Mahmoud Abdelfattah, Melvin Hunt Emerge As Rockets Assistant Candidates
HOUSTON — Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas is revamping his coaching staff in the middle of scouting prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft.
Silas lost a pair of his assistant coaches on May 22, following the departure of Jeff Hornacek and Will Weaver. But finding replacements doesn't appear to be a daunting task for Silas.
As reported by The Athletic, long-time NBA assistant coach Melvin Hunt and G-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah have emerged as strong candidates for those openings.
Hunt began his NBA career as a scout for the Rockets from 1999-2001. During the 2002-03 campaign, Hunt began his coaching career under Rudy Tomjanovich as an assistant.
Following his departure from Houston, Hunt has worked as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. His most recent stop was with the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-2021.
Abdelfattah has been a part of the Rockets system since 2018 after joining Rio Grande as an assistant coach. Abdelfattah took the helm as head coach in 2019, and has since helped the Vipers become an elite G-League team.
Abdelfattah led the Vipers to the G-League championship this past season. He also took home Coach of the Year honors.
In 2021, Abdelfattah assisted in the development of Kevin Porter Jr. and Kenyon Martin Jr. The duo played for Abdelfattah in the G-League bubble in Orlando.
"We were able to see how talented they are as basketball players, but they are also great people," Abdelfattah said in an exclusive interview with SB Nation. "We have a great relationship with one another, and they have a great relationship with each other. I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with them for those two months."
