Houston Rockets
2008-09 Record: 53-29
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Aaron Brooks
SG- Tracy McGrady
SF- Shane Battier
PF- Luis Scola
C- David Anderson
Key Reserves: Trevor Ariza, Carl, Landry, Kyle Lowry, Chuck Hayes, Chase Budinger, Joey Dorsey
Biggest Strength: Defense
This is why Houston is so tough. They guard you – hard. They have guys who love defense and individually are very good at it in Battier and Ariza. They have a pest in Lowry who can defend along with the rest of their undersized front court players who all get after it. McGrady when healthy was one of the most underrated and better perimeter defenders in the NBA. If he is 100% healthy (knee AND back) this team will remain very good defensively.
Their biggest question is who protects the rim and controls the defensive boards with Yao out.
Biggest Weakness: No Yao
Scola is solid but undersized as a center particularly on the defensive end. The rest of the known front court: Landry, Hayes, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Dorsey are all under 6-10. ESPN is showing an Australian player named David Anderson as the projected starting center at 6-11. He is 29, hasn’t played a game in the NBA and was drafted 37th by Atlanta in 2002. Houston acquired the rights to Anderson going into this season. Nothing special by the looks of stats overseas and in the Olympics playing for Australia.
Without Yao they have no one proven who can protect the rim. Luckily for Houston they play such good perimeter and team defense they might be able to slide by against most teams. But Scola will have to pick up a lot of the offensive scoring load inside with Yao out and as a team they will have to rebound the ball as the group without Yao (leader rebounder) and Artest (3rd leading rebounder) gone.
Key Player: Tracy McGrady
A few questions need to be answered by McGrady this season. Is he 100% healthy? Can he stay healthy all season? Is his game still there? Here is what I know, he finally started working out and rehabilitating his body with Tim Grover at Attack Athletics (famous for being MJ’s trainer and the guy that trains the best players in the game and rehabilitated Wade before last season). The word is he is back 100%. That he will be ready for training camp and ready for the start of the season. McGrady has said he feels younger and is foaming at the mouth to get back on the court and compete. If he can come back and play at an All-Star level this team has a chance to be a fringe playoff team.
Biggest Question: Will Yao ever play again?
Yao Ming is just too big a human being. After 3 years of taking a beating in the NBA, Yao missed 25 games in 2005-06, 34 games in 2006-07, 27 games in 2007-08, 5 games in 2008-09, and will now miss the entire 2009-10 season with a potentially career ending foot injury. Yao has helped spread the game all over the globe, and I expect to see a big influx of Chinese players in the next decade as the kids who grew up watching Yao come of age. He’s been a great ambassador of the game, and has been a tremendous center in the NBA. Given he has a nation of several billion people watching his every move, you could argue Yao has had more pressure on his shoulders than any player in the league during his time in Houston. Hopefully, we’ll see him in red again in 2010-11.
Best Individual Season of All-Time: Hakeem Olajuwon, 1992-93
26.1 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 3.5 apg, 4.2 bpg, 1.8 spg
Hakeem is one of the most underrated players in NBA history. When people talk about the great centers, Chamberlain, Russell, Mikan, Kareem and Shaq are usually the first spoken, but Hakeem belongs in that group. He was incredibly efficient in every aspect of the game: scoring, rebounding, passing and defense, and his body control and touch around the basket were second to none. In this particular season, Hakeem joined Kareem as the only players in the “blocks-era” to average 4+ blocks a game while dishing out 3+ assists. Add to this that he joined Moses and Shaq as the only players to average 26 points and 13 boards after 1980, and you get an idea just how good this season was. Think of it this way, Dwight Howard was considered the premiere dominant center last year, and led his team to the finals. Just add 5.5 points, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.8 steals, and about 20 percentage points at the FT line, and you’ve got Hakeem.
Pete’s 2010 Outlook: 4th place, Southwest division / 11th place, Western conference / 21st place, NBA
These fans might just be stuck thinking about what could have been. Going into last season, with McGrady, Yao and Artest leading the way ahead of a ton of really good role players, the Rockets had legit title hopes. Now? A playoff appearance would be a surprise. I don’t expect anything from McGrady this year except maybe a new injury, so I’m basing my prediction off him not playing. The Rockets will be good because they are on the cutting edge of performance metrics and can get by with guys like Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry, whose basic stats don’t show their impact on the game. They won’t be horrible, but playoffs are unlikely. Here’s hoping ReclinerGM favorite Kyle Lowry gets some big minutes and a chance to show what he can do in this league.
Dannie’s 2010 Outlook: 4th place, Southwest division / 11th place, Western conference / 21st place, NBA
Losing Yao is a monster blow. He is unguardable man-to-man and creates a lot of open shots when he is doubled. But I also want to point out another loss – three-point shooting. Houston ranked 10th in the NBA in three-point shooting last season. This year they will be without Von Wafer (39%), Artest (39.9%), Luther Head (36.8%). Ariza isn’t a good three point shooter and McGrady traditionally hasn’t been a very good three point shooter either. Add on top of that is the fact that Yao won’t be getting doubled means I can very easily see this team struggling to consistently get good shots.
That puts even more emphasis on McGrady being the dynamic offensive player he is capable of and Scola beefing up his offense inside. Rick Aldeman has his work cut out for him. Good thing he is also known for being a very good offensive coach. I can envision a lot of Scola at the high post and tons of cutting like he did in Sacramento with a good passing big man in Webber.
A lot of things have to workout for the Rockets to make the playoffs though.
See all 2010 NBA team previews
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Steal of the offseason: Picking up Rashad McCants for not a lot of mulah. I’m not a huge McCants guy…but the man has proved he can score and shoot, and appears to finally be healthy. I really think this is a great signing, and am very surprised more teams were not hunting this guy down. Not versatile, but a guy that can score 15 ppg for any stretch of a season that is still young is worth chasing.
Bench: Kyle Lowry, Rashad McCants, Trevor Ariza, and Carl Landry is a VERY strong bench. With Yao gone and T-Mac banged up (although apparently he’s been training with Tim Grover this summer and got new trainers that have been good for his health), this team has no stars, but they do have a decent collection of hard working role players. I would not want to play this scrappy team too many times, they’ll surprise people.
Aaron Brooks: One of the quickest guards in the league…if he keeps improving his outside shot and decision making, he could have a huge jump in his year 2…I’m real curious to see how he does this season with more pressure on him to elevate his game.
Thad Young on Elton Brand:
“He’s been killing everybody out there on the court,” Young said of Brand. “Some days I don’t even want to guard him. It’s hard to guard him he’s so big and strong, makes all type of hook shots and turnaround jumpers.”
Dannie scrap the previews dude, lets talk sixers now that camp started.
I mean can you believe that Sammy was bitching on day 1?
“dude” – Here’s an idea, start your own “love-hate” blog that consists of man crushing Thaddeus Young and Samuel Dalembert bashing. I swear to god you would do awesome with it. That’s about all the Sixers talk you tend to provide from where I sit and you do a good job of it.
Pete and I both like the NBA as a whole so we do NBA previews. ALSO it allows me/us to take inventory of the entire league which helps judge the Sixers.
Get used to it NBA previews aren’t going anywhere.
Also if you haven’t noticed no one really cares about the Sixers right now. I am pretty sure everyone is at a stage of “wait and see” with this team. What else are we going to talk about. Every conversation is “what if this, what if that, if this guy stays healthy this, if that guy improves this.”
You give me something that makes sense and hasn’t already been beat to death to write about and I’ll seriously consider it.
Dave T-
Greek – With that off my chest, I got Sixers stuff coming. Relax.
Dave T – I just read that the Rockets changed their mind and are not signed McCants. Apparently he has an abdominal injury that prevents him from being available immediately.
I care about the Sixers right now, but I’m weird and there ain’t much right about.
Who in the hell is Dave Anderson? I thought I knew every player in the NBA?
Rockets will flat out stink it up, McGrady will miss 81 1/2 games and with no Ming and DAVID ANDERSON?!?….. troubled water ahead.
much to write about*
Greatest strength(s):
-DEFENSE (Still play it Van Gundy style)
-Hard nosed identity
-Depth in the guard position
-Toyota Center
-A bit younger and a little more athletic
Greatest weakness(es):
-Texas Drought (offense)
When will we see Rick Adelman’s style of offense?
-HEALTH
-Second unit is a bit shaky offensively
This will be a understandable season for Houston fans if the Rockets do not make the playoffs, but if their great effort and work-ethic disappear, then things will turn and turn really ugly.
With that said, the Rockets will be 4th in the Southwest, 9th in the West.
(On a side note, the Sixers will sweep the Rockets (2-0). With or without Yao, the Sixers manage to outrun this team out of the gym. But except the matchup in Houston to be a really rugged one.)
i am a big fan of the NBA previews. keep ‘em coming
Greatest strength(s):
-DEFENSE (Still play it Van Gundy style)
-Hard nosed identity
-Depth in the guard position
-Toyota Center
-A bit younger and a little more athletic
Greatest weakness(es):
-Texas Drought (offense)
When will we see Rick Adelman’s style of offense?
-HEALTH
-Second unit is a bit shaky offensively
This will be a understandable season for Houston fans if the Rockets do not make the playoffs, but if their great effort and work-ethic disappear, then things will turn and turn really ugly.
With that said, the Rockets will be 4th in the Southwest, 10th in the West.
(On a side note, the Sixers will sweep the Rockets (2-0). With or without Yao, the Sixers manage to outrun this team out of the gym. But except the matchup in Houston to be a really rugged one.)
David Anderson has actually proven himself as an incredible player in every single basketball competition except NBA, and international. Look up his stats, the guys won a trophy and an MVP or best 5 team in just about every single league on earth… except NBA. He’ll be great for them.