Out with the new, in with the old... huh?!

The Houston front office has been unusually busy these last few weeks, as the team continues to look for a playing squad that can remain consistent.

It has been an eventful first half of the season for the Rockets. It appeared early in the season that the Rockets had a new face to front their franchise in the form of Tim hardaway. The rookie guard looked in good shape in pre-season and was almost untouchable as a trade asset... almost!

One of the few players in this league that one would consider moving a potential future all-star is Michael Jordan. When New Jersey revealed that Jesus was a being touted it made for some interesting decision making. Should we stick with our plan and rebuild via youth through the draft and free agency, or is the temptation of a ready made star too much?! The latter won out!

MJ is not the only big move this season. ..

The acquisition of Clark Kellogg from Cleveland, in a move that saw sophomore floor general Muggsy Bogues move in the opposite direction, added a much needed new dimension to the Rockets roster. Kellogg brings defensive intensity, rebounding and, in particular, inside scoring to a team that far too often relied on former dunk champion Zack Profit.

Kellogg has not disapointed in his first season in Houston averaging 14 and 7 while shooting over 50%.

Another relative youngster to leave Houston was Olden polynice. Olden struggled to make an impact for the Rockets and even when given starting duties the 6'11 forward never produced the kind of numbers his ratings suggested. Veteran Herb Williams would replace Polynice and provide a shot blocking presence that has been severely lacking over recent years.

One youngster who looks to be part of the furniture in Houston is Gary Grant. After an amazing rookie campaign where he averaged 13.3 points and 9 assists it was unsure whether he could improve upon or even repeat his recent form... The answer is a resounding YES! Mid-way through the season grant is averaging 16.1 ppg and 9.5 apg and has reduced his turnovers as well. After a strong training camp it is hoped Gary can be the long term answer at PG ever since the legendary Barton O'Connell sold his soul to the devil all those years ago.

Finally we come to the big men. Roy Tarpley continues to disapoint and after a mediocre training camp it is debatable whether he will play another year with the team. At 26 he has yet to fulfill his projected potential and the club is actively seeking a younger replacement.

Finally, Xavier Stockton. 7'4 with an outside touch... the desperate struggle to find a way to incorporate him continues. The latest venture is to give the big fella some time at SF where he is still a reasonable defender and hopefully a matchup problem for opposing swingmen, lets wait and see.

Overall, 80 days have gone and the Houston Rockets stand 2nd in the mid-west and 6th in the conference. The team still has a lot of fine tuning to do but the management is content that they are moving in the right direction and are willing to give things time...

Prediction... MJ lead Houston to it's first 2nd round appearance for quite some time this season... and not much further!

Thanks for reading

~RocketsGM

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