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The good news from last season:
Rick Adelman’s presence as coach proved to be a positive one, as the Rockets won 55 games, the most in a dozen years, including a 22-game win streak from the end of January through mid-March. The team, which earned the fifth-seed in the Western Conference, played very well in light of the injuries that swept through the team. Even though Adleman’s presence was supposed to result in a more proficient offense, defense remained Houston’s calling card as they finished second in field goal defense and fourth in points allowed. The Rockets also worked the glass very well, finishing second in the league in rebounding differential. When healthy, Yao Ming was a dominant player, carding 33 double-doubles in the 55 games he appeared in.

The bad news from last season:
Those 27 games Yao Ming missed came at the end of the season, prematurely derailing the Rockets’ hope for a postseason run. Utah knocked out the Rockets in the first round for the second consecutive season. Tracy McGrady ended up missing 16 games and had to get surgery after the season. McGrady also shot a miserable 29.2 percent from deep.

The revolving door:
IN: F Ron Artest, G Brent Barry, F Joey Dorsey
OUT: F Steve Novak

Team overview:
As seems to be the standard for Houston, health is more important than just about anything else as they enter the season. Yao Ming is expected to be back and ready to go, Tracy McGrady is still working his way back through rehab, but also announced his shoulder is arthritic and will need surgery after the season, Shane Battier has a foot problem and may not be ready for the start of the season, and the recently-acquired Ron Artest, who has only played 70 games once in the last four seasons, is always an injury risk. If the team is healthy, though, they are one of the most talented groups in the league.

The Chinese big man is the focal point of the team. Should he be able to stay healthy (he has missed at least 25 games in each of the last three seasons), he may be able to average 25 points and 10 rebounds per game. Four forwards will get the bulk of the time flanking him, as well as fill in when Yao needs a breather. Luis Scola and Carl Landry look to handle the four while Ron Artest, and Shane Battier figure to take care of the three. Scola, the internationally-seasoned rookie, turned up his game late in the year, averaging 13.6 points and 8.9 assists in March and April, then bumped those averages to 14.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in the team’s six playoff games.. Landry, the traditional rookie, forced his way into the rotation by hanging 15 points and 11 rebounds on Minnesota in January, the cracked double digits in scoring on 14 more occasions. Artest and will likely start at the three and be backed up by Battier. Both figure to see some time at the two, as well as the occasional cameo at the four when the team goes small. Artest brings his physical brand of defense and potential for scoring 20 points, as he did 35 times last year, to the squad. Battier should blend seamlessly into a bench role when healthy, playing excellent team defense and hitting corner threes. Chuck Hayes, who started 44 games as an undersized power forward, looks to be squeezed out of the rotation. Rookie Joey Dorsey will try to wedge his way into the rotation as a defender and rebounder.

Tracy McGrady could have his usual bouts with injury this year, coming off leg surgery and acknowledging his shoulder problem. McGrady would be well-served to have his minutes lowered to around 30 per game and be encouraged to focus a little more on setting up his talented teammates to spare his aching joints. The team does not need him to carry quite as much of the load, so it would be a good plan to look at long-term goals. Rafer Alston is back at point guard and, with a shift in mentality toward setting up his teammates and making the fundamental play, could average eight assists and could get his assist-to-turnover ratio back up to 3-to-1, a level he hasn’t seen since playing in Toronto four years ago. Brent Barry, Luther Head, and Aaron Brooks will likely split the backup minutes with Head and Brooks getting the minutes at the point and Head and Barry splitting the deep shooting duties.

Fantasy note:
While neither player is fit for drafting in your fantasy league (unless it is a very deep league), should one of the Luis Scola/Carl Landry combo platter get injured, the other half is worth picking up as a fourth forward. Scola averaged 16.7 points and 10.4 rebounds and Landry hung 19.2 points and 11.6 boards per 40 minutes. With the addition of Artest to the roster, the points do not figure to stay so high, but they should stay close. Scola also has significant value if Yao gets hurt. His hot play coincided with the center’s season-ending injury.

Best case scenario:
The team is talented and deep enough to win the NBA championship. Three players who can easily go for 20 points on a given night, several role players, and a coach who has won 807 games and boasts a .500 record in the playoffs (honestly a difficult feat to accomplish) could be enough to get them there. The talent across the board suggests 60 wins as a distinct possibility.

Worst case scenario:
Injuries strike or the team combusts with the addition of Artest. It would take a significant number of injuries to knock the team out of the playoff picture, as evidenced how they played last year without their top two stars. Even at their worst, 47 wins should be manageable. However, that might not be enough to get them into the postseason.