HOUSTON ROCKETS GUARD - TROY DANIELS CONTINUES HIS DREAM - ALL-MET ELITE

HOUSTON ROCKETS

 GUARD 

 TROY DANIELS

CONTINUES HIS DREAM 

ALL-MET ELITE

WILLIAM FLEMING HS.

ROANOKE VA.

One month after making the winning 3-pointer in an NBA playoff game, Troy Daniels was launching jumpers in the William Fleming High School gym Tuesday night.

 In a whirlwind 12 months, the William Fleming and Virginia Commonwealth graduate has gone from being bypassed in the NBA draft to toiling in the NBA Development League to making a national splash as a rookie guard with the Houston Rockets.

 “All my dreams have come true,” Daniels, 22, said in an interview at the gym. “I’ve got to get new dreams now.

 “The hardest thing about being in the NBA is staying in the NBA, so you’ve always got to work on your game,” he said. “I’m focused on this summer and getting better and fulfilling my dreams again.”

 The 6-foot-4 Daniels is an off-guard, but he said the Rockets want him to work on his point-guard skills this summer so they can give him some playing time at that position as well.

 Daniels signed a two-year contract with the Rockets in February. The second year is not guaranteed, but Daniels hopes the team will soon upgrade him to a guaranteed salary for the upcoming season.

 “Hopefully they don’t let me go,” he said. “The summer league will be big for me.”

 Daniels spent most of this season with the Rockets’ NBA Development League team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

 “It kind of brought me down to earth,” he said. “It made me into the man I am today, so I appreciate the D-League.

 “The pay, where you’re staying, the way you travel to different games, it really humbles you.”

 “I’ve done everything I pretty much wanted to do as a kid,” he said. “I wanted to have a deal with Nike; I have a deal with Nike. I wanted to play in the NBA; I’ve played in the NBA.

 “Now I’ve just got to have more dreams and try to achieve them again.”

 Teammate James Harden told him he should try to lead the NBA in 3-pointers next season, so that is one of the new dreams. Daniels also wants to stay in the NBA for at least 10 years.

 “Guys dream about making it to the NBA. Now I’m dreaming about staying in the NBA,” he said.