nba.com houston season preview http://www.nba.com/preview2002/hou.html SEASON OUTLOOK: The biggest thing to hit the city of Houston in years, is well, quite big. Seven-foot-five Chinese center Yao Ming joins a team that already may have the best backcourt tandem in the West, as well as a core of talented, young forwards. Things -- as well as teammates -- are looking up in Houston. So, with all of this talent, why didn't the Rockets fare better last season? The injury bug hit the Rockets hard last year, with Maurice Taylor going down before the season even started, Glen Rice playing in only 20 games, and Steve Francis sidelined for 25 games with migraine headaches. This meant the Rockets suffered through their worst season in almost 20 years. But injuries heal, and spring brought new hope in the arrival of Yao, the first overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft. Not expected to sign a contract until mid-October, Yao will be brought along slowly but will contribute. Besides the stellar play of Francis, the other bright spot for the Rockets was the play of Cuttino Mobley. Stepping into the starting lineup, Mobley lead the Rockets in scoring, becoming the most consistent option on a team with an ever-changing starting lineup. Mobley is ready to step back into that same spot on the court. "Injuries killed us last year. This year, there should be no excuses. I'm excited about (Yao). Steve's healthy. Mo Taylor looks great. I'm like a little kid, I'm so happy to be able to play," Mobley recently told the Houston Chronicle. With more options up front, Francis and Mobley won't have to force as many shots as they did last season, which lead to an abysmal 42.8 team field-goal percentage. The Rockets also need to play better on-the-ball defense. They caused only 12 turnovers per game last year, worst in the league. But with a headache-free Steve Francis, a healthy Maurice Taylor and contributions from late-blooming rookie Eddie Griffin, the Rockets will contend for a playoff spot even if Yao Ming takes some time to get adjusted to the NBA game, as is expected. WHO'S IN: The big guy is in. While the Rockets will try not to expect too much from Ming right away, at the very least he'll be an improvement for a front line that was overmatched last season. His value will be measured more down the line. There shouldn't be much playing time left for fellow rookies Bostjan Nachbar and Tito Maddox, however. WHO'S OUT: The Rockets lost veteran center Kevin Willis to the Spurs via free-agency and are unsure if Walt Williams (free-agent) will return. But other than that, the Rockets are intact. BENCH: The Rockets have a solid bench. With Mobley moving from sixth man to valuable starter last season, Houston turned to Moochie Norris to be their off-the-bench spark. Kelvin Cato and Kenny Thomas will move to the bench to make room for Yao and Taylor. The time they got with the starting five last season will prove valuable, and they should be solid contributors in the frontcourt. Rice could also thrive off the bench. THE ROCKETS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : They shoot better from the field and stay healthy . THE ROCKETS MISS THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : The injury bug from 2001-02 returns, and the big man is slow to develop
