2007-2008 NBA Season Preview: Houston Rockets

With the prior year of the Houston Rockets losing hope with numerous injuries suffered by franchise players Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, the team has seemed to lose considerable time in chasing a championship, based particularly on T-Mac's degrading health and mileage at such a young age (10 years at 28 years old).

With the 2007 playoff series loss to the Utah Jazz still somewhat fresh in mind, the Rockets are now ready to move forward with a fully invigorated squad.

Gone is the troublesome head coach in Jeff Van Gundy and now present is the author of the Sacramento Kings' re-emergence for nine seasons in Rick Adelman. Also (supposedly) gone is the malcontent and maladjusted Bonzi Wells; in (supposedly) is the playoff beast that was an X-factor for both the Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers in past years in the new Bonzi.

"Stevie Franchise" himself is back to help restore the franchise's championship glory, as Steve Francis will himself also have to compete with a flood of guards in the backcourt. With rookie guard Aaron Brooks from Oregon, Luther Head, the re-acquired Mike James, and likely castoff Rafer Alston all in tow to compete for main minutes, there will be a much bally-hooed competition for sure.

Dikembe Mutombo will return for a final season in the NBA in 2007-2008, as his reemergence in the absence of Yao in the previous season convinced himself and his peers that he could still do another season.

Shane Battier will help to fill out the frontcourt with his heady play, with Argentinean transport Luis Scola set to seriously compete with the steady Chuck Hayes as the starting power forward. Scola, having been a standout player for Argentina's national team, was originally a draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs. Because demands for a high-priced contract were rebuffed by the frugal Spurs, Scola (a potential star player in the NBA) was traded to Houston for the whiny Vassilis Spanoilis, a Greek star who became a significant distraction to the team after constantly complaining about playing time on a team that was already stocked heavily with guards when he arrived as a free agent.

Though the number of guards and small forwards are very high in number on the current Rockets training camp roster (16 in number, according to rockets.com) expect a starting lineup to look like this for Houston:

Steve Francis at point guard, Tracy McGrady at shooting guard, Shane Battier at small forward, Chuck Hayes at power forward and Yao Ming as the center.

With a projection of good health and team gelling, expect the Rockets to leave the stratosphere and enter the galaxy of the NBA elite.