The Houston Rockets are preparing to get their training camp underway in preparation for the upcoming 2026-27 season. The Rockets have considerable expectations this year as they look to bounce back from last season's disappointing playoff exit vs the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
The Rockets drafted Bruce Thornton in the first round out of Ohio State this past June, and recently, fellow Buckeyes product and Houston wing Jae'Sean Tate broke down what he's seen out of the young gun so far.
“Bruce is a tank. Y’all will see that. Definitely, his body is ready,” said Tate, per Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire.
“The Buckeyes, we mold guys into leaders. He’s a great leader and a great teammate.”
Article Continues BelowThe Rockets certainly could have used some more leadership during their first-round loss to the Lakers this past season, when the team frequently melted down at the end of the games, most notably in Game 3 at home, completing one of the most remarkable last-minute chokes in recent NBA history to go down 0-3.
Having Fred VanVleet back to run point guard this year should definitely help in that department, and the team is also hoping for a Year 3 leap from former lottery pick Reed Sheppard after he struggled mightily in his first playoff series with a sizable role against Los Angeles.
Overall, the Rockets still have plenty of talent, headlined by Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and the newly re-signed Amen Thompson.
However, whether head coach Ime Udoka can put it all together and build something greater, or at least equal to, the sum of its parts remains to be seen.