Article: Countdown for the Rockets

Here's an article from RealGM. Pretty good read.

http://www1.realgm.com/src_goaltending.php?articleid=26

Countdown Begins For Rockets
By Kevin Broom - 12th December, 2002 3:10 PM

The Houston Rockets aren't championship contenders this season. But they're on the path to a major breakthrough, and it's coming soon.

The NBA championship formula is well-established. Mix two or three stars, a passel of role players, a coach who knows how to blend talent and massage egos, and a decent portion of luck and voila! — title contender.

For now, the NBA title passes through Shaquille O'Neal's toe. Yes, the Lakers' supporting cast looks as weak as ever, but if Shaq and Kobe stay healthy, and Robert Horry emerges from hibernation as he does each year in the playoffs, the Lakers will win yet another title.

But the Rockets are on the cusp of being a dangerous team. With Steve Francis and Yao Ming, Houston has the stars in place. Even better, they're at the two hardest positions to fill, point guard and center.

The Point Guard

Steve Francis is an established do-everything, all-court superstar. By making the decision to emphasize different aspects of his game, he could lead the league in scoring or assists if he wanted. At 6-3, he's tough enough to average 6.5 rebounds per game, and athletic enough to win dunk contests.

His defense isn't always outstanding, but that's no different than many of the game's greats. Like Julius Erving and some other elite players, Francis does not dominate defensively on each possession. Instead, he picks his spots, locks up opposing players when it matters most, and has that unique ability to make game-changing defensive plays.

This season, Francis has edited his game, cutting down on the high-wire forays to the hoop that would give Evel Kneivel pause. Instead, Francis has improved his jumper, and is shooting a career-best 42 percent from the three-point line.

The scary part for the league is that the 25-year old Francis is just entering his prime. The next five seasons should be the best of his career.

The Center

Barely a quarter of the way through his first NBA season, and without benefit of a training camp, Yao Ming is already the second best center in the league behind Shaquille O'Neal. At 7-5, he's fluid and quick, and possessed with an array of professional-quality skills. His grounding in the fundamentals rivals that of San Antonio's Tim Duncan.

Already, Yao can get his shot off against anyone, anytime. That's immensely valuable because he also makes most of his shots — a league-best 59.1 percent so far. He's going to be difficult to double-team because of his confident passing from the post, and Francis demanding attention on the perimeter.

On the defensive end, Yao compensates for a lack of upper-body strength with his length, agility, and timing. His shot-blocking is intimidating and is forcing opposing teams to take lower-percentage shots.

Yao is going to get a lot better. Since entering the starting lineup 10 games ago, he's averaging 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in just 28 minutes. As he gets stronger, learns the NBA game, and improves his conditioning, those minutes and numbers will go up.

The Role Players

Currently on the Houston roster are several players who nicely complement Francis and Yao. Eddie Griffin and Kelvin Cato are good shot-blocking reserves. Cuttino Mobley and Moochie Norris are solid backcourt running mates for Francis.

Mobley, in particular, is a quality role player. He can score if needed, but he's also willing to play defense. Like Francis, Mobley is also willing to help on the boards.

Kenny Thomas is another competent role player. At 6-7, he's undersized at power forward, but lacks the all-around game required of a small forward. Still, in limited minutes, he'd excel in an instant energy role.

What's Missing

While some of the components are in place, the Rockets need to add some talent. Though their backcourt rotation of Franics, Mobley and Norris is set, they'll want to add depth there to guard against injury.

In the frontcourt, they could use a physical rebounder and defender. Right now, their power players have similar long, lean builds. They're athletic, and they'll block shots, but there's no one to set the hard picks, knock folks around in the paint, or contend with physical play. Maurice Taylor has the build, but does not provide an interior presence. A Brian Grant or young Charles Oakley type of player would be a welcome addition.

The Rockets also need to add a small forward who can shoot the three and defend. Glen Rice is 34 years old, and not what he once was. Rice never played much defense anyway. Juaquin Hawkins, a 27-year old rookie discovered playing overseas, is a quality defender, but not much of a shooter. First round pick Bostjan Nachbar may develop the shooting touch in time, but probably won't be a good defender. Griffin could develop into that small forward, but hasn't shown the foot quickness necessary.

The Intangibles

Much depends on head coach Rudy Tomjanovich pressing the right buttons. It's a good bet that he will. Tomjanovich molded a championship team out of Hakeem Olajuwon and role players, then Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler the second time around. He is well-respected by his players, and around the league for his basketball acumen.

Health is always a factor, and may be a concern with Francis. The mysterious migraine headaches that plagued him last season have been linked to a rare inner-ear disease, which has no known cure. Francis has followed doctor instructions this season, and hasn't suffered from the headaches since.

The bottom line for the Rockets is that they've established a sound launching pad. Francis and Yao are the stars, and some of the role players are in place. What's needed now is some experience, some time to grow, and some fine-tuning. By next season, the Rockets could be among the league's best teams.

 

Horry is a pretty good rebounder too. . . if he's in it.

The only thing about Horry is that he disappears in stretches. But when he's in it, he can be a very good role player.