It looks like the great myths sans Barkley have begun. Let's take a look at each one and see where they stand after one game. Myth 1: "Without Barkley the Rockets will get killed on the boards." Well, in their first game out, the Rockets outrebound the Celtics 45-40. This isn't necessarily a ringing endoresment considering the Cels own post problems, but given that we turned the ball over 25 times and shot better than the Celtics it is still a statement that we had the rebounding edge. Unfortunately, this will be a game to game situation. Hamilton appears to be solid as a backup, but Thomas, Cato, and Rogers are the key. All have either shown inconsistency or have reputations for being inconsistent. Myth 2: "Barkley detractors often point to his bad defense as a defense that this team won't necessarily miss him." The Rockets surrendered 100 points (about their average) but 25 turnovers contributed a lot to that. Particularly, when the Rockets gained control of the ball they held the Celtics' scoring down. A particular highlite was the nine blocked shots. Maybe there's something to this......we'll have to see. Myth 3: "They will flounder without the veteran leadership" This one could be the most true of all. The Rockets seemed like they were running around with their heads chopped off for the first ten minutes. It was refreshing to see them fight the whole way, but you simply can't give up that big a lead on the road and expect to win. However, they had a chance to win the game in the 4th and that is as good as you can expect most of the time on the road. Myth 4: "No one to take the offensive load" It's highly unusual to see your best offensive threat coming off the bench, but that's exactly what the Rockets have in Mobley. While other teams are keying on Francis, Mobley could be crucial. It was also nice to see everyone getting involved. Seeing Anderson playing aggresively again is a real good sign. ------------------ Rockets When? Rockets When?
