In Case Anyone missed this r****ded Article

Houston
Oct. 3, 2000
SportsLine.com Reports



Training camp report
Rudy Tomjanovich just won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic basketball team in Sydney. Now comes the hard part for the veteran Rockets coach: rebuilding a club that sunk to depths last season not seen in Houston in almost two decades.

Decimated by injuries and advancing age in the frontcourt, the Rockets limped to a 34-48 finish in 1999-2000. Although there were bright spots, particularly the sensational play of NBA Co-Rookie of the Year Steve Francis, but Houston didn't do much to upgrade its roster in the offseason other than add the underachieving Maurice Taylor and a couple of rookie big men who prefer to shoot from the perimeter.

Let's just say the Lakers or the rest of the Western Conference doesn't have much to worry about from the Rockets unless Houston's youth blossoms into a strength this season. But this much appears certain: The Rockets will be exciting. Francis' playmaking and dazzling quickness alone guarantee that Tomjanovich's club will be worth watching most nights.

The Rockets also have a chance to get off to a quick start. Seven of their first 11 games are at home, so Houston could be a factor early. How Francis & Co. will fare over the season's long haul, though, seems much murkier, especially in a conference loaded with dominant big men. The playoffs would appear to be a tall order.

Then again, Tomjanovich is one of the league's best coaches.

"Anything's possible,'' he said.

BEST OFFSEASON MOVE: The Rockets were excited to land 6-9, 260-pound forward Maurice Taylor late in the free-agent signing period, claiming he was just what they needed to shore up a frontcourt thinned by Charles Barkley's retirement and Hakeem Olajuwon's advancing age.

But Taylor is a noted underachiever, especially as a rebounder, and has been known to disappear for long stretches.

No, the Rockets' best offseason move was luring guard Cuttino Mobley back into the fold. He's a smart, speedy player with a consistent outside shooting touch who can play both backcourt positions and serves as the perfect complement to Francis. Mobley also is a top-notch defender, giving Houston one of the best defensive guard tandems in the league. The Rockets' rebuilding project would have taken a major step back if Mobley had gone elsewhere.

WORST OFFSEASON MOVE: The Rockets defend their draft-day acquisitions of forwards Jason Collier and Dan Langhi, but the jury is still solidly out on two big men with reputations for softness. The picks were roundly criticized in Houston, where local fans wanted the Rockets to stock their frontcourt with aggressive rebounders and defenders.

Neither Collier and Langhi fits that mold. Instead, they both seem a lot more like current Rocket Matt Bullard, who stands 6-11 but is known almost solely for his 3-point shooting. These picks could blow up in Tomjanovich's face.

Roster outlook
THE LOCKS: Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Walt Williams and Shandon Anderson form the Rockets' current nucleus. Center Kelvin Cato has shown flashes of brilliance, although he's still far too inconsistent for the Rockets' taste.

Hakeem Olajuwon is coming back for a 17th and final season, but he could be reduced to role-player status because of health reasons and declining skills. Carlos Rogers is an athletic, energetic forward who excels in limited minutes. The same goes for second-year big man Kenny Thomas.

Forward Maurice Taylor, rescued from Clippers oblivion, was the Rockets' prized free-agent acquisition. Jason Collier and Dan Langhi, two rookies, will stick out of necessity.

THE MAYBES: Backup guard Moochie Norris performed admirably in brief stretches last season and could stay, especially now that Bryce Drew has been jettisoned.

THE LONGSHOTS: Forward Lorenzo Johnson, guards Rayford Young and Stais Boseman and center Terrell Bell appear to be no more than training-camp bodies, although Bell could stick because of the Rockets' obvious frontcourt deficiencies.

Noteworthy
QUICK STUFF: How young are the Rockets? They open training camp with 12 players who have three years or less of NBA experience. ... The Rockets received a major surprise in their bid for a new downtown arena when Chuck Watson, owner of the city's IHL Houston Aeros and a longtime nemesis of Rockets owner Les Alexander, suddenly threw his weight behind the proposed facility, which will go before local voters in November. Watson apparently feels a new arena would help Houston land an NHL team, which he would then own. Watson currently is the landlord of the Compaq Center, with Alexander and the Rockets serving as his tenant. That arrangement would flip-flop in the new building, with Watson's surprise blessing.


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"...Do you hear 'em? They're everywhere!!! AAAHHH!!!"

That's what the other teams will be saying after being shellshocked by Steve Francis and Co.

 

"Houston didn't do much to upgrade its roster in the offseason other than add the underachieving Maurice Taylor and a couple of rookie big men who prefer to shoot from the perimeter.

Let's just say the Lakers or the rest of the Western Conference doesn't have much to worry about from the Rockets."


Trust me.....The author of this article will surely eat his words.


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"...Do you hear 'em? They're everywhere!!! AAAHHH!!!"

That's what the other teams will be saying after being shellshocked by Steve Francis and Co.