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Steve Francis
Rookie of the year. Period. This kid has done everything he has been asked and more. Not only did he lead the team in nearly every major statistical category, he learned the most difficult position on the floor on the fly. Simply amazing! |
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Shandon Anderson
It took him a while to find his groove and learn the system, but when he did, he was better than advertised. The team's best defender, Anderson excelled on offense even more than expected, pouring in two career nights of 35 points. |
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Walt Williams
If only the Wizard could have found his shooting touch earlier in the season... Williams was everything the Rockets expected in the final third of the season and more, shooting the lights out often. He also provided great veteran leadership. |
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Kenny Thomas
In all fairness to KT, he really wasn't expected to get as many minutes as he did. But, while he hit the rookie wall and never seemed to fully recover, he showed flashes of tremendous footwork, tenacious rebounding and intensity on the floor that makes him a diamond in the rough. Now, quit jacking up the three's. |
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Kelvin Cato
For a kid who got NO playing time in Portland, he showed flashes of greatness. The biggest question with Cato isn't talent but desire. He has all the skills but no desire to make them come to life. Barring a big change of attitude and skills in the offseason, he might have to go. |
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Cuttino Mobley
Cat was a legitimate candidate for sixth man of the year. No one seemed to be able to dominate at the close of games like him and no Rocket besides Francis could blow past his opponents. His free agent status is a problem for the Rockets who must sign him. |
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Moochie Norris
Leave it to the Rockets to find a CBA reject and make him look like the crossover king. Norris came out of nowhere (well, Cleveland I think) to steal the back up point guard spot from Bryce Drew. His quickness, nifty passing and deft shooting touch make him a keeper. |
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Bryce Drew
D for Drew. He showed flashes when starting but never seemed comfortable coming off the bench. His shooting eye and passing skills didn't really seem to improve in his second season and he doesn't have the leadership qualities Norris seems to posses at the point. He's a good kid on the wrong team. |
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Hakeem Olajuwon
I'm tempted to give the Dream an incomplete but he played enough to warrant a mediocre grade. His skills have certainly diminished and are not worth the hefty price tag, but he is a legend and a Houston icon and he deserves his last hurrah. For what he has done for the Rockets and the city, he deserves just about anything he wants. |
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Charles Barkley
A horrible injury ended his season and his career, but he spent enough time with Steve Francis to indoctrinate him into the NBA. The fitting tribute to him after the last game of the season was a perfect capper to an amazing career. He will really be missed! |
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Tony Massenburg
Tony, we hardly knew ye! Massenburg possesses the kind of skills the Rockets really need. He has size, a good shooting touch and toughness around the boards. If he can recover from the groin injury that ended his season, he could still get another shot on the roster. |
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Devin Gray
Another plucked from the CBA, Gray never really found his niche on the team. He's a great guy and a solid player, but his skills are not really suited for an up and down team like the Rockets. As usual, the Rockets scouted a good one, but just not the right fit. |
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Carlos Rogers
I'd love to give him a better grade because he is such a nice guy who has seen too much tragedy in his young life, but he has a glass, well, everything. The guy just can't shake the injury bug. He has plenty of skills and heart, but not much resiliency. If he had a healthy season, he could be a starter for anyone. |
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Pig Miller
Miller does nothing spectacular but he has really become a favorite. All he does is work hard and bust his butt on every play. If he had the skills of Cato or Cato had his desire, he would or they would... well, the combination would be unstoppable. |
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Matt Bullard
Once again, Bull did what he was supposed to do and more. He continued to shoot with amazing accuracy, but he managed to also change some of his game to suit the new style of play and be a great older team leader. Bullard is an invaluable asset to this team as a player and a leader. |
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Thomas Hamilton
F as in fat or freak or f...ok, we won't go there. Hamilton was the biggest waste of space since Bud Adams' toupee and that's being kind. He'd get a lower grade if one existed! |
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Rudy Tomjanovich
Rudy was placed in the most difficult position a coach can be - he started the season with one team and ended with another. Not only was his latter team different, it was WAY younger. He got them to believe in the system and each other and the development of Francis is proof enough that this guy is one of the finest coaches in the NBA if not the best looking guy in short shorts (see pic)! |
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The Organization
The beginning of this season proved once again that the Rockets will do whatever is necessary to give this team a chance to win. Getting Francis was risky and the Pippen trade was unavoidable, but the Rockets are already ahead of the rebuilding schedule. |
