Former Coach Jeff Van Gundy Sees Hope In Young Rockets

Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy believes there is hope for the Houston Rockets amid their rebuilding project.

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets finished last season with the league's worst record, but the future seems bright for the organization.  

The Rockets landed arguably the top prospects in back-to-back drafts with the selections of Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. and built a solid corps around tomorrow's stars with Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun.  

Houston's rebuild continues to move in the right direction. And former head coach Jeff Van Gundy applauds the franchise for its early success.

"Even though they’ve had the worst record in the league the last two years, I think there are signs of talent and growth," Van Gundy said during a recent interview with ESPN Houston 97.5. "They have hope. 

"Even going into year three, you look at the lack of experience on the roster, and they’re not going to win a ton of games this year. But I think Stephen's [Silas] steady hand will provide the leadership they need for a good year of growth." 

The Rockets will be far from a playoff-caliber team next season. But the young talents Houston has gathered over the previous two years could be enough to prevent the franchise from finishing last in the NBA for the third consecutive year. 

Van Gundy coached the Rockets for four seasons, where he recorded a record of 182-146 and three postseason appearances. The Rockets fired Van Gundy after the 2006-07 season and hired Rick Adelman following his jettison.  

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