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Wednesday May 9, 2007 3:07 PM


One Last Look


Rockets return to playoffs, complete best season in a decade


Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- The Rockets spent much of the 2006-07 season trying to claw their way back into the elite of the Western Conference.

Despite seeing their dreams of making a deep postseason run fade in the first round, the Rockets certainly managed to put themselves back into that conversation.

The franchise not only went on a run to reach the playoffs for the third time in four years, but finished with a 52-win season that was good enough for the club's best record in a decade. They even earned home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Utah Jazz in a seven-game series.

The Rockets were, unsurprisingly, carried by their stars. Yao Ming emerged as the league's most dominating big man in an injury-shortened season and Tracy McGrady had perhaps the most well-rounded season of his career by averaging 24.6 points and a career-high 6.5 assists. But new names surfaced as well. Shane Battier, acquired in a trade on draft night, arrived into town to give the Rockets a defensive stopper and Chuck Hayes and Luther Head both had breakout seasons.

With the core expected to be back next season, the Rockets will likely be expected to compete with the West's elite in 2007-08.

Record: 52-30, fourth best record in Western Conference, third in Southwest Division.

Defining Moment: Sure, the first round exit is fresh on everyone's mind.

But the defining moment?

The team thrust itself among the top teams in the West by overcoming Yao Ming's absence over a two-month period.

After the center fractured a bone below his right knee on Dec. 23, the Rockets didn't come unglued. They managed a 22-10 record in almost two months without the star center. Tracy McGrady put up MVP-type numbers without Yao, while Dikembe Mutombo and Juwan Howard were especially productive over that stretch.

The Rockets gave themselves a chance for postseason success by surviving without one of their stars.

Best Game: The opening night win over Dallas? Road wins in San Antonio? Or, of course, Yao's big game against Shaq and the Heat? They're all close, but the Rockets' best performance arrived in their regular season home finale against the Phoenix Suns. No other game in the regular season had more riding on it. The Rockets pulled off an impressive 120-117 victory to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and picked up a much-need win against one of the NBA's best teams. Phoenix had Houston's number prior to that setback, winning six straight over the Rockets.

Worst Game: No regular season setback was as frustrating as the Rockets' home loss to the Boston Celtics. The Celts, which finished with the league's second worst record, grinded out a 77-72 win over the Rockets at Toyota Center. Houston shot just 32.1 percent with both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady out of the lineup.

What went right: The Rockets generated excitement back into the team after missing the playoffs in 2005-06. The franchise had a team-record 25 sellouts at Toyota Center and boosted the atmosphere at home with the implementation of the Red Rowdies. The rest of the good news? Tracy McGrady played 72 games following a season in which he was plagued by back problems and Yao Ming took a significant step towards becoming the league's most dominating center before his injury, earning MVP talk for the first time in his career. The team was also regarded as one of the league's best defensive teams for much of the season, holding opponents to a league-low 42.9 percent shooting.

What went wrong: The Rockets might have made a more significant push up the Western Conference standings if Yao Ming hadn't missed almost two months, but they still had home-court advantage in the first round. Bonzi Wells, a free agent addition prior to training camp, didn't transform into the third scoring option that the Rockets were seeking for a postseason run. The Rockets were lacking a consistent third scoring option in the playoffs since the lineup was filled with streaky spot shooters.

Biggest Surprise: Going from the NBA's Developmental League to NBA starter in less than a year, Chuck Hayes emerged as a dependable low-block defender and rebounder. He finished the season as the team's leading rebounder since Yao Ming was out, exceeding expectations placed on him heading into the season.

Early Lineup Outlook: The Rockets could undergo some shuffling over the summer, but the core isn't likely to change. Houston is still going to be led by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. The team has three free agents heading into the offseason, including reserve Dikembe Mutombo and power forward Chuck Hayes. Mutombo, the league's second oldest player, might retire.

Biggest Need: The Rockets could use another player with the ability to create off the dribble. Tracy McGrady shouldered much of that burden over the course of the season and playoffs.