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Tuesday May 8, 2007 3:19 PM


Rockets' playoff exit concludes season


Houston seeking extra help to build off the latest trip to the postseason


Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- The Rockets played their way back into the playoffs for the third time in four seasons and posted the franchise's best record since the 1996-97 season.

Unfortunately, they couldn't build off that momentum in the playoffs.

The Rockets were unable to advance beyond the first round of the Western Conference playoffs for the first time in a decade, bowing out in a tight seven-game series to the Utah Jazz.

The aftermath of that exit has left the Rockets pondering what they can do next season to make a deeper run.

"I have faith for what's to come," Rockets star Tracy McGrady said. "We're going to be back. We made a hell of a comeback from what we accomplished last year to this year. We put together a 52-win season after not making the playoffs last year and we took a great team to seven games. It didn't work out and we got to move on and look forward to next year."

The Rockets did indeed finish the regular season with the league's sixth best record at 52-30 and even gained home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

But in the end, all of that wasn't enough to get past the Jazz.

Despite having Yao Ming's post presence and McGrady, the Rockets struggled to generate enough offense against Utah, shooting just 41 percent in the series and averaging 87.3 points. But ultimately, the Rockets couldn't count on their defense and rebounding to advance. During their Game 7 setback, Utah shot 51.3 percent from the field and had seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter.

The result at least left McGrady thinking that the team needs more help heading into next season.

"We've got to add a couple pieces to our team," McGrady said. "We need athleticism at the (power forward) position. We need more size on the perimeter. We need a backup point guard. (Point guard) Rafer (Alston) played 45 minutes (per game) in the playoffs, and that's too many minutes on a point guard. I think we need another guy that can create when I'm out of the game. So there's a couple things we have to address this offseason, and I'm sure the guys upstairs know that."

The Rockets had designs to compete for a Western Conference title heading into the season after several offseason moves.

During the 2006 NBA Draft, the Rockets acquired Shane Battier, one of the league's top defenders and a solid three-point shooter, from the Memphis Grizzlies for Stromile Swift and their draft pick, Rudy Gay. Houston later added Bonzi Wells prior to training camp in hopes that the swingman would develop into the team's third scoring option.

While the Wells deal didn't pan out, the Rockets rolled to a 52-win season. Yao developed into the league's top big man and McGrady had arguably his best all-around season, averaging 24.6 points and a career-best 6.5 assists. The team even withstood a two-month absence without Yao after the center fractured a bone below his right knee. The Rockets were 22-10 in almost two months without him.

The result: the Rockets bounced back from a losing season in 2005-06 and finished a win shy of winning their first playoff series since 1997. Despite coming up short in the playoffs, the Rockets believe there is plenty to build off of heading into next season.

"I like our guys," Battier said. "I can honestly say that we're not that far from really being there. We may be a player or two away and you never know how guys are going to improve in the offseason. We have a very good thing. It would be a shame to take away too much. We can't overreact to a series loss. We lost in the final seconds to a very good basketball team. We can't overreact and dismantle a team."

The Rockets have only three free agents heading into the summer, including power forward Chuck Hayes and reserve center Dikembe Mutombo.

Hayes, who spent part of the 2005-06 season in the NBA Developmental League, transformed himself into a starter this season, becoming the team's top low-post defender and igniting the team with his hustle.

Mutombo, meanwhile, is reconsidering retirement. The center, the league's second oldest player in the league behind Dallas' Kevin Willis, was disappointed with a minimized role in the second half of the season. He plans to decide over the summer if he'll return to the basketball court.

"I don't think anyone is happy with the way that we finished," Mutombo said. "We didn't put out a good enough effort to win Game 7. We all just need some time to rethink a little bit."

Since being knocked out of the playoffs, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has also been mulling over his future with the team. Van Gundy is under contract for one more season, but is weighing whether he will return for his fifth season. He has guided the Rockets to the playoffs three times in the past four years.

"I do the same thing every year," Van Gundy said. "I always reflect. I sit back and I think about what's right for the team and what's right for myself. I always do that whether people are asking me about it or not. This is no different."

The Rockets will begin getting a more clear picture over the coming weeks about who'll be returning to the team. Despite the disappointing finish to the season, the Rockets are confident they have something to build off of heading into 2007-08.

"We're close," McGrady said. "As long as we can keep our core group together and just add to what we have, I'm real excited about our chances in the future."