Rockets, Suns sleepers in the West

From ESPN Insider:

<I>SLEEPERS

Houston Rockets: If you believe owner Les Alexander, the Rockets are destined to be one of the greatest teams of all time. Les gets carried away, but can you blame him? His team, racked with injuries last season, is finally healthy, added the No. 1 pick in the draft and has several young players ready to break out. Everyone wants to start with Yao Ming, but he really isn't the key to the season. Truth is, anyone with a pulse is an upgrade over Kelvin Cato. If Yao can't step over that bar, he'll be on the low road back to China quicker than we can say "bust" in Mandrian.

The key for the Rockets will be the play of veterans Glen Rice and Maurice Taylor and second-year player Eddie Griffin. Both Rice and Taylor are coming off major injuries but still have the skills to make a major impact on the team. Rice, along with rookie Bostjan Nachbar, gives the Rockets a perimeter presence they lacked last season. Taylor can be a major force in the post offensively, but he'll need to rebound and play defense if he's going to hold off Griffin. Griffin is one of those freak players who can play just about any position on the floor. But his rebounding and shot blocking are what the Rockets need. If he continues to impress and Steve Francis stays migraine free, the Rockets have the talent to play with just about anyone.

Phoenix Suns: The Suns are a bit of a reach after last season's miserable finish. But there's hope in Phoenix this year. Stephon Marbury and Shawn Marion are the team's two unquestioned stars, but several other young players are poised to have a major impact. Second-year guard Joe Johnson had a strong summer and training camp. Rookie Amare Stoudemire is the dominating low-post presence the team has lacked since it lost Antonio McDyess. And center Jake Tsakalidis continues to get rave reviews over his progress over the summer.

But it's three Suns veterans who will determine the fate of the team. Forward Tom Gugliotta is healthy for the first time in two years. While he'll never return to All-Star form, Suns sources say he's playing well enough to give the Suns 16 points and 8 boards a night. That's a huge upgrade in the post for Phoenix. Penny Hardaway may have lost his starting job to Johnson, but the word out of camp is that he's healthy (he missed only one game last season), is in good shape and has come into the preseason with a better attitude. And then there's veteran Scott Williams. He won't fill up the boxscore, but has the experience and leadership qualities that the Suns have lacked for some time. If he can give them a solid 20 minutes a night in the middle, the Suns will be rising in Phoenix.</I>