Team by Team: Houston Rockets

2010-2011 Finish: 13-69

What went bad

The 2010-11 season will be one Rockets fans won't ever forget as it is the season their beloved franchise earned the worst record in NLL history. That's right, worse than the 09-10 Portland Blazers, more horrible than the 07-08 Hawks. With a 13-69 record, the 10-11 Rockets set a new low, a new benchmark for mediocrity.

Reeling from a perennial hurt Yao Ming and a roster the forced them to alternate Garret Siler and Jared Jeffries at center, this horrible season kicked off with veterans Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Jerry Stackhouse getting out of town. The team's free agency haul brought in marquee names such as Matt Carroll, Brian Cardinal, Jamaal Magloire, Theo Ratliff and Josh Powell. The team was so desperate they grabbed injured swingman Marquis Daniels off the waiver wire. He never suited up.

Amongst the garbage and the ruins, rookie Wesley Johnson stood out as the shining beacon of hope for a Rockets future. Other than that, empty arenas and disappointed cheerleaders are all you got.

What went worse

See above.

Goats

- Baron Davis, G -

B-Diddy jumps from star to goat this season. He did suit for 65 games, but with that contract he should have done more.


Looking to the future

Some may think it's a miracle, others a cruel joke, but the brittle Yao Ming finally called it quits. Good riddance. That frees up some cap space for guys who actually want and can play basketball. The team enters the new season with very few pieces intact. Johnson will return as will Shawn Marion. Re-signing Rodney Stuckey is a priority. Besides, Jodie Meeks, the Rockets should allow all the other expiring contracts to walk off into the sunset. As for Baron Davis, if he doesn't get amnesty in the NBA (and a drastically reduced salary), the Rockets should 86 him as well. If it was a one-year deal, keeping him around would make sense but not with two years left on his deal.

The Rockets gambled in the draft, taking Jonas Valanciunas with the fourth pick overall. Unfortunately, he will remain in Europe for the coming season. He may be a piece of the rebuilding process but it won't be happening soon. Trey Thompkins, however, will certainly help. The team lucked out that the polished power forward fell to them at 31 and should be a key player off the bench.

The biggest news is that the team just hired GM Dare to fix this team. Excited about rebuilding, Dare has a big job ahead of him.