Forecasting the Rockets in 07-08

Tweet

When I played Yahoo!'s Fantasy NBA game last season, I was pretty excited about having Tracy McGrady on my team. He's one of those guys who are still able to drop 30-40 points at any given night, and has the will to do so. Unfortunately, I don't think he has the health to do it, not at this point in his career. He's a tough match-up for anyone in the league given his nightly potential to break out, but when you watch him play you'd always have the thought at the back of your mind hoping he won't hurt his back, knees, or ankles. He's fragile, but he's a monster. Same goes for their MVP-caliber center, Yao Ming. Yao is quite a specimen at 7'5 with mid-range capabilities, but just like his fragile monster teammate, he always seems to struggle with keeping himself healthy throughout the season. He's the type of player who'll scatter points, assists, blocks, and rebounds all over the stat sheet one night, and totally disappear on the sheet the next sporting only a DNP beside his name. He can contribute MVP numbers, but that's just not enough. To be better than any other center in the league, he only has to stay on court to play. The two players combined is already a very dangerous combo to go up against, and their third man Shane Battier adds the threat of being a very reliable garbage man, picking up the pieces of what is left over. His hustle, I think, is the most important contribution he gives to this playoffs-bound Rockets team, and that goes along with his three pointers and toughness. Rafer Alston is joined by Mike James and Steve Francis at the point guard position, replacing Spanoulis who failed to live up to my expectations last year. I don't expect The Franchise to be anywhere near the player he used to be when he team up with Cuttino Mobley for the Rockets a few seasons ago, but he should be able to provide some leadership on and off the court. Mike James can challenge Rafer Alston for the starting gig, but at this point I think Alston already has it in the bag. Still, James should be able to make a good contribution off the bench. Finally, I would have to say getting the rights to Luis Scola from the San Antonio Spurs is a very, very exciting move for the Rockets. Not only were they able to beef up their front court, they were able to get another tough guy to man the paint for them. I am interested to see how well Scola plays alongside McGrady and Yao this season, and judging from what I've seen he can do during the FIBA Americas Tournament, I think he should be able to contribute to the Rockets right away. Rick Adelman's being their new coach and the uptempo style he wants for the team is a big question mark for now, as T-Mac no longer runs as much and Yao Ming certainly doesn't play that way, but if they can pull it off, they are a dark horse team to rocket their way among the two other elite teams from Texas: the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks. The Rockets have an exciting season ahead of them, but the thing is, as with their previous seasons, it is essential for their two best players to stay healthy. If they can get past the regular season with that, they must win the first playoff series that comes their way, if only to put to rest the ghosts of McGrady's inability to lead his team to even just one playoff series win.