coaches in league history. Along with it, Williams intended to surround himself with a coaching staff that looked to rebuild the team with him.
The first coach that he approached was Stephen Silas who was coming off from a head coaching stint with the Houston Rockets.
Months later and as 2023 ends in a few days, NBA fans are feasting on the Pistons' worst season in franchise history and now mock the team's lead assistant hire showing that he experienced the Charlotte Bobcats and Houston Rockets' 20-game losing streak:
"The Ultimate Tank Commander," said BigWillie_54 on the social media platform X.
With the internet, fans are just creative with their shots of Williams and brand him with bad luck in life:
More so is that fans see Stephen Silas now as the worst NBA coach in history after being part of three 20-game losing streaks:
Why did the Detroit Pistons hire Stephen Silas?
When Monty Williams' hire was announced in the off-season, it didn't take long for the Detroit Pistons to build his coaching staff as the team prepared for the 2023 NBA draft.
Stephen Silas was tapped by Williams as he is known to have helped a lot of young players grow into the league. Having served under coach Rick Carlisle, Silas had a chance to coach a young Luka Doncic for his first two seasons in the league. The Slovenian basketball star has all praises for his time with Silas:
"He’s amazing," Doncic said in a report by Sports Illustrated. "He’s a great guy and a great coach. He helped me a lot. You guys saw how we played offense [under him]. He’s just a great person."
Teaching has been one of the best attributes of Silas as he is tasked to guide the young players of the Pistons with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren to navigate themselves in the league.