Houston Rockets 2004 Draft Preview

06.14.2004

(Basketball News) - The Rockets have a pair of All-Stars in point guard Steve Francis and center Yao Ming. Houston also has Cuttino Mobley, who is a quality shooting guard and teams with Francis to give the Rockets an explosive backcourt duo. Kelvin Cato is also a decent power forward as he plays solid defense and can rebound.

Yao led the Rockets in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg) during the regular season, while Francis averaged 16.6 points and a team-high assists per game.

The Rockets did make the postseason for the first time since 1999, but were eliminated in five games in the opening round by the eventual Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers.

With Yao, Francis and Mobley, Houston has a solid threesome that can score. However, in order to compete in the highly competitive West the Rockets need to get better. With just one selection, which comes in round two (55th overall), Houston is going to have a tough time improving its chances in the conference through the draft.

Key Player(s): Kelvin Cato (forward), Steve Francis (point guard), Jim Jackson (guard) Cuttino Mobley (shooting guard), Maurice Taylor (forward), Yao Ming (center).

Team Needs: More rebounding, depth and a scoring forward.

Draft picks: 2nd round (55th overall)

HOU

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