WATCH: Rockets Release Video Showcasing Early Off-Season Workouts
In this story:
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets played their final game of the 2021-22 campaign on April 10 in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but that does not mean the franchise's practice facility has gone unused.
Wednesday afternoon, the Rockets released a 30-second video that featured a handful of players participating in voluntary team workouts inside the Toyota Center practice court. Among the players featured in the video titled "The Boys Are Back" are Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Garrison Mathews.
In May, coach Stephen Silas expressed his appreciation for players taking time throughout the off-season to get a premature jump on preparations for the upcoming year. The Rockets finished the 2021-22 campaign with the league's worst record at 20-62.
"It means a lot to me, but it speaks to who they are,” Silas said during the unveiling of the renovations at the Moody Community Center on May 12. "I deliver the message and try to do it in a way that makes sense. I try to highlight the things they need to work on and also highlight the things they did well on this season.
"It's obvious that we need to get better, and the players that we have want that. There are not too many teams that have their players in the gym in May — especially the majority of their guys. We know what's ahead of us. And our guys are prepared for it."
After spending the previous two seasons in basketball purgatory, the Rockets are motivated to re-establish themselves as a respectable franchise. Green expressed his hunger to play in the postseason after being annoyed by watching the 2022 playoffs.
“The playoffs are going on and seeing everyone play is kind of annoying because you want to be out there,” he said. "We already went through a whole season, and obviously it did not turn out how we wanted. It’s super important for us because it’s a rebuild. Everyone is about to lock in this summer, and everyone is about to get better."
