COLUMN: Houston brandishes the Rockets, its only winning team
This team is frightening to a life-long Houston sports fan like me. I don't know how to root for a dominating front-runner.
"What about the Oilers?" you might ask. Their pre-season expectations were just as high as the Rockets'. But, as we all know, the Oilers never deliver on their expectations.
So far, the Rockets have made good on every hope I may have had.
They have a lot of pressure on them now: their strong finish last year led many writers to pick the Rockets as the favorites to win the tough Western Conference this year.
Seattle will have something to say about that prediction, but I am sure that's the way the Rockets would want it.
The Rockets need to beat Seattle in the playoffs to avenge a frustrating defeat to Seattle in the seventh game of the conference semi-finals last year.
There is little missing in the '93-'94 Rockets. Their strength is their front line: Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and second-year player Robert Horry. Vernon "Mad" Maxwell is also a bright spot.
Not only has Olajuwon picked up the pace from his best season a year ago, he is already making a strong bid to be the first Most Valuable Player in the post-Jordan era.
Thorpe is producing consistently, an improvement over his injury-slowed season a year ago.
Horry is slowly growing into a phenomenal overall player. He is looking for his shot more and making more passes.
In a couple of years, Horry may join the ranks of Scottie Pippen, one of the best small forwards in the league.
Maxwell is finally playing under control, consistently scoring 18 to 20 points a game and creating points for his teammates with more assists.
The Rockets have done little wrong so far.
Before Tuesday's game against Philadelphia, backup guard Scottie Brooks was leading the league in field goal percentage, making 68 percent of his shots.
On Tuesday, the Rockets trailed by 11 in the fourth quarter; but as the quarter began, a bucket by Olajuwon, a three-pointer by Matt Bullard and a lay-up off of a steal by Brooks pulled the Rockets within four points. This just shows how our boys are playing.
When the defense is on, it seems nearly impossible for another team to score on the Rockets.
Also, the Rockets are unique to Houston sports these days because -- besides having a winning record -- they are fun to watch.
The Rockets consistently out-dunk their competition. Players like Horry, Thorpe and Mario Elie may punch the ball on someone in any given game.
If you like defense, Olajuwon's blocked shots create visible fear in opposing teams. In one play of last year's playoffs, Olajuwon blocked two Los Angeles Clippers in a row. A third player, shakin' in his high-tops at this point, dropped the ball out of bounds while hesitating to take it to The Man again.
The Rockets frequently ran two-for-one specials on $12 seats last year, and I believe they have similar specials this year.
So, if you need a break from homework, I strongly recommend going out to the Summit to enjoy a strange spectacle: a Houston team that is winning.
This item appeared in the Sports section of the November 19, 1993 issue.
Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights
Reserved.
This document may be distributed
electronically, provided that it is distributed in its
entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted
without the express written permission of:
The Rice Thresher, Rice University, 6100 Main, Houston, TX 77005-1892, USA.
The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@listserv.rice.edu