Lone Star Lowdown: Rockets charting course for liftoff (Sports Network) - No team was ravaged by injuries this season worse than the Houston Rockets. Subsequently, they are about to enter yet another disappointing offseason after a year's worth of unfulfilled expectations. On the surface, it would seem that the Rockets will return next season with a renewed sense of hope, but are they really just a healthy Maurice Taylor and a draft pick away from getting back to the playoff threshold? That's what the Rockets are betting on for the 2002-03 campaign, but the deck could be stacked against them. While free agency is not a problem, finding a true center to complement the stable of talented guards and help ease the tension on the young forward crop will be Houston's mission during the summer. Houston has five players approaching free agency, but all five are expendable. The list includes Walt Williams, Kevin Willis, Dan Langhi, Oscar Torres and Tierre Brown. If the Rockets lost all five players it wouldn't damage the team's core of Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Eddie Griffin, Kenny Thomas and Taylor -- who spent the entire season on the bench after undergoing surgery to repair his injured Achilles' last summer. The unforeseeable future of Francis adds to the concerns over next year's on- court product, since the All-Star point guard was limited to 55 games this season. The team was, and will be, unable to compete without him playing at 100 percent. While the offseason will allow Francis to rest his body, what's in store for his migraine condition is unpredictable. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich has asserted his commitment to the team and insisted that he wants to become the first coach to win championships with the same team in two different eras. But can he realistically believe that's possible considering the current state of the Western Conference? Unless David Stern is planning a Paul Tagliabue-type realignment scheme, Tomjanovich's chances for winning another ring are as slim as his frontcourt. Tomjanovich has admitted that this season's unfortunate circumstances have made it hard for his team to stay upbeat and competitive. What makes him think next year will be much different? For one, the emergence of Griffin will be a huge lift for the team. He and Taylor will be a force at forward, with the skills to match Francis and Mobley. Griffin can stretch the defense with great shooting range and help the team defensively with his shot-blocking ability. "Everybody wasn't blessed with those skills," assistant coach Larry Smith told the Houston Chronicle. "That's what makes players like Eddie special. What he can do outside will only make him better inside in the coming years. "We're very happy with his progress, and he's really coming along at a pace we like. His progress in the future, I think, is going to be substantial. As he gets more confident playing down there and the more time and the more reps he gets down there, the better." A more developed Griffin and the return of Taylor will be the cornerstone of next season's rebuilding effort. With the free agent crop of big men virtually non-existent, the Rockets won't have much of a chance to land even a role player to fill the hole in the middle. With Mobley, Francis and Moochie Norris manning the backcourt, Houston will always have a chance to win. But if Francis is inconsistent next year, the Rockets may be in for another crash landing. It will be interesting to see who the Rockets re-sign and what moves are made in the offseason, but unless they find a center, the Rockets will never make it in the West. Comments? Criticism? Applause? Contact Andrew Sutton at asutton@sportsnetwork.com.
Couldn't agree more. I said heading into this season that Cato was the X factor, and although he showed some promise this year, I still think he has a ways to go before I consider him our future starting 5. Grow Eddie Grow Grow!!
