Interim coach Paul Silas wants to get Charlotte Bobcats running

Paul Silas hopes to energise the Charlotte Bobcats with a more up-tempo style after taking over as interim coach from defensive-minded Larry Brown.     

"We just had one practise and the one thing I want to do is bring some energy to this ball club," Silas, 67, said Thursday, the day after replacing Brown.    

"We had a good practise today. They were very excited. We ran up and down the court. I think we have to try and get up and down so the fans can see us at our best."    

Brown, 70, coached Charlotte to a 9-19 record this season and compiled an 88-104 mark since taking the helm in April 2008.                                           

Brown stepped down after a four-game losing streak in which the team averaged just 80 points a game. The Bobcats rank second-to-last in the NBA in scoring with a 91.7 average. 

Silas, a power forward on three NBA title teams with the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics during his 16-year playing career, is beginning his fourth NBA coaching job but first in five years.   

"Last night I hardly slept," he told a news conference in Charlotte. "What am I going to do in this situation, or with this drill and what not? But it came back to me right away." 

Silas, who lives near Charlotte, directed the NBA Hornets from 1999-2003, compiling a 208-155 record. The team moved from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002. He also coached the Clippers (1980-83) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-5). 

My goal is to do what we can to turn this around," he said. "I'm in the win business. We''ve got to win ball games. Throughout my 27 years as a coach and a player, I won."