Rockets Coach Stephen Silas Shares Reasoning Behind Josh Christopher's G League Assignment

After assigning second-year guard Josh Christopher to the G League, Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas shared what led to the decision.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets made a surprising move Friday morning by assigning Josh Christopher to the G League. The decision came a month after coach Stephen Silas vowed that Christopher would not be assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers despite his lack of playing time.

Silas credited building Christopher's confidence as one aspect of his G League assignment. But the primary objective for the second-year guard is to get himself back into a rhythm.

"We value him so much," Silas said. "For him to want to go down and not have any kind of animosity, it shows who he is as a player and as a person. It is not a demotion. His personality about it was really good."

Silas said he and Christopher held several discussions and agreed a short stint in the G League would be best for both parties. He was enamored by Christopher's play when he led the Vipers to a 133-126 victory over the Lakeland Magic Friday night at RP Funding Center. 

Christopher scored a game-high 35 points in his season debut with the Vipers. He also posted nine assists and seven rebounds.

While with the Vipers, Silas would also like to see Christopher improve his defense and decision-making.

"I was happy for him last night," Silas said. "He had a great game. He did a great job with his shot selection, whether at the rim or with his 3-point shooting. He needed some minutes and get out there and play. It made sense for him to go down there and play on a back-to-back with the Vipers."

Christopher has played in 18 out of 25 games with the Rockets. He has averaged 7.0 minutes with seven DNPs due to the coach's decision. Christopher's decline in the rotation is an extreme shift from the 18.0 minutes he averaged as a rookie.

The Rockets' decision to assign Christopher to the G League marks his second tenure with the Vipers. He played three games during the 2021-22 season and averaged 22.0 points on 45.5 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

---

You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

Want the latest in news and insider information on the Houston Rockets? Click here

Follow Inside the Rockets on Facebook here

Make sure to subscribe to our weekly podcast Bleav In The Rockets today! Click here To Listen.

Follow Inside the Rockets on Twitter @InsideRocketsFN