(SportsRadio 610) - The Rockets' just wrapped up a 20-62 season, but this was a year about growth for a young team.
Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, following a 130-114 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, acknowledged how far Houston has to go before reaching its goal of contending.
"When we're in a position where we're knocking on the door of the playoffs and winning a playoff series and ultimately winning it all, remember this feeling," Silas said. "Because it's pretty raw right now as far as being so proud of them, feeling for them that they went through such a tough season, but also the people, how they stayed together throughout the whole thing."
There were some things to be proud of this season: improvement from the Rockets' rookies, namely Jalen Green, who is unquestionably the franchise player; Alperen Sengun, the playmaking revelation; Kevin Porter Jr. as point guard.
The Rockets have good bones. Silas spoke after the game about how much structure plays into a player's success.
But Green has potential for greatness. His 41-point performance in the season finale made Green, 20, the youngest Rockets player with a 40-point game.
Over the final 25 games of the season, Green averaged 22 points on 47.8 percent shooting, including 39.3 percent from 3. He scored 30 points or more in six of the final seven games.
"He cares a lot and he wants to be great," Silas said. "A lot of people want to be great, but I think he can be great. He does it and sometimes it looks easy."
Green said after the game he wanted to put on a show to end the season. Even though it was not the ideal outcome, Green said the Rockets showed glimpses of what they could be.
To reach that level of greatness, Green said it's about the mental approach to the game.
"I think a lot of this game is a mindset," Green said. "You can put the work in, all of that, but it's how you approach the floor, how you step into it every night and what your mindset is. If you want to carry everybody in front of you, play both sides of the floor, do whatever it takes to win. I think my work ethic is there. I'm not going to stop that. But just the mindset, for next year and how I want to approach the game."
Brandon Scott is the senior digital content coordinator for SportsRadio610.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott .