biba
11-05-2007, 03:11 PM
:elephant Should be great!
Rockets starting fast, aim to fly even higher
By JAN HUBBARD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/292366.html
Tracy McGrady, left, and Yao Ming give the Rockets one of the NBA's best inside-outside combinations. Avery Johnson learned many lessons from Don Nelson, and one of those was on display Saturday night after the Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavericks coach was asked about the Houston Rockets, who will be in American Airlines Center to meet the Mavericks tonight at 7:30, and he sounded a little like Nelson before the Dallas-Golden State series last season.
"They're a terrific team," Johnson said. "A lot of people have them as favorites to win the championship this year, so that will be a good test for us."
Well, at least he didn't refer to his team as a bunch of schmoes.
No doubt the Rockets, who finished 15 games behind the Mavericks in the standings last season, have improved.
But it is apparent even to the most challenged NBA analyst that the Mavericks have started the season with a team more accomplished than the Rockets.
The trendy pick of Houston to challenge for a title, however, is a reflection of the competition in the Southwest Division, which could be the toughest in sports.
Defending champion San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans have yet to lose this season. The Mavericks, who won 127 games the past two seasons, are 2-1. So the top four teams in the Southwest are 11-1.
And a healthy Memphis team has struggled so far this season, but two years ago the Grizzlies won 49 games.
"It's always tough," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "Every year, every team looks good. The Rockets have Tracy [McGrady] and Yao [Ming]. This year, they've got a different coach [Rick Adelman] and a different prospectus.
"San Antonio is the same, we think we're better, Memphis is certainly better, and New Orleans is certainly better. There are no slouches in this division."
The key for the Rockets to compete with Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix in the West is health.
In the past two years, Yao and McGrady have missed a combined 141 games because of injuries -- McGrady with back problems and Yao with back problems and a broken bone in his right leg.
When healthy, McGrady is in the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James-Dwyane Wade class.
At 28, McGrady, who entered the NBA out of high school, is in his 11th season. His career scoring average is 22.5 points a game, and he's off to a great start with a 47-point game against Utah and a scoring average of 32.3.
The Rockets are in the process of adjusting from the deliberate game preached by Jeff Van Gundy to Adelman's more up-tempo attack, which sometimes pushes the 7-foot-5 Yao to the high post, where he can utilize his passing skills to find cutters and shooters coming off screens.
Some have questioned whether Yao can be as dominant in the high post, but thus far his average of 10.3 rebounds is close to what he has averaged in his career.
The Rockets had several notable additions in the off-season. Guard Mike James, who was acquired from Minnesota for Juwan Howard (later released and now with the Mavericks), has added scoring punch.
Forward Luis Scola, a member of Argentina's 2004 Olympic champion, was acquired from the Spurs and could have an impact when he becomes more comfortable with NBA competition.
If there is one pothole for the Rockets, it is the inactivity of Steve Francis, who signed with the Rockets after being traded from the Knicks to the Blazers, who bought out his contract for $34 million.
Francis spent his first four years in Houston, where he was referred to as "Stevie Franchise," but he has been criticized in recent years for a self-centered style of play and he did not earn a spot in the rotation.
Still, Francis is a career 18.4 points-a-game scorer, so he could have an impact before the season is over. And it's clear that if the Rockets are able to compete with the top teams in the West, they are going to need depth.
Right now, however, they are chasing the Mavericks. Tonight will give both teams the opportunity for an early-season test.
MAVS VS. ROCKETS, 7:30 TONIGHT, KTXA/21
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
[email protected]
Rockets starting fast, aim to fly even higher
By JAN HUBBARD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/292366.html
Tracy McGrady, left, and Yao Ming give the Rockets one of the NBA's best inside-outside combinations. Avery Johnson learned many lessons from Don Nelson, and one of those was on display Saturday night after the Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavericks coach was asked about the Houston Rockets, who will be in American Airlines Center to meet the Mavericks tonight at 7:30, and he sounded a little like Nelson before the Dallas-Golden State series last season.
"They're a terrific team," Johnson said. "A lot of people have them as favorites to win the championship this year, so that will be a good test for us."
Well, at least he didn't refer to his team as a bunch of schmoes.
No doubt the Rockets, who finished 15 games behind the Mavericks in the standings last season, have improved.
But it is apparent even to the most challenged NBA analyst that the Mavericks have started the season with a team more accomplished than the Rockets.
The trendy pick of Houston to challenge for a title, however, is a reflection of the competition in the Southwest Division, which could be the toughest in sports.
Defending champion San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans have yet to lose this season. The Mavericks, who won 127 games the past two seasons, are 2-1. So the top four teams in the Southwest are 11-1.
And a healthy Memphis team has struggled so far this season, but two years ago the Grizzlies won 49 games.
"It's always tough," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said. "Every year, every team looks good. The Rockets have Tracy [McGrady] and Yao [Ming]. This year, they've got a different coach [Rick Adelman] and a different prospectus.
"San Antonio is the same, we think we're better, Memphis is certainly better, and New Orleans is certainly better. There are no slouches in this division."
The key for the Rockets to compete with Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix in the West is health.
In the past two years, Yao and McGrady have missed a combined 141 games because of injuries -- McGrady with back problems and Yao with back problems and a broken bone in his right leg.
When healthy, McGrady is in the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James-Dwyane Wade class.
At 28, McGrady, who entered the NBA out of high school, is in his 11th season. His career scoring average is 22.5 points a game, and he's off to a great start with a 47-point game against Utah and a scoring average of 32.3.
The Rockets are in the process of adjusting from the deliberate game preached by Jeff Van Gundy to Adelman's more up-tempo attack, which sometimes pushes the 7-foot-5 Yao to the high post, where he can utilize his passing skills to find cutters and shooters coming off screens.
Some have questioned whether Yao can be as dominant in the high post, but thus far his average of 10.3 rebounds is close to what he has averaged in his career.
The Rockets had several notable additions in the off-season. Guard Mike James, who was acquired from Minnesota for Juwan Howard (later released and now with the Mavericks), has added scoring punch.
Forward Luis Scola, a member of Argentina's 2004 Olympic champion, was acquired from the Spurs and could have an impact when he becomes more comfortable with NBA competition.
If there is one pothole for the Rockets, it is the inactivity of Steve Francis, who signed with the Rockets after being traded from the Knicks to the Blazers, who bought out his contract for $34 million.
Francis spent his first four years in Houston, where he was referred to as "Stevie Franchise," but he has been criticized in recent years for a self-centered style of play and he did not earn a spot in the rotation.
Still, Francis is a career 18.4 points-a-game scorer, so he could have an impact before the season is over. And it's clear that if the Rockets are able to compete with the top teams in the West, they are going to need depth.
Right now, however, they are chasing the Mavericks. Tonight will give both teams the opportunity for an early-season test.
MAVS VS. ROCKETS, 7:30 TONIGHT, KTXA/21
Jan Hubbard, 817-390-7760
[email protected]