New Rockets owner expects team to make Western Conference Finals this season
New Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is setting a high bar right away.
Fertitta, who was officially introduced by the team on Tuesday after buying them for an NBA-record $2.2 billion from longtime owner Les Alexander, laid out the expectations for his first year at the helm, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
Tillman Fertitta on expectations for Rockets with two superstars: "You should get to the Western Conference finals."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) October 10, 2017
After winning 55 games last season and coming within two wins of the Conference Finals, the Rockets added Chris Paul this summer to pair with fellow backcourt stud James Harden, so expectations should be sky-high. But nevertheless, they play in a conference where, beyond just the Warriors slaughtering everybody, they will also have deal with with the likes of the ever-present San Antonio Spurs and the reloaded Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, the overall aura of optimism is strong in Houston, be it Fertitta’s or otherwise.