http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...6/10/03/bc.bkn.optimisticrocket.ap/index.html Rockets owner bullish about chances Posted: Tuesday October 3, 2006 8:13PM; Updated: Tuesday October 3, 2006 8:15PM HOUSTON (AP) -- Tracy McGrady's back feels fine. Yao Ming's foot is healed. Newly acquired Bonzi Wells has a groin injury, but it's nothing serious. As long as the Houston Rockets avoid the injuries that plagued them last season, owner Les Alexander thinks, or rather expects, that his team will make a run at the Western Conference championship. "If we're healthy, we're going to be a terrific team," Alexander said Tuesday, after the revamped Rockets had their first practice. "I think we'll go deep in the playoffs. I think we'll have one of the top seeds, and we'll see from there." Nine new Rockets met reporters at the team's media day on Tuesday. Coach Jeff Van Gundy doesn't mind Alexander's high expectations since the roster is so significantly upgraded. "Unquestionably, we have more athletic talent and higher skill level," he said. "How that fits together as far as chemistry, attitude and commitment, that will be determined." But if they're ravaged by health issues again, McGrady said the Rockets are now much more equipped to handle them. "If anything happens to anybody on this team right here, we're capable of carrying the team until they get back," said McGrady. "Last year, it wasn't even close." The Rockets went 34-48 in 2005-06, after 14 players missed a total of 274 games to injuries. Signature stars McGrady and Yao missed a total of 55 games -- McGrady with back spasms and Yao following toe surgery and then a broken left foot. McGrady was all smiles on Tuesday, declaring his back problems behind him. "I feel extremely good," he said. "It's been a long time since I've come into a training camp and actually felt like I had a great chance of winning big in this league." Yao broke his left foot late last season, but recovered in time to star for China at the World Championships in August. On Monday, Yao said the foot was "100 percent" healed. "All those health problems have gone away," Yao said. "I feel very healthy and ready for the season." Wells, a free agent who signed a contract Monday, sat out Tuesday's practice, but team officials said his injury wasn't serious. Wells said he came to Houston to win an NBA title and has hopes as lofty as Alexander's. "If the injury bug stays away, hopefully we can make a deep run for years to come," Wells said. The Rockets' one serious injury issue surrounds point guard Bob Sura, who sat out last season after arthroscopic knee surgery. The Rockets will open training camp in Austin on Wednesday and Sura won't join them. The team said his availability will be determined later. But thanks to the roster additions, depth at point guard may not be the weakness it was last season. Rafer Alston returns after leading the team with 6.7 assists in 2005-06 and John Lucas III is back after the Rockets released him twice last season. The Rockets also have Vassilis Spanoulis, who led the Greek national team to an upset of the talented U.S. squad at the World Championships. Van Gundy said Spanoulis needs to improve his outside shooting. Spanoulis is still just trying to adapt to living in America. "Everything is different in my life, my lifestyle, the way they think about basketball," Spanoulis said. "I'm ready to make this adjustment. That's why I came here. Van Gundy said most of last year's injuries were "non-preventable." He compared his job to that of a football coach, who tries to get the most out of his players while also pacing them through the grind of a long season. "We put a lot of thought into how we can practice effectively, but also, as injury-free as possible," Van Gundy said. "You have to really monitor how much contact you have and it's a risk-reward. Contact makes you more game-ready, but also could put you in position with a little more injuries. You have to try to hit it right." Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
i fail to see the significance of that wells quote. you and i both know he'll be looking for the big bucks next offseason.
he could look all he wants. the best offer he will get is MLE. next years FA pool is great. very few teams are under the cap and those who are won't spend thier money on bonzi when there are much better players available. our MLE is the best deal he'll get. the significance of bonzi planning to be here for a while is that before signing here the rockets might have told him about thier plans to use thier MLE next summer to lock him up. i'm sure his new agent would agree that it's a good idea to agree to that offer in the future.
yeah no kidding. BUT with stro and DA last year...stro was off of potential of more minutes, and DA was slumping in portland and got cut for that one time cut deal. this year's additions really are proven. but im just being optimistic of this year
Me too. I can't wait to see this team in action. Seriously haven't been this excited over our team in a while.
very very true. but personally i was excited last year and things would have been very different if there would have not been any injuries. but maybe it was a blessing in disguise. because this year they tiried there best to upgrade the roster. so im hoping for the best this year. because if iwaste my nba league pass money again this year ill flip out. go rox
Les Alexander was quoted today as saying, " Well we are throwing as much sh*t at the wall as we could get our hands on this year to see what sticks. We could be pretty good or if Tracy and Yao get hurt we could be in the big lotto again next year" (ticket sales plummet) Actually, nobody gets more excited over 'potential' than me. Well, me and Les.
