Article on Rockets.com

Here's an article on Rockets.com by Trevor Mitchell.

http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/Guarded_Optimism-84413-34.html

I think its a good article for the most part.

 

Guard(ed) Optimism
by Trevor Mitchell, rockets.com


September 16, 2003 - When the Houston Rockets open up training camp in two weeks, an entire new era of Rockets basketball will officially begin.
Along with a new coach, new arena, new uniforms, and new player acquisitions, the Rockets have switched their training camp location from Austin, TX to Galveston, TX. It will be at this oceanside city where Houston Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy gets his first look at his inherited squad and begins to put his stamp on the Rockets.

The Rockets will once again be one of the NBA’s youngest teams, but the backcourt of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley should be ready to take their team to the next level. Francis and Mobley, entering their fifth and sixth years, respectively, with the Rockets, will have to serve as extensions of Coach Van Gundy on the court this season for Houston to be successful.

Besides making plays, the Rockets backcourt tandem will have to build upon the leadership roles they assumed last season. Yao Ming and Eddie Griffin are the same age as most college upperclassmen, and they will occasionally go through ups and downs. Francis and Mobley will have to keep the pressure off their younger teammates and truly be the veterans that Van Gundy covets.


Francis is one of the most talented all-around players in the league. Stevie Franchise would be a considerable MVP candidate if the Rockets were a title contender. The 6-3 guard was the only player in the NBA last season besides Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett to average over 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game. With Yao Ming coming in with a year of experience and hopefully a bit more aggression, Francis’s assist numbers have a shot to increase significantly.



Mobley
Mobley, who is the Rockets sharpshooter and emotional leader, should be looking to putting together a terrific season as well. The 6-4 guard often shoulders the blame when the Rockets lose, but Mobley is a talented player. While his shot selection in inconsistent at times, Mobley carried the Rockets in several games last year. The six-year veteran should only improve his game under Van Gundy.

One factor that should benefit Mobley, who was among the NBA's leaders in minutes played last season, is the additions of Eric Piatkowski and Adrian Griffin. With quality depth at the two-guard position for the first time in a while, the Rockets should be able to give Mobley a little rest early in games, which will leave him with fresher legs in the fourth quarter.

Piatkowski and Griffin were acquired this offseason and should see significant time at both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Piatkowski, who is a nine-year veteran, will hopefully be the long-range shooter for which the Rockets have been drastically seeking. The 6-6 guard has a solid .402 career three-point percentage and his sweet stroke should open up things for the Rockets big men.

Adrian Griffin will provide Houston with a strong defender and hustling style of play when he is on the floor. The 6-5 Griffin has a decent mid-range game, and usually takes high percentage shots. Look for him to be one of Van Gundy’s role players that will prove to be vital to the Rockets success.



Norris
Moochie Norris will once again back up Francis at the point guard spot. Norris had a down year last season, but is quite capable of getting back to being an energetic spark off the bench this year. The 6-2 guard has been a regular at the Rockets practice facility this offseason, working out and playing pickup games with other NBA players with a newfound vigor to return to the level of play he displayed during the 2001-2002 season.

The play of the Rockets backcourt will be one of the key elements in the new-look Rockets. Houston general manager Carroll Dawson and Coach Van Gundy feel they have assembled the right mix of veterans and younger players to make the Rockets a playoff team.

While Houston knows what it will be getting with Francis and Mobley, the two dynamic guards will still have to adjust to an entirely new style of play. Adrian Griffin and Piatkowski will have to fit in and learn their roles in the Rockets offense. Lastly, Norris will have to reestablish himself as a high energy backup guard that Van Gundy can rely on to spell Francis.

If all of these components fall into place, things will open up for Yao, Eddie Griffin, and Maurice Taylor down low. Van Gundy and his staff will begin putting together the pieces to the puzzle in Galveston, but the true test will be how the Rockets fare over the first two months of the season.

If the backcourt can provide steady play and the frontcourt players can eventually mature into forces down low, the Rockets chances at earning the playoff berth that has eluded them over the past few years look very optimistic.