NBA JAM: HOUSTON ROCKETS

In our continuing rundown on the NBA season, Neil Acharya looks at the Southwest Division, beginning with the Houston Rockets.

Last season: 34-48, tied for 12th in Western Conference
Coach: Jeff Van Gundy
New face: Shane Battier
Funny-looking white guy: Can we count Battier here, since he went to Duke? No? Well, then Vasilis Spanoulis is it
Blogs: Rockets Blast, H-Town Sports

Fittingly, Space City's basketball team boasts Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston, two of the biggest space cadets the NBA currently has on any roster.

It is still a mystery if McGrady knows the last time he made it past the first round of the post-season was as a member of the Toronto Raptors, a team he left high and dry for greener pastures. Those greener pastures certainly haven't been found in the swamps of Florida or the oil fields of Houston.

The Rockets made a few smart moves. Firstly, they added Shane Battier, who is coming off probably his best all-around season since his rookie year in Memphis, although Houston will be better off if they can play him at small forward, not the more physically demanding power spot. Bonzi Wells was playing admirably in Sacramento before an injury shelved him for nearly half of '05-06. Although Bonzi backs up T-Mac, he provides the Rockets with a capable shooting guard and a stable presence in the backcourt which is essential with the volatile nature of T-Mac and Rafer at point guard.

Like Wells and McGrady, 6-foot-6 two-guard Kirk Snyder, a former first-rounder added in an off-season trade with New Orleans-Oklahoma City, comes to H-Town with what's inevitably described as a lot of baggage. He's athletic, but when a team is willing to trade a guy within its division, it's often a sure sign that they're willing to let him become someone else's problem for a while.

Where the Rockets really lack depth is in the post. Yao Ming will put up numbers, but his backup is aging Dikembe Mutombo.

Power forward Juwan Howard, who’s not that young himself, has a young guy playing behind him in Chuck Hayes. At small forward, it's Battier or bust.

Bottom line: So long as McGrady is the main man on the Rockets, it’s a gamble to predict good things for Houston. McGrady has skills that few can match, but no one knows when he will show up. With powerhouses Dallas and San Antonio in the same division and a solid Memphis club followed by Chris Paul's Hornets, we can bet on the Rockets being a tough out on most nights.

Regardless, by spring, McGrady will be trying to remember where he was the last time he played in the second round of the playoffs.

Also in Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans-Oklahoma City Hornets, San Antonio Spurs
Previously:
Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards