Reading Rockets Basketball

Houston, We Have A Problem

The Rockets are a darn good basketball franchise, excuse me for saying so. Perhaps it’s not the most humble approach for a fan to take, but as a fan base, we have been relatively spoiled by the team’s performance and resiliency in recent years. Since 2002-2003, the Rockets have had exactly one “down” season. No, the team hasn’t powered its way to playoff glory, or even to the playoffs in every case for that matter, but each season, save for 2005-2006, the Rockets have finished the season above .500 and at least in contention for a playoff spot, even in the hotly contested Western Conference. Bear in mind, the Atlanta Hawks actually made the playoffs with an under .500 record in the East just 3 years ago (and took the top seeded Celtics to 7 games), thus putting up a positive mark in the West cannot be casually dismissed. A year ago, with a Yao-less unit, a preseason subtraction no one in the organization had accounted for, the Rockets still mustered a 42-40 record, good for 9^th in West (or 1 out of post-season play), finishing better than the 8^th seeded Bulls (again, Eastern Conference).This year, unfortunately, smaller traces of such resiliency have been found in the Toyota Center, passing the year’s halfway point in terms of games played at well under par. Palling around in the standings with new-found friends in low places, including the Grizzlies, Warriors and Clippers, staring up at the usual suspects, 2011 is taking shape as an uphill battle for the men in red. Once again without Ming, the Rockets simply may not have the pieces to compete. Kevin Martin has been remarkable thus far in his Houston career, making good on his scoring reputation while shooting well above a 40 clip from long range. What the Rockets are missing is painfully obvious; it stands over 7’0” and alters shots around the rim. In their most successful stints without Yao, the Dikembe Mutombos and David Anderens of the world (read: big bodied rentals) have sufficed in advanced age as a stopgap. Brad Miller is primarily offensive minded and Jordan Hill is underdeveloped at this juncture. Defense and rebounding, it’s the oldest clich in basketball, but it’s precisely what the Rockets need to climb back to respectability.