(12-23) 21:53 PST -- Warriors coach Keith Smart may have said it most accurately when he described Stephen Silas as irreplaceable.
Silas on Wednesday left his post as the Warriors' second assistant coach to join the staff of his father, Paul, who was named interim coach in Charlotte. The move leaves Smart without his closest confidant in the organization and the Warriors' dynamic guard tandem without its mentor.
"I'm going to miss him a lot, man," point guard Stephen Curry said. "That was my go-to assistant for watching film, studying my game and continuing to learn. I always went to him for advice. Personally, he's my guy."
Silas got an offer - maybe a mandate - from his father early Wednesday, and the son couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with family, bump his role to top assistant and get a financial guarantee for the 2011-12 season. Silas' contract with the Warriors was to expire this summer.
His time with the Warriors had more impact than just his infectious smile and his title as second assistant, behind Jerry Sichting. This was Silas' fifth season with the Warriors, and he is credited with Monta Ellis' maturation as a player and leader and Curry's adjustment to playing point guard.
"He's like a brother to me, and he's very, very important to a lot of guys around here," Smart said. "We'll miss the man, the person who he is and his caring heart, but he also brought a lot of expertise to game preparation. We're going to miss everything about him."
Smart said he has at least a couple of guys in mind to fill the position. It's also possible that the Warriors will promote from within, moving Calbert Cheaney up a seat and making shooting coach Mark Price a full-time assistant.
Curry's father, Dell, played 16 seasons in the NBA and is working in Charlotte as a TV commentator for the Bobcats.
"I'm kind of jealous" of Silas, Curry said before issuing a joking trade demand. "I'm going to try to get my ticket for tonight, so I can be on the same flight."