Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta: We Have NBA’s Deepest Team

Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta isn’t one to lack confidence. In fact, he said he thinks Houston is incredibly set to build on the flurry of a finish to last season with an incredibly deep bench.

“There’s no deeper team in the NBA than us,” Fertitta said, via Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “We’re expecting a great year.”

Houston? The deepest team in the league? Well, that’s up for debate. But Fertitta can at least make a case, anyway.

Coach Ime Udoka is expected to start the likes of point guard Fred VanVleet and shooting guard Jalen Green in the backcourt, Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith at forwards, and Alperen Sengun at center.

Off the bench will be rookie guard Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 overall pick, second-year wing Amen Thompson, forward Tari Eason and center Steven Adams, acquired from the Grizzlies after suffering a season-ending knee injury last fall.

You can throw afew other names in the mix (Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Jock Landale, Cam Whitmore), but you get the idea. And all of this has yet to shake itself out in training camp.

But you can’t fault Fertitta for expressing excitement. The Rockets played their best after the All-Star break in February, barely missing the play-in tournament and offering loads of hope for what awaits.

“We’re very young, there’s high expectations,” Feritta added. “To be great, we have to get a little older.”

That will come this season with another year of experience. And who knows? Maybe Fertitta will be proven correct.

The Rockets finished 41-41 last season, five games behind the Warriors for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

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