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Rockets at a Glance Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich Last Year: 28-54 (Stats) Key Additions: C Yao Ming, F Bostjan Nachbar Key Losses: F Walt Williams, C Kevin Willis Projected Starters PG Steve Francis SG Cuttino Mobley SF Eddie Griffin PF Kenny Thomas C Yao Ming Key Subs PG Moochie Norris SF Bostjan Nachbar PF Maurice Taylor C Kelvin Cato

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

The Rockets expected to contend for a playoff spot last season, but a rash of injuries and a rotating disaster at the small forward spot quickly put an end to those hopes. Most notably, star guard Steve Francis missed 25 games with a variety of ailments that included a series of debilitating migraine headaches.

Those headaches may have been caused by watching his teammates play defense. The Rockets were uncharacteristically lethargic at that end of the floor, and their lack of size at the forward spot in particular proved problematic. It didn't help that Maurice Taylor missed the season with an Achilles injury, Glen Rice's knees crumbled to pieces, and the bench players were all but useless.

Fortunately, their 28-54 record allowed the Rockets to win the draft lottery and tab Chinese giant Yao Ming. With Taylor back from injury, Bostjan Nachbar and second-year pro Eddie Griffin stabilizing the small forward spot and Francis' migraines diagnosed and treated, the Rockets could be the league's most improved team.

However, there are still holes. The backcourt depth is nonexistent, and the frontcourt starters are so soft that Francis may end up leading the team in rebounding. It will be up to Rudy Tomjanovich to play to his team's strengths and get Houston into playoff contention.

Steve Francis, G -- Now that the cause of the maddening headaches has been determined, the Rockets are hopeful that they can get a full season from Francis this year. He is a devastating scorer off the dribble, great at making plays at the end of the shot clock and rebounds as well as any guard in the league. He's also the first line of defense, and he'll need to keep opposing point guards out of the paint to protect Houston's soft frontcourt players.

Francis also needs to develop his passing skills and push the ball upcourt more to take advantage of his athletic skills. Given the athleticism of Francis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt, the Rockets played far too much halfcourt basketball last season. It's up to Francis to grab the defensive board and run with it this season.

Defense -- Houston's defensive effort last season was pitiful, and if it doesn't vastly improve, the team will struggle once again . The passive Rockets were the worst team in the league at forcing turnovers, and they let opponents get whatever shot they wanted.

There are two reasons the Rockets should be better this year. The first is Yao Ming. Replacing the apathetic Kelvin Cato with a 7-foot-5 shot-blocker should greatly strengthen the middle of the defense, even if he doesn't have the strength to bang with guys like Shaquille O'Neal.

Second, the Rockets won't have so much dead weight on the floor. Last year the depth situation was so desperate that scrubeenies like Terrence Morris and Oscar Torres played more than 1,000 minutes. Improved health from Francis, the return of Taylor, and the addition of Nachbar should push those guys back to the end of the bench where they belong. That will make Houston a much deeper, more solid defensive club from top to bottom.

How good is Yao Ming?

The predictions vary widely, running the gamut from Next Dominant Big Man to Next Shawn Bradley. Yao is probably most similar to a pair of slender, athletic 7-foot-4 players of recent vintage: Rik Smits and Ralph Sampson. But it's hard to say how valid the comparison is until he plays against big-time competition. In the Chinese league, he put up the kind of stats you normally see only in video games, but the level of competition was low enough that a lot of folks weren't impressed. Some soft efforts in international competition didn't win him a lot of fans, either. On the other hand, how many 7-foot-5 guys can you name who have range out to 20 feet?

The Rockets should have their answer soon enough. Although he has a daunting language barrier to overcome and a new style of play to adapt to, the extent of Yao's shooting, rebounding and shot-blocking skills should be evident very quickly. Whatever he shows this season, there's still some room for improvement. He should be able to put on some muscle to bang more effectively in the post, and it normally takes incoming players a year or two to learn NBA defense.

A Playoff Contender

Fast Facts • The Rockets' defense forced just 12.0 turnovers per game last season, easily the worst mark in the NBA. • Houston shot just 42.8 percent from the field last year, while its opponents connected on 46.4 percent -- the largest difference in the league.

Making the playoffs in the Western Conference is never an easy proposition, but if Yao Ming lives up to his billing, the Rockets have the talent to do it. The return of Taylor should give the Rockets more scoring in the frontcourt, and a bout of health from Francis will help disguise the other holes in the backcourt. If the two youngsters at small forward can hold down the fort and hit open jump shots, the Rockets should be in the fight for the last playoff spot in the West.