2008 Houston Rockets Predictions & Preview
There is a lot of excitement around the Houston Rockets basketball team now with the addition of Ron Artest to a lineup that already included two superstars in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Still, plenty of pundits are wondering if he will be enough since this team and McGrady have had so many troubles just getting past the first round of the playoffs. McGrady hasn’t won a playoff series in his career, now at 0-7 and the Rockets haven’t won a playoff series in 12 years. Houston is a 2-to-1 favorite to win the Southwest Division.
With our NBA predictions we see this team getting over the hump this year, but only if the trio can stay healthy. That is a big if when looking at the history of health issues surrounding each one of them. The Rockets are at 6-to-1 to win the Western Conference.
Artest comes over from the Sacramento Kings after putting up 20.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. He does more than that though with his all-out hustle and tough defense. Even though Artest has had problems in the past dealing with team mates and being an idiot in general, this is the final year of his deal so you’ll probably see him on his best behavior. The Houston Rockets are at 10-to-1 to win the NBA Finals.
Yao is one of the best in the NBA when he’s at full strength. He hasn’t been able to go more than 57 games in any season of his career and is coming off a foot injury. Still he was good for 22 points and almost 11 rebounds per game over the time he did serve. He can shoot the ball well and is one of the best centers in the game. The over/under for wins by the Houston Rockets has been set at 53.5.
Luis Scola really developed last season. The second-year player from Argentina is coming off a year in which he put up 10.3 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game. If he’s not ready for a bigger role then the Rockets also have Shane Battier to use as well.
McGrady is always a threat to lead the league in scoring, but last year his numbers dipped to only 21.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. He can still shoot well, drive past defenders, and get plenty of steals. He will have to love seeing a more open floor with Artest being an additional scoring threat.
Rafer Alston will handle the point guard duties and has the ability to knock down plenty of three-pointers if open.
Houston has some nice depth on the bench too, adding Brent Barry to knock down shots from the outside and Luther Head can help provide instant offense as well. Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry will eat up some minutes for the frontcourt as well with Battier possibly starting games or providing defensive help.
Final Analysis
If Artest, McGrady, and Yao are healthy then there is no reason to think that the Rockets don’t deserve to be mentioned with the rest of the West’s elite. With all of the talk being on how the city of Houston hopes that the Rockets can get past the first round, this team has bigger dreams like winning an NBA title. They have a great chance to do just that.
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