Coach John Lucas II led the Houston Rockets to a 117-114 victory over the Detroit Pistons Saturday night. He served as head coach in the absence of Stephen Silas, who was in Charlotte to attend a memorial service for his late father, Paul Silas.
With his raspy voice, Lucas was stern with each of the 12 players who stepped onto the court.
Lucas settled a jittery Jabari Smith Jr. down after a terrible offensive start. He got on K.J. Martin after a blown defensive assignment led to an easy basket for the Pistons. And midway through the third quarter, Lucas expressed his displeasure when Detroit scored nine points off Houston's careless turnovers.
His approach got the best out of the short-handed Rockets inside Little Caesars Arena. But his leadership best illustrated why Silas hailed Lucas as his lead assistant for three years.
"When coach [Silas] is away, players think they are going to do what they wanna do, but that wasn't going to happen with us," Lucas said. "I held them accountable. One of the things I wanted them to know was that they had to play hard. If you were not going to play hard, you were going to miss your rotation."
The Rockets' win over the Pistons made Lucas 2-0 this season when filling in for Silas. But his impact on the coaching staff goes beyond the win-loss record when serving as head coach.
Silas has expressed his respect and admiration for Lucas as a trusted mentor. But Lucas' most significant trait for Silas has been how players respond to his teaching after years of being a player development coach.
"I work with Luc every day, we coordinate the player development program together," Silas said. "We are always on the same page. And he has done a good job whether in season or in the summer, to deliver his teachings, whether fun or not fun at all.
Lucas has a reputation for coaching his players hard. But each player has credited Lucas for their development since the start of the rebuild.
In his third season working alongside Lucas, Kevin Porter Jr. is playing his best ball since switching to full-time point guard. And after a few early morning workout sessions with Lucas, Jalen Green recorded a pair of 40-plus performances in the last 11 days.
Tari Eason described Lucas' strict approach as love. He developed a relationship with Lucas as a youngster who participated in his summer camps. Years later, Lucas' teachings helped Eason finish his night in Detroit with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Jae'Sean Tate credited Lucas' coaching style for helping the Rockets sustain their play in crunch time against the Pistons.
"I was on them pretty good, but we stayed in the game," Lucas said. "This was just a good win for us. We needed this. To get a win like this, and short-handed, hopefully, we can build off this."
Lucas' coaching style may not be for everyone. But the 69-year-old veteran has a niche of getting the best out of his players.
When Silas revamped his coaching staff during the off-season, Lucas' job was never in doubt. And against the Pistons, Lucas proved his worth as Silas' right-hand man.
"To help coach celebrate the celebration of life for his dad, with us getting the win, he enjoyed it," Lucas said. "Coach, we miss you."
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