Rockets enter season full of uncertainty and Rockets’ five burning questions

[duncan228]

Rockets enter season full of uncertainty
By Jonathan Feigen - Houston Chronicle

HOUSTON — Eventually, for better or worse, the Houston Rockets will know. The mysteries will be solved. All of the questions will have to be answered.

For now, however, the Rockets can only wonder. A team filled with changes and questions, still dramatically impacted by the health of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the Rockets have an idea how it will work, but it’s just an idea.

“We don’t know who we are,” Shane Battier said. “I don’t think we’re ultimately going to know who we are as a team or individuals for a few weeks into the season. It’s not going to be like on opening night, we’re going to go, ‘Oh yeah, we’re the Rockets, this is our nine or 10 (rotation) players, this is how we play.’?”

To a degree, this is always true, but rarely as much as it is for the Rockets, who will ask almost every member of the rotation to take on responsibilities beyond any they have had before.

“Usually, every team has one All-Star or two All-Stars, or someone you rely on who has been the main guy, who knows that role and has done that role,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “We’re going in to this trying to find out who that’s going to be.”

Almost every position comes with a question.

Aaron Brooks is entrenched as the starting point guard, but he will be asked to score more and be a better playmaker.

Trevor Ariza moves from the Lakers, where he blossomed throughout his fifth NBA season and helped key a championship run. But he will seek a more difficult jump from solid role player to go-to scorer.

Luis Scola might have been the Rockets’ most consistent player last year. But he often took advantage of defenses set up to stop Yao and will have to exchange that advantage with getting more touches near the basket.

Even veterans Chuck Hayes and Battier will begin the season not just as the team’s most reliable defenders, but asked to be more aggressive offensively.

“Yao was a pretty nice person to have when things were going very good. You throw it in to him and everyone lived off that and everybody was better because of it,” Adelman said. “Tracy was the same way when he was healthy. We don’t have that now. ... The way we’re going to have to do it is, we’re going to have work harder than everybody else, we’re going to have to be very consistent and play well as a team. This will be a progression for us.”

The Rockets have won in recent seasons without McGrady, Yao or both, including two postseason wins in four games against the Lakers after Yao joined McGrady on the injured list. They have since made changes that were not caused by injuries, with Ron Artest and Von Wafer leaving as free agents, and Brent Barry not returning.

Those sorts of changes are typical, part of the business.

“You have to see how the new guys react to playing the new season,” Brooks said. “When the season comes, it’s going to be a little tougher. We’re still going to have a lot of unanswered questions, but a lot of teams are.

“It seems like every team, except maybe two or three, makes roster moves to improve. But they are not improvements until you see how they play on the floor. Everybody’s roster looks better. Unfortunately, we’re without Yao and without Mac, but we added a lot of pieces. It just depends on how we all react to each other and how everybody plays together.”

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Rockets’ five burning questions

1. Care for a doughnut?

The Rockets have a 7-foot-5 hole in the middle where Yao Ming used to play. Out for the season, Yao will have to watch as Carl Landry and Luis Scola pretend they’re legitimate NBA post players.?

2. Can T-Mac come back?

Tracy McGrady had microfracture surgery on his left knee on Feb. 24. When the Rockets opened training camp, they did so without their scoring star and without a projected return date. Will it be Thanksgiving? Christmas? New Year’s Day? Just as important: Will McGrady be the real T-Mac when he does return??

3. Where do they go?

When games are on the line, teams always go to their best offensive player. This is how a player becomes a “go-to guy.” Well, to whom will the Rockets go without McGrady? When you don’t have a featured scorer, the choices are limitless, but none are very good.?

4. Is Ariza a riser?

They pried away Trevor Ariza from the Lakers after he helped them win the le. He drops right into the spot vacated by Ron Artest. Now, with McGrady out, Ariza is going to get a chance to be a star. Can he rise to the challenge??

5. “Tanks” for memories?

Remember when the Rockets were accused of “tanking” games ahead of the 1984 draft .?.?. the one that got them in line to select Hakeem Olajuwon? You wonder if a team that begins the season without its two best players might be tempted to position itself for the 2010 draft. If the Rockets struggle early, might management be tempted to push development of young talent?

- Mike Monroe

[Lars]

To be honest these questions are pretty stupid, none of them are "burning".

"Yao will have to watch as Carl Landry and Luis Scola pretend they’re legitimate NBA post players.?"

Well first of all that isnt a question. Second of all both Landry and Scola are legitimate post players. Landry will flourish this year with increased touches and Scola is already one the most creative post up players in the league.

Tracy McGrady had microfracture surgery on his left knee on Feb. 24. When the Rockets opened training camp, they did so without their scoring star and without a projected return date

Projected return date Nov. 23rd. I agree though, what will he look lilke when he returns.

When games are on the line, teams always go to their best offensive player. This is how a player becomes a “go-to guy.” Well, to whom will the Rockets go without McGrady? When you don’t have a featured scorer, the choices are limitless, but none are very good.?

Aaron Brooks, no question.

They pried away Trevor Ariza from the Lakers after he helped them win the le. He drops right into the spot vacated by Ron Artest. Now, with McGrady out, Ariza is going to get a chance to be a star. Can he rise to the challenge??

Trevor Ariza is a good defensive player who can slash to the basket and finish around the basket. He doesnt have a good shot nor is he quick enough to get past his man. He won't be a star.

Remember when the Rockets were accused of “tanking” games ahead of the 1984 draft .?.?. the one that got them in line to select Hakeem Olajuwon? You wonder if a team that begins the season without its two best players might be tempted to position itself for the 2010 draft. If the Rockets struggle early, might management be tempted to push development of young talent?

There is no tanking, all our guys are try hards. They will give it everything they have, every night.

The real five burning questions:
How good will Yao be when he returns?
How good can AB be with more usuage?
How good is Chase Budinger?
Will Tracy McGrady be a Rocket after this season?
Can we sign anyone of signifigance in 2010?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

To be honest these questions are pretty stupid, none of them are "burning".



Well first of all that isnt a question. Second of all both Landry and Scola are legitimate post players. Landry will flourish this year with increased touches and Scola is already one the most creative post up players in the league.



Projected return date Nov. 23rd. I agree though, what will he look lilke when he returns.



Aaron Brooks, no question.



Trevor Ariza is a good defensive player who can slash to the basket and finish around the basket. He doesnt have a good shot nor is he quick enough to get past his man. He won't be a star.



There is no tanking, all our guys are try hards. They will give it everything they have, every night.

The real five burning questions:
How good will Yao be when he returns?
How good can AB be with more usuage?
How good is Chase Budinger?
Will Tracy McGrady be a Rocket after this season?
Can we sign anyone of signifigance in 2010?

Well, you killed that thread off well. Good reply!

Ariza is, at this point, Crash Wallace-lite - an ultra garbage guy who contributes in a lot of ways - but he's no go-to scorer.