Rank the Rockets' scoring options

[Dash]

Houston is in a very peculiar position heading into the season. Yao Ming has been out of the lineup for the past year and there are many things uncertain with him, Kevin Martin was recently acquired and still was adjusting to the team when the season ended, Aaron Brooks was Houston's leading scorer for most of the season, Luis Scola was our go-to-guy in the post and recently dominated in FIBA, and our primary option (Trevor Ariza) for half the season was just traded. So my question is how would you rank Houston's scoring options?

 

My rankings:

 

The focal points

 

1) Kevin Martin - one of the most efficient players in the league, despite being traded to a new team Martin thrived in Houston as opposed to Sacramento and led the team in points per game. The Princeton Offense is made to make things easier for shooters like Martin but with the only post up threat being Luis Scola, we were never able to see how he would fare with a legitimate frontcourt. Yao will be the focal point of the entire offense as he draws so much attention to himself but Martin will be the top scorer on the team.

2) Yao Ming - as I just stated above, Yao's main job will be to draw as much attention to himself as possible, which will lead to more opportunities for his teammates. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that Yao is still the most skilled center in the post. He'll get plenty of touches in the 25-30 minutes he's on the floor.

3) Aaron Brooks - like Martin, Brooks can certainly stroke it but he lacks the ability to drive in and force contact and with Yao back he won't be able to play freely as he did this past season. However, the moment Yao is on the bench its the Brooks/Martin show. Despite the fact that I'm listing him as the third option, expect him to get more shots than Martin when the game is on the line as he's proven to be more effective than Kevin in crunch time. Interesting situation here, it may not make a whole lot of sense but this is the way I see it. The closest comparison I can make is probably Chauncey Billups.

 

Supporting cast

 

4) Luis Scola - very talented down low but unfortunately for Luis, he will have a reduced role with all the talented scorers on the team. Scola's main role will likely be to play off Yao much like he did back in 2008, and to get Houston buckets in the post when Yao is on the bench.

5) Chase Budinger - with the Ariza trade Chase will see a bigger role this season. Bud is excellent off screens and picks much like Martin. Another sharp shooter on the Rockets, expect a strong season from him.

[Guest Michael Jordan]

1.Kevin Martin-he will be excellent in the system with training camp under his belt.

2.Yao Ming-one of the best low post scorers in the NBA when healthy.

3.Aaron Brooks-great at creating his own shot, and a dead eye 3 point shooter.

4.Luis Scola-sneaky scorer with good instincts off the rebound to equal his good offensive game.

5.Kyle Lowry-super quick and he is a great mid range shooter. The Rockets were lucky to retain him.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Michael Jordan

[Dash]

Interesting that you mention Lowry. He was our sixth man last season and he got his shots but they were mostly from attacking the basket and getting to the line. Lowry was never much of a shooter but his 'attack, attack' mindset did make up for that. However, I like Bud more as our 5th as I already mentioned he's a sharp-shooter and knows how to get himself open.