[NBA.com] Rockets Season Preview by EA

http://www.nba.com/preview2007/hou.html

EA NBA Live 08 Simulated Season:
Record: 48-34, 5th in Western Conf.
Playoffs: Lost in 2nd Round to Phoenix, 4-2
Scoring Leader: T. McGrady, 27.4 PPG
Rebounding Leader: Y. Ming, 10.6 RPG
Assist Leader: T. McGrady, 7.1 APG

Pretty reasonable if Yao or TMac go down for lengthy periods... I expect TMac's scoring to go up and assists to go down this season.


Season outlook:
The Houston Rockets were one of the busiest teams during the offseason. The team changed coaches, front office personnel, and a multitude of players in hopes of improving a club that won 52 games last season but hasn't advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs since 1997. With their two All-Star players, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, missing a combined 45 games last season because of injury, the Rockets have taken steps to assemble a team stocked with talent and depth.

The Rockets began work in the offseason by hiring Rick Adelman as the franchise's new coach and have backed him by acquiring Steve Francis, re-signing Mike James, and trading for Jackie Butler and Argentine team standout Luis Scola. The team also retained Bonzi Wells and added a promising rookie – Aaron Brooks – with the 26th pick in the NBA Draft. The moves have created a buzz among Houston's fan base and ESPN.com recently called the Rockets' roster the most upgraded of any NBA team.

While the Rockets will have tough competition in the Western Conference from the usual powerhouse teams, Houston is hopeful that they've put together enough talent to take a shot at their first conference title since 1995.


Backcourt
The Rockets find themselves with an extremely deep backcourt. Coach Rick Adelman and GM Daryl Morey certainly found a number of guards capable of creating their own offense, as the team brought back two former Rockets in Francis and James. Francis, a three-time All-Star, is returning to the Rockets where he was once a marquee player and James is a tough veteran who has solid range and can also get by his defender. Both can play either guard position. "We needed more penetration guys who could get to the basket and I think we found that," Morey told rockets.com recently.

Bonzi Wells, meanwhile, adds a bigger option at the shooting guard position. While he never had consistent playing time last season, the swingman should see more minutes under Adelman, whom Wells played for in Sacramento during the 2005-06 season.

In addition to those acquisitions, the Rockets selected point guard Aaron Brooks from Oregon with the 26th overall pick in the draft. Brooks weighed in as the lightest player (161 lbs.) at the NBA's 2007 pre-draft camp, but was selected the top rookie at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.


Frontcourt
Luis Scola is perhaps the most significant addition to the Rockets' lineup. Scola, the 2007 FIBA Americas MVP, has championship experience playing with the Argentinean National Team which took Olympic gold in 2004. With his toughness and smooth offensive game, the 6-9, 230-lb. power forward could be a perfect fit next to Yao. He's an active big man with athleticism and passing skills and has been considered by many scouts to be the best player in Europe for several years.

Of course, Houston still has literally the biggest player in the game, Yao Ming, and one of the most exciting in Tracy McGrady. Combined, these players contribute nearly 50 PPG and 16 RPG. If Yao and McGrady can stay healthy with the addition of Scola, the Rockets will present a dominant lineup that few teams will be able to match.

Backup center Dikembe Mutombo is expected to sign for one more year with the Rockets before retiring at the end of the season. Forward Shane Battier is an excellent defender and timely three-point shooter. Jackie Butler, who came to Houston in the Scola trade with San Antonio, has impressed many but has yet to find a consistent role.
-- Jeff Brody

Man on the Spot:
Five years after being drafted by an NBA team, Luis Scola finally will play in the NBA, though not for the team that drafted him. Sound confusing? It is.

In 2002, the Spurs drafted the rights to Scola, but his dual citizenship in Argentina and Spain allowed him to keep playing for Tau Ceramica of the Spanish league. The Spurs and Tau were never able to work out a buyout of his contract, and so in July, San Antonio traded Scola and center Jackie Butler to the Rockets for a second round pick and Vassilis Spanoulis.

Scola, who helped the Argentinean National Team win gold in the 2004 Olympics and was MVP of the Spanish league in 2005 and 2006, has the toughness and skills to help the Rockets immediately. "I looked at a lot of tape on Luis and how he plays and I think he's going to be a great attribute to Yao," Coach Adelman told ESPN.com. "He's very active."

For his part, Scola is excited to be playing with superstars in Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. "It's great to be with them," he told ESPN. "I'm sure they're going to help me much more than I'm going to help them."

With Scola now in place, the Rockets hope they have found a missing piece to their postseason puzzle.
-- Jeff Brody

Coach's Corner:
RICK ADELMAN
Seventeenth season, First with Houston
Career Record: 756-477 (.613)
Playoff Record: Fourteen times, 70-68 (.507)

Adelman comes to Houston with 16 years of coaching experience and his offensive background should open things up for McGrady and Yao.

Owner Leslie Alexander speaks highly of Adelman on his rockets.com blog. "He's very smart and analytical. He has a very even temperament...(his) job is to get all this great talent to play as one."

Indeed, with at least eight new players on the squad, Adelman will have quite a challenge. But if he can get the group to commit to his philosophy, look for the Rockets to push Dallas and San Antonio for tops in the West.
-- Jeff Brody

Scouting Report:
---You would think that with the addition of Steve Francis and Mike James, they would have gotten better, but I think they have a crowded backcourt.
---Any time you have Tracy and Yao, two of the top 10 players in the game, they're going to win their fair share of games.
---Until they figure out their backcourt situation I'm not sure how far they can go in the playoffs.
---It's strange: Adelman wants to run up and down but Tracy doesn't run anymore like that and Yao certainly doesn't. I don't know how they're going to play. It will be interesting to see.
---Bonzi Wells is the x-factor. If they can get a full season out of Bonzi Wells and figure out their backcourt, they could be really tough.
---I think they'll try to give Mike James a shot at point first. I don't think he's the best fit, but I think it's his job to lose.
-- Western Conference Scout

 

Oh yeah

Projected Stats!!

PLAYER/2006-07 STATS PPG RPG APG
PG Steve Francis 11.3 3.6 3.9
SG Tracy McGrady 24.6 5.3 6.5
SF Shane Battier 10.1 4.1 2.1
PF Luis Scola -- -- --
C Yao Ming 25.0 9.4 2.0
PG Rafer Alston 10.9 6.9 5.0
SG Luther Head 4.6 2.7 1.1
SF Bonzi Wells 7.8 4.3 1.1
PF Chuck Hayes 3.7 6.4 0.4
C Dikembe Mutombo 7.8 4.6 0.3

 

^^ oh my bad I just noticed those are 2006-07 stats

 

Simulated Season

Eastern Conference
W L PCT
1. Boston 49 33 0.598
2. New Jersey 47 35 0.573
3. Washington 46 36 0.561
4. Detroit 44 38 0.537
5. Cleveland 43 39 0.524
6. Miami 43 39 0.524
7. New York 41 41 0.500
8. Milwaukee 40 42 0.488
Chicago 39 43 0.476
Orlando 37 45 0.451
Toronto 36 46 0.439
Charlotte 35 47 0.427
Atlanta 35 47 0.427
Philadelphia 34 48 0.415
Indiana 30 52 0.366

Western Conference
W L PCT
1. Phoenix 58 24 0.707
2. Dallas 55 27 0.671
3. San Antonio 55 27 0.671
4. Denver 46 36 0.561
5. Houston 48 34 0.585
6. L.A. Lakers 45 37 0.549
7. Utah 42 40 0.512
8. Golden State 41 41 0.500
New Orleans 39 43 0.476
Sacramento 38 44 0.463
L.A. Clippers 36 46 0.439
Memphis 35 47 0.427
Minnesota 34 48 0.415
Seattle 31 51 0.378
Portland 30 52 0.366

Simulated Playoffs
2008 NBA Finals
(1) Phoenix Suns 4, (1) Boston Celtics 3
Eastern Conference Finals
(1) Boston Celtics 4, (2) New Jersey Nets 2
Western Conference Finals
(1) Phoenix Suns 4, (3) San Antonio Spurs 3
Eastern Conference Semifinals
(1) Boston Celtics 4, (4) Detroit Pistons 3
(2) New Jersey Nets 4, (6) Miami Heat 1
Western Conference Semifinals
(1) Phoenix Suns 4, (5) Houston Rockets 2
(3) San Antonio Spurs 4, (7) Utah Jazz 2
Eastern Conference First Round
(1) Boston Celtics 4, (8) Milwaukee Bucks 1
(4) Detroit Pistons 4, (5) Cleveland Cavaliers 2
(2) New Jersey Nets 4, (7) New York Knicks 3
(6) Miami Heat 4, (3) Washington Wizards 3
Western Conference First Round
(1) Phoenix Suns 4, (8) G.S. Warriors 2
(5) Houston Rockets 4, (4) Denver Nuggets 1
(7) Utah Jazz 4, (2) Dallas Mavericks 3
(3) San Antonio Spurs 4, (6) Los Angeles Lakers 2