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For the first
time since the 1984 draft, the Houston Rockets own
the first pick in the draft. They are
represented by D. J. Foster who
bucks conventional wisdom and selects: Caron
Butler, SF, 6'7", UCONN |
Houston Rockets 2001-2002 Season: Struggle
with Strides
Personnel Losses: Hakeem
Olajuwon (Traded for Toronto’s 15th
pick 1st round draft pick 2002), Shandon
Anderson (Traded to New York for Glen
Rice), Matt Bullard
(signed as a free agent with Charlotte), Carlos
Rogers (signed with Pacers as a free
agent), Sean Colson,
Anthony Miller.
Personnel Gains: Eddie
Griffin (Traded to Rockets for the rights
to Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, and Brandon
Armstrong), Glen Rice
(From New York for Shandon Anderson) Kevin
Willis (Traded by Bucks to Rockets for
2002 second round draft pick), Oscar
Torres (signed as a free agent), Terence
Morris (Traded from Atlanta to Houston
for a future second round pick), Tierre
Brown (Signed).
Injuries: Team Suffered injuries to 14
different players resulting in 304 manpower
games lost. Starters Maurice Taylor and Glen
Rice both suffered season ending injuries on top
of Walt Williams and Steve Francis both missing
time. The only player to play in every game was
Guard Moochie Norris.
Record: 28-54 5th in Midwest
Division
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I. Season Overview
The 2001-2002 Houston Rockets could have been
looked at 2 ways before the season. They could
have been looked at as a team with a good young
nucleus with the potential to be a playoff
caliber team, or they could’ve been seen as a
franchise on its way to a long spell of losing
seasons. If one had to choose between these two
extremities, the Rockets would have fallen more
towards the latter choice. What ever happened to
the championship days? Well, quite simply
players grow old and every team at one point or
another has to rebuild. This is the situation
that the Rockets were faced with heading into
the season.
After starting the season 7-5 the Rockets
dropped 15 straight without Steve Francis.
Cuttino Mobley played very well, but the Rockets
missed getting Stevie Franchise’s almost
guaranteed 20 points 7 boards 5 assists a game.
With Francis out, shots were forced, team
defense was bad and losses accumulated. When
Steve Francis returned the team had only managed
a measly two wins in his absence. Sadly, the
Rockets had already managed to dig themselves
into a hole they could not get out of no matter
how many points Mobley and Francis scored. The
serious lack of frontcourt help was the Rockets
main problem. Some nights the leading rebounder
would only end up with 6 or 7 boards. Of course
it didn’t help at all that SF Glen Rice and PF
(kind of) Maurice Taylor were hurt most of the
year. Overall the season turned out to progress
painfully game after game, but every once in a
while you got a glimpse of how good the Houston
Rockets could be. How the Rockets performed
during the season though is not as important as
what they do this offseason. The possible
resigning of their franchise player Steve
Francis and the owning the #1 pick in the draft
are huge events in the Rockets future. The
releasing or resigning of Kevin Willis and Walt
Williams is a decision the Rockets brass is
going to have to make. With the team not losing
any players of real importance during the year
and so far this offseason, the Rockets will be
faced with the challenge of building upon the
young core of talent already present. But how
much can management do? The ridiculous contracts
of Maurice Taylor and Glen Rice cut into the
amount of moves management can make this year.
The team is clearly in a rebuilding process and
is expected to get even younger this offseason.
Remember the last time the Rockets got the first
pick? They got some guy named Olajuwon. For all
Houston fans, lets hope they can get that lucky
again.
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II. Roster and Stats
Chicago was awarded a franchise on April 30 1966, and were the first expansion team to ever reach the playoffs in NBA history. The first Coach was Johnny "Red" Kerr, no relation to Steve Kerr who later played for the Bulls.
- G Cuttino Mobley: 21.7 PPG 4.1 RPG 2.5 APG 74
G 74 GS
- G Steve Francis: 21.6 PPG 7 RPG 6.4 APG 57 G 56
GS
- F Kenny Thomas: 14.1 PPG 7.2 RPG 1.9 APG 72 G 71
GS
- F Walt Williams 9.4 PPG 3.4 RPG 1.4 APG 48 G 25
GS
- F Eddie Griffin 8.8 PPG 5.7 RPG 1.8 APG 73 G 24
GS
- F Glen Rice 8.6 PPG 2.4 RPG 1.6 APG 20 G 20 GS
- G Moochie Norris 8.1 PPG 3 RPG 4.9 APG 82 G 26
GS
- C Kelvin Cato 6.6 PPG 7 RPG 1.2 BPG 75 G 73 GS
- C-F Kevin Willis 6.1 PPG 5.8 RPG .4 BPG 52 G 5
GS
- G-F Oscar Torres 6 PPG 1.9 RPG .6 APG 65 G 13 GS
- C Jason Collier 4.2 PPG 3.3 RPG .4 APG 25 G 2 GS
- F Terrence Morris 3.8 PPG 3.1 RPG .9 APG 68 G 12
GS
- G Tierre Brown 3.1 PPG 1.1 RPG 1.8 APG 40 G 1 GS
- F Dan Langhi 3.1 PPG 2.0 RPG .4 APG 34 G 8 GS
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III. Draft History: (1st picks only)
Bad Picks
- 1990: #12 Alec Kessler (woulda been better off
with trebek)
- 1991: #20 John Turner (hmmm)
- 1998: #16 Bryce Drew (could turn out to be
decent somewhere)
- 1998: #18 Misrad Turckan (who?)
- 2000: #9 Joel Pryzbilla (turned into Collier)
Good Picks
- 1992: #11 Robert Horry
- 1993: #24 Sam Cassell
- 1998: #14 Michael Dickerson
- 1999: #22 Kenny Thomas
- 2001: Richard Jefferson/Jason Collins/Brandon
Armstrong (turned into Eddie Griffin)
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IV. Players
Guards:
Steve Francis:
$14,124,582 (Rookie Contract) '03 (Year becomes F.A.)
There’s not much you can say about Steve Francis that
already hasn’t been said. His nickname says it all, as he
truly is the Rockets franchise player. The young man out of
Maryland, 6’3 Steve Francis is truly one of the most
exciting players in the NBA today. His stats have steadily
improved over his 3 years in the NBA, and with the
improvement Francis has gained the respect of players and
coaches all over the league with the possible exception of
the team he burned, the Grizzlies. A threat to light you up
for 30 points a game every time he steps foot on the court,
Stevie Franchise demands respect from all defenders on the
court at all times. The problem over the last couple of
years though, has been the lack of support he has received.
But, with Cuttino Mobley emerging as a strong player, some
pressure has been taken off of the franchise. The giants of
the Western Conference (Tim Duncan, Shaq, K.G., and Chris
Webber) will no doubt continue their dominance, but will the
guard play be what it once was? The eventual retirements of
veterans Gary Payton and John Stockton, the absence of Jason
Kidd, the demise of Terrell Brandon and Jason Williams and
the possible departure of players like Nick Van Exel mean
that the West will belong to the giants. This is not all bad
though, because players like Steve Francis can dominate
games because of the lack of players on every team who can
guard him. There is relatively hardly anything left for
Stevie to improve on. Steve Francis is a younger version of
Jason Kidd, but with a more explosive game. For these two to
be compared though, Francis must show he can provide the
leadership Kidd does, and take his Houston Rockets to the
promised land.
Things to Improve on: Steve Francis needs to take a
break, rest his shoulder and get ready to play ball next
season. One thing he needs to do is have an ego-check, and
be prepared to play with whoever makes the team better. His
game is all set, but his heart can still be questioned.
Getting tougher mentally and physically is something the
franchise needs to do. Oh yes, and take some Advil.
Moochie Norris: 22.7
Million contract ’07 (free agent)
Moochie “The Hair” Norris is most known by basketball
fans for well, his hair. But there is more to the man then
the fro or the rows. Moochie Norris is turning into a
promising backup for Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. He
stepped up this year in Stevie’s absence, averaging 8
points and 5 assists a game. Moochie is not the most well
known player out there, he sneaked into the NBA through the
CBA (thanks mostly to Rudy bringing him up). In the CBA he
was a runner up for MVP in the year 2000, so the kid has
shown he can ball and is not just a fluke. He hit some
pretty big shots this year towards the ends of games, and
gave Sportscenter anchors field days because of his
ever-crazy hairstyles. Moochie is a qualified backup point
who can also swing over to the 2 if the opposing teams 2
guard is small (Moochie is only 6’1). Moochie can give the
Rockets 20 solid minutes off the bench, and is a strong 6th
man for the rockets.
Things to improve on: If he could suddenly grow 5
inches that would be a good thing to improve on. Basically,
he’s a midget and that will often get him in trouble with
bigger more physical guards like Gary Payton. The whole
backcourt of the Rockets is small though, and you can’t
ask someone to grow… but you can ask them to hit the
weight room a little harder and to work on their post
defense and defense in general. An improvement in his
outside shooting would be a nice extra as well, as it would
draw defenders out and not let the defense pack it in
against the slashing Francis.
Cuttino Mobley: 31
million Free Agent in ’05 (Player opt out clause included)
Recently signed to a big 31 million-dollar deal, Cuttino
Mobley is going nowhere. Or is he? With Jay Williams
available, the Rockets could deal Mobley and replace him
with Jay-Will. Francis strongly disagreed with that notion
though, and we all know what happens when Stevie gets angry.
So the team is probably going to leave it alone and keep
team chemistry alive and keep Cuttino here for a while. Why
would you want him gone anyway? 22 PPG last time I checked
wasn’t too shabby. Cuttino Mobley has also recently
emerged as a big time scorer at the 2. Combined with Steve
Francis, they are arguably the best scoring backcourt in the
league. Defensively though, they are not the best. 6’3 and
6’4 aren’t the typical sizes of NBA backcourts now days.
But that aside, Cuttino Mobley is no doubt Steve Francis’s
partner in crime. The two friends are an unstoppable duo.
The rise in stats for Cuttino Mobley is partly attributed to
the attention Steve Francis gets, but mostly to the amount
of shots he gets a game. Mobley is a solid scorer who needs
to develop the other aspects of his game to be a bigger
contributor to the team. The 3 point shooting Mobley though
appears to have his place locked down in the NBA as a pure
scorer. He is arguably the best steal the Rockets have ever
gotten in the draft, selecting him with the 41st pick in the
second round.
Things to Improve On: Finding other ways to
contribute than just scoring.
Oscar Torres: Minimum
Salary’02 (free agent)
A 6’6 guard from Venezuela, Oscar was picked up during the
season by the Rockets for the minimum. What a pickup it
turned out to be. Getting Torres for the league minimum and
having him score 6 points a game in limited action was
definitely a plus for the Rockets. A free agent this year,
if a backup guard isn’t selected in the draft, the Rockets
should strongly consider resigning Oscar Torres.
Things to Improve On: Getting signed, and if he’s
resigned, proving he’s got staying power.
Tierre Brown: Minimum
Salary ’02 (free agent)
Another player like Torres, Tierre Brown stepped in for the
Rockets and performed decently in his time. But how many
guards does a team need? Only a rookie, look for the Rockets
to not give up on their investment in Brown. He was a solid
player in college, and must work hard on his game to be one
here in the NBA.
Things to Improve on: Play summer ball, and show
management that you can hang.
The strongest spots on the team, the place where not much
management work is required, except resigning key players.
Forwards
Kenny Thomas: 4.2
Million (Rookie Contract) ’03 (free agent)
"Kenny who?" "Who in the world is Kenny
Thomas?" This is the response I got when I talked to a
couple of my basketball friends about the Rockets power
forward. A quiet contributor night in and night out, Kenny
Thomas was the 3rd leading scorer and leading rebounder on
the team, despite only measuring up at 6’7. A power
forward at 6’7? The Rockets are small enough, and now
their power forward is only 6’7-245 pounds? Believe it.
Believe that he’s the best low post player on the team. A
true case of being a big man stuck in a little man’s body,
Kenny Thomas quietly was a key factor to the degree of
success the Rockets did have. A true power forward, Thomas
did not make a 3 all year, but shot an outstanding 48% from
the field. And, he is still young and should be a key factor
in Houston’s rebuilding process. Although he had
substantial minutes this year, how many minutes will he get
next year due to the logjam at power forward? Money sucker
Maurice Taylor and emerging star Eddie Griffin can seriously
cut into Thomas’ time next year. But how bad is it that
his time will be cut? Is he as good as the stats say, or is
it because the rebounds had no one else to fall to. A pretty
good player, who’s still young, but too one-dimensional.
Could be replaced in the not too distant future by Eddie
Griffin.
Things to Improve on: Jump shooting. I know its not
his game, but to contend with those huge power forwards out
there, he’s going to have to suck them out and hurt them
with the jumper. Does a good job on D and crashes the boards
well, but many others and me are still curious to see if he
can really hang. Free throws need improvement as well. He
needs to keep improving every aspect of his game.
Walt Williams: 20
million ’02 (free agent)
Walt, Walt, Walt. Oh the glory days are diminishing. Walt is
on the tail end of his 10-year career and his skills are
slowly deteriorating. Walt is a special player. Throughout
his career he’s never seen a rebound he liked despite
being 6’8. Clearly a perimeter player, even in his old age
Walt can still shoot the long ball, and chicks dig the long
ball. Why don’t chicks dig defense? Well, Walt doesn’t
dig it either. In fact he doesn’t play it. He refuses to.
But hey, he can shoot 3’s really, really good. He’s a
lifetime average 40% 3 point shooter, and not too bad of a
scorer. He really stretches the D. Walt Williams is a true
veteran, who probably won’t be resigned, but the Rockets
wont miss him too much because he is not what they need at
his position. There is really no playing time for him right
now, and even if there was, injuries have plagued him
lately.
Things To Improve On: I don’t know if you can teach
and old dog too many tricks but if you can, teaching him
some defense would be super.
Eddie Griffin: 9.4
million contract (rookie contract) ’05 (free agent)
Eddie Griffin is the real deal. Highly touted out of Seton
Hall the 6’10 power forward is a shot-blocking machine. He
is such a talent, that the Rockets felt he was worth 3
picks. Last year Eddie showed that he just might be worth
it. A future franchise staple, Eddie Griffin did nothing but
improve and prove that he is the real deal. He is a solid
rebounder, a spectacular shot blocker and possesses a
polished offensive game. Look for him to really improve. He
could even be a regular starter next year, bringing much
needed height and athleticism to the starting 5. With the
logjam at PF, expect a possible switch to Small Forward for
Eddie if that is not addressed in the draft…
Things to Improve on: Learn the NBA game, use your
talent and dominate. Someone needs to tell him he can
dominate, because the Rockets need him to.
Glen Rice: 36 million
’02 (free agent)
36 million? Is that how much 3 pointers cost these days. I
feel like putting see Walt Williams but that wouldn’t be
fair to Walt because he’s not an OVERPAID washed up 3
point shooter, just a washed up 3 point shooter. Glen Rice
can still chip in, but how good is he for team chemistry? As
of right now, he’s taking a younger player’s spot and
hindering his development. Glen Rice had a great career, but
he’s too fragile now. Expect him to get hurt and be out
for a long time in some ridiculous fashion. He can still hit
3’s and is still a pretty good offensive weapon, but once
again he is not what the Rockets need. If they could dump
him they should.
Thing to Improve on: Take a veteran role and be a
leader.
Maurice Taylor: 48.7
million ’07 (free agent)
What’s with these guys? Are the Rockets in love with soft
forwards? He’s young (only been in league for 4 years) and
actually has a pretty good body. But he’s a not a good
defender, he’s soft, and doesn’t hit the boards. He’s
a pretty skilled player but 48.7 million dollars is
ridiculous. Seeing if he can recover from injury and live up
to the cash money that was spent on him will be interesting.
If not, someone will be there to replace him. If the Rockets
could they’d dump his salary somewhere, but I’m not so
sure anyone will take him. When the Point Guard is a better
rebounder than the Power Forward, there is a problem.
Things to Improve on: Rebounding, defense and
learning his role as a role player, not the star his salary
suggests. Needs a strong season to prove he might be worth
the cash, but mostly needs to hit the boards and be the
frontcourt presence that the Rockets so desperately need.
Terrance Morris: 1.5
million ’04 (free agent)
Another Maryland Terrapin, the rookie Terrance Morris showed
pretty good progress over the year. At 6’9 he’s a pretty
solid rebounder and is one of the few forwards who can bang
inside. He's not too much of a scorer, only shot 38%
from the field. A pretty good role player off the bench who
should be able to contribute for the Rockets if he gets the
playing time.
Things to Improve on: Just keep playing hard and hope
the Rockets don’t draft any forwards.
Dan Langhi: Minimum
Salary ’02 (free agent)
Will probably get let go to free up cap, Rockets are a
projected 6.7 million over. Likely the Rockets will draft at
least 1 forward, so Langhi just might be the odd man out.
He’s not too bad of a player out of Vanderbilt. Just might
be a victim of the Rockets releases. Not extremely athletic,
and is only 220 pounds at 6’10. Very tall and skinny.
Young though, so he might stick around.
Things to improve on: Getting signed.
The Rockets have an excess of Forwards who don’t rebound
and only shoot 3’s. The Rockets need to pick up a tough
small forward and have to part ways with some or one of
those power forwards. Bad contracts are at this position,
and out of any position, this one will require the most
revamping.
Centers
Kelvin Cato: 42 million
plus contract ’06 (free agent)
Oh man. Kelvin Cato. Talk about a bad investment, this guy
costs entirely too much to only get 7 points and 7 rebounds
a game. He is probably the worst investment the Rockets
brass has made in a while. But the good thing is he’s
overpaid for a long time. But, wait, that still sucks.
Don’t get me wrong though he has some talent. He just
appears to not play hard all the time. He takes plays off
and plays when he wants to. No big surprise he’s a former
Blazer. He’s a pretty good rebounder and he tosses a lot
of shots, but that’s where his abilities end. He is not a
scoring threat, and giving him the ball in the post is a
waste of time. He doesn’t look like he is developing any
new skills, but would be a good backup center. But having
him be a full time starter should be a last resort, and it
has been lately. If they could package him in a trade deal
with a draft pick to move down and get a good player, I’m
sure the management would.
Things to Improve On: Offense, and heart.
Kevin Willis: 21 million
total ’02 (free agent)
A rare sight in sports today, a large 7 footer with a career
average of .5 blocks per game. He has a big body but is
stuck with dinosaur arms, which make him an unknown
defensive presence in the middle. 15,000 career point scorer
who is still a pretty tough. A solid rebounder, Willis is a
solid player who can be a good backup center. Sooner or
later he will ride off into the sunset, but unfortunately if
he doesn’t retire he’ll probably get cut.
Things to Improve on: Just teach these kids how to
play in the NBA. 18 years in the NBA, and you learn a few
things.
Jason Collier: 5.9
million contract ’04 (free agent)
Young and big. 7’0 tall and 260 pounds. He’s a big boy
and that’s about all I can tell you because he hasn’t
seen much action.
Things to Improve on: I haven’t seen him so I
don’t know!
At center the Rockets are pretty weak. Cato might have to do
as center for now, and the development of Collier will be
big. Most likely the position will somehow be addressed
through the draft or free agency. It seriously needs to be
addressed or the Rockets will once again have one of the
weakest frontcourts in the league.
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V. Coaching/Management
Rudy Tomjanovich is a great
coach who often goes unrecognized as one of the best in the
league. Rudy is looking to win a championship in this
decade, but is unfortunately in the middle of a rebuilding
process. The front office has been hit or miss with their
decisions on signing players, and they are going to need to
hit when singing Francis. The front office has overpaid a
couple players and needs to make up for it by making smart
deals in the future. The team is a projected 6.9 million
over, but with the probable release of Walt Williams and
Kevin Willis this number should drop.
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V. Team Needs (Scale of 1-10 10 being least needed 1
being most needed)
Point Guard: At this position the Rockets are
pretty strong and have one of the best point guards and all
around players in the league. Steve Francis and Moochie
Norris are a solid 1-2 punch and there is not a whole lot of
need to get a backup point guard. There is a little need
maybe for another good point guard, just in case Steve
Francis suffers through injuries next year like he did this
year.
Ranking: 9
Shooting Guard: The Rockets have a solid 3-man
rotation between Mobley, Norris, and Francis. Mobley out of
anyone though has the least backup because Moochie is a
little too short to play the 2. A good backup isn’t a big
need as of right now with all the help the team needs up
front. It wouldn’t be a bad call though to get Mobley a
solid backup.
Ranking: 7
Small Forward: This is one of the teams’ biggest
needs. Whether through free agency or the draft, Houston
needs to get a starting small forward. Eddie Griffin might
move over to small forward, but as of right now, injury
prone Glen Rice is starting at SF. A young SF is probably
the best way for the Rockets to go. At this spot they need a
tough player who can hit the boards and is tenacious, but
can also run the floor with Cuttino and Stevie. A good
overall player is needed here.
Ranking: 5
Power Forward: The 3-headed monster, Eddie Griffin,
Maurice Taylor and Kenny Thomas, is an interesting combo.
This is a true case of the Rockets choosing quantity over
quality. The Rockets need a strong player at PF, but with
them already having 3, what sense would it make to have 4
Power Forwards and essentially only 2 Small Forwards (worth
playing anyway). Especially since all 3 power forwards are
better than any small forward on the team. Who gets time out
of this trio? Expect Eddie Griffin to play some small
forward as well as power forward, leaving Maurice Taylor and
Kenny Thomas to share the majority of the time with Eddie
Griffin playing both spots. This position is essentially
pretty set player wise. The Rockets would like to get some
better players here, but they will have to deal with the
trio they have right now. Expect one of them to get traded
or cut sometime in the near future with the progression of
Eddie Griffin.
Ranking: 6
Center: This is probably the spot they need help at
the most, but also the spot where its hardest to find help.
I think teams need to understand that no one can stop Shaq,
so trying to find someone who can is pointless. Kelvin Cato
is decent, but can Collier be a good backup? There is too
much risk in letting the center position rest in these two
guys hands. Look for the Rockets to address their biggest
need and pickup a center.
Ranking: 4
Summary: Overall, the Rockets have the same problem
they did last year. They need even more frontcourt help. The
backcourt is set for years, and to win the Rockets have to
get some quality players up front. The two biggest needs are
Small Forwards and Centers. And so with that I will look to
address those problems in this draft. I’d also like to
note that I hope I won’t disappoint longtime Rockets
Usenet owner John Carter too much, and hope that I don’t
ruin the draft too much by picking a surprise first pick. So
with that, best of luck to the Rockets next year, because
lord knows every team needs some.
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VI. My selection
Caron Butler 6’7
Small Forward UCONN
This pick will probably throw a lot of people off with
the expected pick of Yao
Ming by the Rockets. What the Rockets need though is
someone who for sure can contribute right now and is also a
proven player. Yao Ming has way too many problems
surrounding him, and what happens if he can’t play? This
is why I went with the best small forward in the draft, in
my opinion, Caron Butler. He had great workouts with the
Rockets, and has proven that he can do it all. He is a very
solid rebounder, defender and jump shooter, is strong and
also very athletic. There have been questions about his size
and if he can hang with taller small forwards, but this
shouldn’t be a problem at all. He’s very aggressive and
can run the floor very well, and would complement the
Francis-Mobley combo. Can quickly become the teams leading
rebounder in his rookie season, and has the basketball
intelligence to contribute right away. He also fills the gap
at small forward and solidifies a frontcourt that needs a
lot of help. There is no weak point in his game, and is very
mature despite only playing two years at UCONN. In my
opinion the surest thing in the draft. Has been compared to
Paul Pierce and unfortunately for me might take a Pierce
like fall in the draft. But if he comes close to being the
player Pierce is, the Rockets have legitimate playoff
chances with their team. Butler is arguably the most well
rounded player in the draft, and he should be a perfect fit
with Houston because they need a player who can do a little
bit of everything.
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VII. Other Players Considered
Yao Ming 7’6 C
China: Most likely the #1 choice in the real draft, Yao Ming
has a lot of upside. But how many unknown risks can one team
take with the #1? In my opinion, Ming is going to be this millenniums
Shawn Bradley, a tall guy with talent who just cant pull it
together. I’ve heard a lot of his range and how he has a
great jumper and loves the 3. This is ridiculous, that’s
what guards are for, centers are supposed to be down low in
the post not shooting 3’s, that’s what 6’2 guards are
for, not 7’6 centers. There might be a lot of problems
with the Chinese government as well. Too much risk to deal
with for me for the first pick. And how good is the
competition in China? Yao Ming might turn out to be a good
center, but how long will it take, and can the Rockets wait
that long. I honestly think Yao Ming will turn out to be a
fluke in the NBA, if he even plays in it.
Drew Gooden PF 6’10
Kansas: This was a tough guy to pass on. I feel he will be a
really good player in the NBA. Definitely the best power
forward in the draft, and also the most NBA ready. He will
contribute to whomever he ends up to immediately. The
Rockets have 3 power forwards already though, so drafting
Gooden wouldn’t make too much sense. Should turn out to be
a solid all around player. Deciding factor not take him
besides that was the depth at power forward in this years
draft.
Jason Williams 6’2
PG Duke: Probably the best player in the draft but another
one who doesn’t make sense with the Rockets. Steve Francis
squashed the idea of the Rockets getting another guard with
their pick, and the franchise is going to keep him happy.
So, he has the potential to be great, but doesn’t fit
right with the Rockets.
Mike Dunleavy 6'10 F
Duke: Was a long shot in my mind because of the question of
whether he is entering or not, and if he really wants to
play for the Rockets. Would also be a good fit, but is not
tough enough inside for my liking.
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VIII. Who the team will probably take
I’d say with the Rockets 2 picks, they’ll fill a spot
with one pick and pick the best player with the other. I’d
say Yao Ming will probably get taken with the first pick,
but no one can really say for sure. The Rockets have two big
gaps, Center and Small Forward, and will likely address
them. A likely scenario though is a trade of their draft
picks for a proven star. You never know with the NBA GM’s
though. Expect the Rockets to not get a point guard and to
bulk up down low.
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