Here is the pre-season preview for the Rockets from CNNSI. They have Eddie listed as a small forward and even say that he and Boki should hold down that spot so I don't know if they are really paying much attention since Eddie is a power forward. Of course they do say that we should challenge for a play off spot so I will not rip them. Here is the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/news/2002/08/30/rockets_preview/ By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com The Rockets expected to contend for a playoff spot last season, but a rash of injuries and a rotating disaster at the small forward spot quickly put an end to those hopes. Most notably, star guard Steve Francis missed 25 games with a variety of ailments that included a series of debilitating migraine headaches. Those headaches may have been caused by watching his teammates play defense. The Rockets were uncharacteristically lethargic at that end of the floor, and their lack of size at the forward spot in particular proved problematic. It didn't help that Maurice Taylor missed the season with an Achilles injury, Glen Rice's knees crumbled to pieces, and the bench players were all but useless. Fortunately, their 28-54 record allowed the Rockets to win the draft lottery and tab Chinese giant Yao Ming. With Taylor back from injury, Bostjan Nachbar and second-year pro Eddie Griffin stabilizing the small forward spot and Francis' migraines diagnosed and treated, the Rockets could be the league's most improved team. However, there are still holes. The backcourt depth is nonexistent, and the frontcourt starters are so soft that Francis may end up leading the team in rebounding. It will be up to Rudy Tomjanovich to play to his team's strengths and get Houston into playoff contention. Go-To Guy Steve Francis, G -- Now that the cause of the maddening headaches has been determined, the Rockets are hopeful that they can get a full season from Francis this year. He is a devastating scorer off the dribble, great at making plays at the end of the shot clock and rebounds as well as any guard in the league. He's also the first line of defense, and he'll need to keep opposing point guards out of the paint to protect Houston's soft frontcourt players. Francis also needs to develop his passing skills and push the ball upcourt more to take advantage of his athletic skills. Given the athleticism of Francis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt, the Rockets played far too much halfcourt basketball last season. It's up to Francis to grab the defensive board and run with it this season. Weakest Link Defense -- Houston's defensive effort last season was pitiful, and if it doesn't vastly improve, the team will struggle once again . The passive Rockets were the worst team in the league at forcing turnovers, and they let opponents get whatever shot they wanted. There are two reasons the Rockets should be better this year. The first is Yao Ming. Replacing the apathetic Kelvin Cato with a 7-foot-5 shot-blocker should greatly strengthen the middle of the defense, even if he doesn't have the strength to bang with guys like Shaquille O'Neal. Second, the Rockets won't have so much dead weight on the floor. Last year the depth situation was so desperate that scrubeenies like Terrence Morris and Oscar Torres played more than 1,000 minutes. Improved health from Francis, the return of Taylor, and the addition of Nachbar should push those guys back to the end of the bench where they belong. That will make Houston a much deeper, more solid defensive club from top to bottom. The Burning Question How good is Yao Ming? The predictions vary widely, running the gamut from Next Dominant Big Man to Next Shawn Bradley. Yao is probably most similar to a pair of slender, athletic 7-foot-4 players of recent vintage: Rik Smits and Ralph Sampson. But it's hard to say how valid the comparison is until he plays against big-time competition. In the Chinese league, he put up the kind of stats you normally see only in video games, but the level of competition was low enough that a lot of folks weren't impressed. Some soft efforts in international competition didn't win him a lot of fans, either. On the other hand, how many 7-foot-5 guys can you name who have range out to 20 feet? The Rockets should have their answer soon enough. Although he has a daunting language barrier to overcome and a new style of play to adapt to, the extent of Yao's shooting, rebounding and shot-blocking skills should be evident very quickly. Whatever he shows this season, there's still some room for improvement. He should be able to put on some muscle to bang more effectively in the post, and it normally takes incoming players a year or two to learn NBA defense. Outlook A Playoff Contender Making the playoffs in the Western Conference is never an easy proposition, but if Yao Ming lives up to his billing, the Rockets have the talent to do it. The return of Taylor should give the Rockets more scoring in the frontcourt, and a bout of health from Francis will help disguise the other holes in the backcourt. If the two youngsters at small forward can hold down the fort and hit open jump shots, the Rockets should be in the fight for the last playoff spot in the West. Fast Facts • The Rockets' defense forced just 12.0 turnovers per game last season, easily the worst mark in the NBA. • Houston shot just 42.8 percent from the field last year, while its opponents connected on 46.4 percent -- the largest difference in the league. Rockets at a Glance Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich Last Year: 28-54 (Stats) Key Additions: C Yao Ming, F Bostjan Nachbar Key Losses: F Walt Williams, C Kevin Willis Projected Starters PG Steve Francis SG Cuttino Mobley SF Eddie Griffin PF Kenny Thomas C Yao Ming Key Subs PG Moochie Norris SF Bostjan Nachbar PF Maurice Taylor C Kelvin Cato
Shows that this Guy has little knowledge of what actually goes on.............................. ...Steve Francis the first line of defence.... This must be a joke, its so far from the truth! Francis has lots of room to improve his defence, like staying with the player he is guarding!
Just look at his projected starting lineup. As much as I feel that Griffin is better served at the 3, exactyl how much time did he get at that spot last year? And Mo Taylor will start at the 4. No ifs ands, or butts.
My only contention is why bother to write a review if you can't get the facts straight? Eddie isn't a SF. No mention of KT who had a great year last year. The harping on the soft frontcourt unable to provide defense when, in reality, the Rockets will have two guys (Yao and Griffn) who are very capable shot blockers. I agree they are soft on defense, particularly on rotations and rebounding. I agree that they need A transition game since theirs last year was pathetic. I agree that the return of injured players and the addition of Yao will be important. I just wish they actually could get their basic facts right.
Hmmm... No mention of Rice in the starting line up... not even a key sub? Did CD trade Rice and we all didn't know? That could be good news!
Maybe he foresaw the inevitable injury Rice will be facing early on in the season. He'll try to play through it a couple of games...he'll still be shooting 20% from beyond the arc...he'll be out for the rest of the season. I'm really curious as to what the Rockets are going to do if Rice either gets hurt or proves he just doesn't have it anymore. Who will be the starting small forward: Kenny, Eddie, Boki, Morris? I've got no idea, but I'd guess Kenny, but I wouldn't rule out Eddie.
KT and Morris don't have the outside shooting skill to be a good starting SF. Rudy doesn't like to make Eddie a SF. So I guess it's Boki Pokey time!!!
You really think he'd give it Nachbar over Eddie? I have absolutely no idea if Nachbar is even ready to contribute yet, much less be a starter. I would have to wait and see.
It's funny how we all want Eddie Griffin to be a 3 like Kevin Garnett wants to be a 3, but Rudy won't play him there much. He must see something missing from Eddie's skills or he just misses having Robert Horry so he's training EG to be the next Robert Horry.
I don't know about the others, but I want Eddie to be a 4, not a 3. His shot blocking will be used best there. I don't mind some minutes there, but I want him to be our future 4. JMO.
mine too cola,...I dare say he could eventually play a little at the 5 if needed...His future is 4, no question.
He didn't say that Francis was a defensive stopper. All he said was he was the first line of defense, and as a PG, he is. Any PG is the first line of defense.
Backcourt depth is non-existent!? We have a back-up PG averaging 5 assist per game, a back-up 2-guard that the national outlets have called a stud (Oscar), and drafted a pretty good guard in Tito Maddox. I'd say our depth is pretty good back there.
But Rice isn't injury prone. He had ONE year that was cut with injuries (last year), and that was because he wasn't in shape because he had surgery and had to rest his foot all season. I think Rice will be a key to the Rockets making the playoffs because I think he's going to havea great season now that he's healthy.
First off, Crash I appreciate the post and the article...but it is pretty poor when we slam anybody for talking bad about our Rockets, but not for getting the facts wrong.
And what national outlets have called Oscar a stud??? Are they sure that they saw him play last season??
