By Brian McKitish, TalentedMrRoto.com
October 6, 2006 - 10:02 a.m.

2005-06 OVERVIEW

In his first season with the Rockets, Tracy McGrady led the Rockets to a 51-31 record that ended in a hard-fought seven-game playoff series versus the Dallas Mavericks. Last year, however, was a completely different story. T-Mac struggled for much of the season with a bad back, missing 35 games. To make matters worse, Yao Ming also missed considerable time with a broken foot, 25 games to be exact. With their two stars in and out of the lineup, the Rockets struggled to get any consistency from their backups and slumped to a 34-48 record.

Shane Battier brings his underrated play and tenacious defense to H-Town. (Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images)

On the bright side, both T-Mac and Yao were dominant when on the court. McGrady did put up his worst numbers in years, but his 24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.6 threes could hardly be considered a disappointment. Yao, on the other hand, was the best pure center in the league…by a large margin. After the All-Star break, Yao put up a ridiculous 25.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game to go along with great percentages. His emergence, despite the foot injury, was one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season.

The good news for the Rockets is that both T-Mac and Yao are both back and reportedly healthy. Houston went 27-20 in games that McGrady played in last season, so Rockets fans will have plenty to be excited about if T-Mac can stay healthy this time around. In an effort to get back to the playoffs, the Rockets went out and acquired the underrated Shane Battier and nabbed the talented Bonzi Wells off the free agent market.

ADDITIONS:
Shane Battier, F
Bonzi Wells, G/F
Kirk Snyder, G
John Lucas III, G
Steve Novak, F
Casey Jacobsen, G/F
Vassilis Spanoulis, G

LOSSES:
Stromile Swift, PF/C
Keith Bogans, SG
David Wesley, SG

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
C – Yao Ming
PF – Juwan Howard
SF – Shane Battier
SG – Tracy McGrady
PG – Rafer Alston

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2006

The Rockets, under Jeff Van Gundy, have always been a defensive oriented team. The addition of Shane Battier – who plays a fundamental game along with tenacious defense – fits right in with their style of play. Battier will see big time minutes at both the three and the four as the Rockets best defender. Bonzi Wells will likely come of the bench at first and has the potential to start at shooting guard if Battier is needed in the post.

Rafer Alston will once again man the point and brings an impressive array of stats for fantasy owners. He developed a good relationship with both McGrady and Ming last season, which can only be good for his assist totals. In fact, as the season progressed, and Alston became more comfortable in Houston, his assists skyrocketed to 7.1 per game after the All-Star break. Expect a bunch of assists, threes and steals from Rafer, and grab him at a discount price after all the big name PGs are off the board.

Of course, as long as T-Mac and Yao are around, the Rockets will always be a two-man team. That said, the additions of Bonzi and Battier give them more depth, especially given Luther Head’s impressive play as a rookie last season. Wells and Head will be the big forces off the bench, but look for both Chuck Hayes and newcomer Kirk Snyder to gain valuable minutes as well, especially if injuries should strike the Rockets again.

KEY BENCH POSITIONS / POSITION BATTLES

Bonzi Wells - After a few years stuck in Memphis’ 10-man rotations, Bonzi reestablished himself as one of the games more intriguing players last season. In Sacramento, and earning starters minutes for the first time in two years, Bonzi impressed with his ability to grab rebounds (7.7 boards per game) and create steals on the defensive end (1.8 steals per game). While he’s unlikely to grab that many boards with Yao Ming under the glass, Bonzi can be a serious sparkplug off the bench for the Rockets this season. He may even get a chance to start at some point during the year, as Van Gundy could play Battier at the four with Wells at small forward and T-Mac at shooting guard. Either way, expect to see Bonzi on the court for at least 30 minutes per night.

Power Forward - Juwan Howard surprised everyone last season, coming on to post 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Rockets. His play should give him the first crack at the starting power forward gig, but Houston has plenty of options if Howard fails to live up to expectations. As previously stated, Battier can play a little power forward and youngster Chuck Hayes proved to be a viable rebounder during stretches last season. Hayes has limited potential on the offensive end but could have some value in the rebounding department in the Rockets thin frontcourt.

PLAYERS WE LOVE

Forget about T-Mac and Yao, everyone already knows they’ll be fantasy studs if healthy. How about Rafer Alston and Shane Battier?

Alston is a dominant force in assists, steals and threes – three categories we love our point guards to excel in. Still, questions about his attitude and ability to co-exist with Jeff Van Gundy will likely keep his value low in fantasy drafts. Rafer did have a rough transition period when joining Houston last year, but his second half stats (12.8 points, 7.1 assists, 1.4 threes and 1.5 steals) suggest that he’s bought into Van Gundy’s system. The Alston/Van Gundy marriage might not be a match made in heaven, but it’s not enough reason to drop Skip on your cheat sheets. Look for him in the 7th or 8th round (terrific value that late) and get yourself a steal…literally.

Shane Battier is one of those rare players that can be a role player both in real life and in the fantasy game. He’s underrated in both. Since he doesn’t score much (just 10.1 points per game), many overlook the fact that Battier averages 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.4 blocks and 0.8 threes per game. He contributes almost everywhere and won’t hurt you anywhere. His percentages (career 45 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the line) are solid, and his ability to limit turnovers (1.1 per game) make him even more attractive to fantasy owners. Since he’s Houston’s best defender, expect to see Battier on the court for at least 35 minutes per night. Now, the well-publicized Draft Day trade along with his inclusion on Team USA this summer has raised Battier’s profile a little, but he’s almost always a bargain in fantasy drafts. Don’t reach for the former Duke standout but realize that he can do a lot for you team without scoring many points.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Juwan Howard - Howard’s comeback last season was largely fueled by the Rockets myriad of injuries. His value, however, has always been tied to his ability to score points and rebound the basketball. Even back in the day, Howard was a Zach Randolph/Carlos Boozer type (points and rebounds with little else) and with Yao and T-Mac returning to action, there’s not much need for another scorer on this squad. Pass on Howard on draft day but keep his name in mind later in the year if injuries come up and bite the Rockets again.

BOTTOM LINE

The biggest stories of the season will be the health of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. So far, everything is coming up fine in training camp as T-Mac has impressed his teammates with his explosiveness and Yao is reportedly ready to go. Both are a bit risky, but they’re well worth it. McGrady, in particular, has seen his fantasy status drop to the point where you can find him in the second or third round. Remember, he was a sure-fire first round pick just a year ago and compares favorably to Kobe Bryant when healthy. Many of the Rockets role players will have considerable fantasy value as well this season, including Rafer Alston, Shane Battier, Bonzi Wells and even Luther Head or Chuck Hayes off the bench.

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