Espn's "team to watch"-Rockets

Sorry if it has been posted already, I haven't had access to a computer in a week.

Editor's note: This week, ESPN.com spotlights the "team to watch" in each division, continuing with the Houston Rockets in the Midwest.

Choosing who will win the Midwest Division this season is an easy Texas two-step decision between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs. But another team capable of big things in Texas is the Houston Rockets due to their potentially awesome offensive arsenal.

So what is the major reason why the Rockets are the team to watch in the Midwest? Look no further than their backcourt.


Steve Francis needs to involve his teammates on offense, too.
When you mention the NBA's best scoring duos, i.e. O'Neal-Bryant, Robinson-Abdur-Rahim, Pierce-Walker, Nowitzki-Finley, Davis-Mashburn, Webber-Stojakovic, Miller-O'Neal, Iverson-Van Horn, one would be sorely mistaken by not including the Rockets' dynamic backcourt duo of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley.

There's a reason Francis is called the "Franchise." The Rockets will only go as far as the all-star will take them. While injuries plagued them in a disappointing 28-54 campaign last season, the thing that hurt them the most was Francis' absence.

Francis played a career-low 57 games, many in pain, due to an inner-ear disorder that caused migraine-like symptoms. He was also plagued by a right shoulder injury that demanded offseason surgery. The high-jumping, 6-foot-3 Francis, however, is recovered from the shoulder injury and has learned how to handle his headache-causing condition called Meniere's Disease.

A healthy Francis will mean lots of broken ankles for opponents. He's an unstoppable scorer who averaged a career-high 21.1 points and 8.65 free-throw attempts per game last season. While Francis is a proven scorer, his biggest challenge will be making his teammates better, which is a must for Houston to become an upper-echelon team.

One player who can help Francis look good is Mobley, who showed last season that he is a quiet offensive assassin in averaging a career-high 21.7 points. The flamboyant 6-4, 210-pounder is also quite durable, having missed just 10 games the past three seasons and ranking second in the NBA in minutes per game (42.1) last season. "Cat" showed he is more than just a one-on-one player, too, proving he can hit the spot-up jumper.

Think about this? Combined, Francis and Mobley are capable of scoring 50 points per game. Not many other duos in the NBA have that power.

So what about Francis and Mobley's teammates? Well, the supporting crew has the potential to either hit it big or crap out. But if the Rockets can get healthy and the young players can give some strong production, the Mavericks and Spurs will be looking over their shoulders.

As strong as the Mavericks are offensively, the Rockets have the potential to run with them.

If he gets his weight down and his Achilles is recovered, power forward Maurice Taylor has shown in the past that he can be a tough scorer in the post. Swingman Glen Rice, without any knee setbacks, could be the strong third scorer that Houston has been seeking. Forward Eddie Griffin showed flashes of stardom during his rookie season, and forward Kenny Thomas (14 points per game last season) is an under-rated offensive player.

No. 1 draft pick Yao Ming might have Pee Wee Herman's strength, but he stands 7-5½ and possesses a deft shooting touch (as evidenced by his perfect performance for China in an exhibition against Canada last week). Forward Bostjan Nachbar could be one of the NBA's surprise rookies. He can sink the mid-range jumper, run the floor and play above the rim.

While loaded with offensive scorers, the Rockets have questions on defense. Houston allowed an NBA-worst field goal mark of 46 percent last season. But there is some hope defensively in the decrepit Compaq Center in the shot-blocking skills of Griffin and Yao.

The road for the Midwest Division title definitely goes through Texas. Whether the Rockets will have a say depends on whether they can overcome all those ifs and live up to their scoring potential.