Coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah Adds Communication And Consistency To Rockets Staff
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HOUSTON — As free agency looms and the 2022 NBA Draft is three days away, the Houston Rockets will be one of the most active teams in the league this off-season.
General manager Rafael Stone got a jumpstart on a busy summer Wednesday evening by trading Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks while continuing to work towards the inevitable departure of John Wall.
The Rockets' most apparent changes will take place on the court. But Houston's most prominent off-season acquisition could come with the hiring of coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah. Per The Athletic, Abdelfattah is one of two candidates in strong consideration to join coach Stephen Silas' coaching staff following the departure of Jeff Hornacek and Will Weaver in May.
Abdelfattah has been a part of the Rockets system since 2018 after joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as an assistant coach. And his background in player development could be beneficial for the Rockets' young corps.
"He is a great coach," Daishen Nix said at the Vipers' first-ever Basketball Champ Camp Monday morning. "Everything about coach is cool. He is very down-to-earth and communicates with his players very well. Even outside of coaching, I view him as a friend."
The Rockets have seen several players find their NBA stride under the stewardship of Abdelfattah in the G League.
He played a significant role in the development of Kevin Porter Jr. and Kenyon Martin in 2021. The following year, while leading the Vipers to their fourth championship title in franchise history, Nix's development under Abdelfattah led Houston to convert his two-way contract into a standard deal.
Nix said playing under Abdelfattah helped with his transition to the NBA, where he played 24 games with the Rockets during the 2021-22 season. Abdelfattah runs the same playbook as Silas, which also assisted in the G League to NBA transition of Anthony Lamb.
"Coach Abdelfattah has been my guy after I got traded to the Vipers," Lamb said. "It's the energy he carries around him, and the way that he runs his program is unbelievable. You always know what you are going to get from Abdelfattah. As a basketball player, that is important — especially when trying to build a program with the Rockets. He is always available for players who have questions. And I know he is going to be a great addition to Silas' coaching staff."
Lamb, who appeared in 26 games for the Rockets over the previous two seasons, averaged a career-best 17.3 points on .500/.400/.800 shooting splits, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks for the Vipers in 2022.
In his third season with the Rockets, Abdelfattah took home G League Coach of the Year honors after leading the Vipers to a 24-10 regular-season record. In April, the Vipers defeated the Delaware Blue Coats 2-0 during the 2022 G League Finals.
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