- #2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER FULL#
- #2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER SERIES#
- #2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER FREE#
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images Houston put the league on notice with a 100-92 Game 1 victory inside the Staples Center, declaring they had a puncher’s chance to advance to the West Conference Finals. Similar to their first-round opponent, no one gave the Rockets a chance to upset the top-seeded Lakers (65-17) without the help of McGrady. Despite not having homecourt advantage, the Rockets dismantled the Trail Blazers in six games, setting up a date in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers. With the loss of McGrady, Houston entered the post-season as the underdog in a first-round match against Brandon Roy and the surging Portland Trail Blazers. His season came to an abrupt end following microfracture knee surgery in February, as injuries limited McGrady to 35 games, averaging 15.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest. While Yao and Artest - who averaged 17.1 points in 69 games - became a quality one-two punch, McGrady’s on-court production took a significant decline.
#2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER FULL#
He appeared in 77 out of a possible 82 games, which stood as his first full season since 2005. A rejuvenated Yao became a candidate for league MVP honors, as the 7-foot-6 big man from China led the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points and 10.0 rebounds - while shooting 54.8% from the field, and a career-best 86.6% from the free-throw line. With the addition of Artest, the Rockets entered the season with the seventh-best odds (+1200) to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy and finished the year with a 53-29 record.
#2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER FREE#
His unpredictable temperament made the trade an enormous gamble for a close-knit locker room in Houston, but the Rocket’s deal to acquire Artest raised more questions given his pending free agency with one year left on his current contract. The Rockets acquired All-Star and defensive forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene, a future first-round draft pick, and cash considerations. While running thin on patience, second-year general manager Daryl Morey pulled off the first significant blockbuster deal of his career. Despite recording 50 or more wins in three of the previous four seasons, the clock started to tick on Houston’s All-Star pairing after back-to-back first-round exits to the Utah Jazz. An era in franchise history that began in the summer of 2004, nearly every season could be considered a missed opportunity for the T-Mac and Yao Rockets, but none greater than the 2008-09 season.īefore the start of the season, uncertainty and doubt begin to hover around the organization.
#2009 HOUSTON ROCKETS ROSTER SERIES#
In the six seasons they spent together as teammates, McGrady and Yao had expectations to deliver the Rockets their third title in franchise history, but injuries and a series of unfortunate mishaps prevented the duo from reaching their full potential. Unfortunately, this two-word phrase is also the best way to define an era of the Houston Rockets led by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. What if? It’s a simple two-word question that has the capacity to unlock several hypothetical circumstances when facing reality.
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