With James Harden, for eight years, the Rockets averaged 52 wins in the regular season and established themselves as a regular candidate for the title. But his departure threw the franchise into a period of reconstruction, resulting in only 59 victories in total in three seasons!
This dark page has now been turned, the Rockets announced throughout the summer. The arrivals of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green during the offseason should make it possible to change dimension and leave the last places in the league.
“I think the reconstruction is complete. It’s a new team, a new era for the Rockets. I think the right term, which proves it, is that we are hungry,” comments Jae’Sean Tate for the Houston Chronicle. “This season, we are hungry for victories,” confirms Alperen Sengun.
Find the playoffs
The lexical field of the Rockets during the “media day” actually revolved a lot around appetite. For several seasons, the Texans were the prey. Now they want to be the hunters.
“We have young people who are tired of losing,” notes Jeff Green with his 15 seasons and his title won with Denver in June. “They are tired of their situation. Jalen Green wants to change the headlines about Houston. They want to win. I see their appetite to become better. They are hungry for victories, and to win now. »
The ambitions are clear and announced in Houston, from the players to the coach to the managers: we must return to the playoffs.
“I think we are in a new phase and the expectations are different from those of the last two years. We have to be more organized and competitive and with our summer, everything suggests that we will be,” says GM Rafael Stone. “The goal is to get this franchise back to where it should be, where it was,” believes Fred VanVleet. “There is a rich tradition here. The Rockets were supposed to be in the Finals and win the title a few years ago. Our goal is to return to the playoffs, with the idea of winning the title. »
