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HOUSTON ROCKETS 2007-2008 SEASON ANALYSIS
To create a brief summary of the year the Rockets have had thus far is a very difficult proposition. So, bear with me as I do my best. The Houston Rockets shook hands with adversity (after losing 7’6” superstar center Yao Ming), kicked it to the curb, ran off an unparalleled TWENTY-TWO GAME WINNING STREAK (defeating multiple quality teams in the process), and are the fifth seed in the ultra-tough Western Conference heading into the playoffs. HOUSTON ROCKETS -- TOP 3 PLAYERS1. Tracy McGrady — 21.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1 spg, .4 bpg, 37 mpg
After watching Tmac drop a ridiculous 13 points in only 33 seconds to take down the San Antonio Spurs, I was hooked. Many fans of Tracy wonder if he is an avid poker player, because of his peculiar sleepy appearance one can never tell if he is flustered, angry, or enjoying himself. There is no doubt, however, that McGrady is one of the most multi-dimensionally talented athletes the game has ever seen; he can do it all, and not even break a sweat. The dude is COOL!
2. Yao Ming -- 22 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2 bpg, 85% (FT%), 50.7% (FG%), 37.2 mpg, height: 7’6”
Yao Ming literally towers over all of his defenders, without exception. This giant of a man is a finesse center (sorry Houston—I know you’d prefer if he used his incomparable size to break backboards). Despite his inability to power his way to the hoop down low, the “Great Wall of China” more than makes up for it with his fully equipped arsenal of moves from the block. He is also a wonderful shot blocking presence in the middle and a highly accurate freethrow shooter.
3. Rafer Alston – 13.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 35.1% (3p%), 34.1 mpg
At the beginning of the 2007-08 season, the Rockets were a team with an abundance of point guards. Alston looked to be the odd-man-out, but Houston eventually made the correct choice by handing him the keys to the team to him in late February (when they traded his competition at the position, Mike James). “Skip to My Lou”, the former streetball legend, immediately lit the fuse underneath the Rockets and they took off! They boasted a season high and franchise record 22 game winning streak partly due to Alston’s deadly 3-point shooting and error free floor game.
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