Rockets News

Yao proud of practice battle scars
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October 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"After Monday’s practice, Yao Ming showed off a wide, 6-inch red scrape on his left biceps. “ Joey Dorsey needs to cut his nails, maybe his tooth,” Yao said, shaking his head and smiling. The loquacious rookie Dorsey claimed he was not the culprit. “I think it might have been Chuck Hayes,” Dorsey said. “I’ll take the blame, but I ain’t got no nails. “I blocked (Yao’s) shot a couple of times today. He dunked on Mike Harris. I ain’t got dunked on yet, so I’m good. ” When told of Dorsey’s crowing, Yao grinned broadly. “That’s OK, it’s practice,” he said. “When the season starts, he won’t be playing.” Getting after it The exhibiton schedule gets the Rockets quite busy right away. They’ll play ..."
Rockets ready for a test drive
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October 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"Day after day, practice after practice, scrimmage after scrimmage, highlight-reel dunk after hard-nosed stop, the rave reviews of training camp keep rolling in for the reconstituted Rockets. From each other. Now it’s time to find out if they can dazzle others as much as they’ve impressed themselves with the unveiling of the new product in their exhibition opener against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at Toyota Center. “For the most part, you get sick of beating each other up,” Tracy McGrady said. “You want to get out and execute against other defenses, find out just how good you think you can be.” McGrady will have to continue wondering, because he’ll sit out the game as he continues to ..."
Artest set to play wherever needed for Rockets
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October 6
Houston Chronicle
 
"The drill started as a mundane training camp exercise: one-on-one, man-to-man, full court. Ron Artest picked up Brent Barry, or it might have been Mike Harris. No one seems to remember the details, which were lost in the blur of similar drills, but it was what Artest did next that stood out. Artest took his turn defensively, then saw Aaron Brooks waiting on the other end. With the Rockets carrying an odd number of guards, there was no one to match up with one off the smallest, swiftest blurs in the league, so Artest took off in a sprint to the other end of the floor to put his nearly 270 pounds in front of Brooks. With Artest showing his willingness and some ability to defend even Brooks, ..."
Alston here to stay, like him or not
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October 6
Houston Chronicle
 columnist Steve Campbell
"Face it: Rafer Alston isn’t merely the Rockets’ starting point guard again this season. He’s here to stay. Don’t be fooled just because Alston’s contract with the Rockets runs only through the 2009-10 season. When there is famine and pestilence, when locusts cut a swath across the land, Alston will still be wearing his No. 12 jersey. When the meek have inherited the Earth, they will watch with raised eyebrows as Alston does the Skip To My Lou up the court. When cockroaches have emerged as the planet’s master species, Alston will still be hoisting up 3-point shots with the same old corkscrew motion. Roaches no doubt will have learned to scream in horror by then. “I can take these things ..."
Dorsey puts on show for fans
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October 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"For most of the Rockets’ annual public scrimmage, rookie Joey Dorsey was the star attraction. But second-year forward Luis Scola, moving far from his usual strengths, stole the show. Others had their moments. Brent Barry knocked down 3s and slipped in a slick reverse. Aaron Brooks led breaks and also hit from downtown. Carl Landry had a healthy collection of dunks, including one on which he drove the lane and finished with a lefthanded jam while blowing a bubble. Dorsey, however, had so many violent dunks, many on lobs far from the rim or off the backboard, that after the scrimmage his wrists were sore and swollen. “It was cool dunking every time,” Dorsey said. “That’s what I do. “They say ..."
Putting the pieces together
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October 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"For years, teams have been able to force the Rockets to shift to a small lineup to keep up with speed. Lately, Rick Adelman has worked with a rotation — seemingly designed for when Yao Ming is out — that might do that to other teams Adelman has played what looks to be a possible second-quarter mix (depending on Shane Battier’s availability) of Aaron Brooks, Tracy McGrady, Brent Barry, Ron Artest and Joey Dorsey with good results. “We’re trying to figure out what the best combinations are off the bench,” Adelman said. ”It’s going to be the hardest decision we have: how to spread the minutes around. And we don’t even have Shane out there yet. “I think that is a group that can come in and ..."
Rockets guard Barry dishes out some assistance
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October 5
Houston Chronicle
 
"The Rockets knew he could shoot, were certain he could pass, and believed he could flourish in Rick Adelman’s offense. Brent Barry has played in 13 NBA seasons, the past four in the San Antonio Spurs’ spotlight. There is not a scout alive who could miss abilities that obvious. There has, however, been something else the Rockets have either discovered or, if they knew before, likely did not consider quite as carefully as all that shooting and passing stuff. The man can talk, really talk. He can talk a lot and have a lot to say when he does. After five days of training camp, the Rockets have come to appreciate Barry’s dead-ball gift of gab as much as that quick release from 3-point range, as ..."
Rockets Notes: Yao goes with flow at camp
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October 4
Houston Chronicle
 
"Rockets center Yao Ming returned to practice Friday, saying he felt none of the soreness he had after the first two days of practices and seeming to embrace this season’s plan to have him take more breaks than in the past. “My goal is to play 82 games and then the playoffs,” Yao said. “I need myself fresh in March and April, and hopefully more, May and June. “It (cutting back on his workload) is a new experience for me. Before, I didn’t need to think about it. I just worked harder and worked hard, got more experience, got more skills and training and used them in the game. Right now, I need more balance. Should I go now or should I stop?” Yao said he has had no soreness in the right foot, ..."
Rockets Camp Report: Artest, Hayes get physical
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