EDINBURG – The Vipers made it all the way to the NBA G-League Finals last season. The Valley’s pro basketball team is back with a roster made up of veterans and new faces. One of the new players on the court is guard Briante Weber.

“He’s a very, very high-level basketball player in my opinion,” said Vipers coach Matt Brase. “He’s on a two-way contract with the Rockets right now.”

“I’m like a Patrick Beverly kind of point guard,” said Weber. “I feel like that’s a role I can play.”

There’s several players on the team who have played for the Houston Rockets, such as Troy Williams and Chinanu Onuaku. Veteran Vipers forward Chris Walker this this team has more talent than last year’s bunch.

“I really like these guys that we have on the team this year,” said Walker. “You all are going to enjoy it when we’re playing. I’m trying to take a leader role and work on that.”

Rockets second-round draft pick Isaiah Hartenstein is another new face to keep an eye on. The seven-footer from Germany says he’s acclimating well to the American game.

“Not hard for it feels even easier than it was in Europe because they’re not playing so physical,” said Hartenstein. “The zone is more open and in general, I like playing fast paced.”

The Vipers open the season Friday in Oklahoma City before their first home game Monday against Wisconsin at State Farm Arena.