Feb 15, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; NBA former player Dikembe Mutombo (55) blocks the shot of Tamika Catchings (24) during the 2013 NBA all star celebrity game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

This weekend’s All-Star extravaganza will showcase what Houston has to offer prospective free agents. Now that it is clear to the entire nation that the Houston Rockets are perfect suitors to any free agent big man who is still in his prime and ready to win a championship, hopefully the weather cooperates and most of the monster-truck driving hillbillies stay home with their shotguns and beer cans.

But seriously, hopefully the players will get out and enjoy some BBQ and at the same time learn that Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation. Maybe they will hop on the light rail and go to a museum or find some delicious Vietnamese Pho. Certainly, many will find plenty of what I like to call ‘boom-boom clubs’, but it would be nice if they also enjoyed some fine Indian cuisine and took in a play at the Alley Theatre.

I currently live in Los Angeles and it is safe to say that stereotypes are the first thing that come to mind when I tell someone that I am a Texan. They ask me about my horse and six-shooter. These people who have never stepped foot anywhere in Texas say: ” You don’t talk like you are from Texas “. They immediately picture a giant Saguaro cactus, tumbleweeds, distant mountains, a desert, a saloon, a cattle ranch, and a giant George Bush face. It is no wonder that prospective free agents might fall victim to the same pitfalls, until they experience the reality and rich history of the city first-hand.

There is a job-opening at power-forward/center/super-star for the Rockets and whoever takes the job has a good chance to win a ring or two and hang some new banners in the Toyota Center. In a working man’s town that provides the lion’s share of refined petroleum to the nation, and is named after a man who led the victory over Santa Ana at San Jacinto and remembered for integrating Texas into the United States, there is room for another leader. Daryl Morey has a paycheck ready for someone who is worthy of this city. Hopefully the right guy is hanging out in H-town this weekend, catches a glimpse of his future, and more importantly becomes intrigued about the prospect of bringing back the glory days for a well-deserving city.

BY: MICHAEL GUTIERREZ

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

At the All-Star break, the Rockets have managed to maintain a winning record (20-14) and playoff position (currently fifth in the West) for the majority of the season in a loaded Western Conference.

Last season, under current Minnesota head coach Rick Adelman, the Rockets got off to a rough 3-7 start before finally reaching the .500 mark 30 games in. After reaching a record of 15-15, however, they immediately fell back to a losing percentage, not seeing the milestone again until March 3 (32-32). Going into last year’s All-Star break, they sat with a record of 26-31.

However, this season, under new coach Kevin McHale and following another chaotic 3-7 start, the team blasted back into playoff contention with a seven-game winning streak in January. Not only did the Rockets reach a .500 record only 14 games in (7-7), but they’ve yet to relinquish their winning percentage since surpassing the middle mark back on January 19 against the New Orleans Hornets.

Why have the two seasons been so different, especially in a condensed year with a new coach like this one? Let’s take a look.

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• KYLE LOWRY’S PROGRESSION AS STARTING POINT GUARD: Lowry initially broke out of his backup role when former Most Improved Player award winner Aaron Brooks went down with a nasty ankle sprain against the San Antonio Spurs last season. In fact, Lowry was so impressive, the team later traded Brooks to the Phoenix Suns for point guard Goran Dragic and a first round draft pick to make way for Lowry’s emergence as a fulltime starter. He did not disappoint by any means, increasing his averages to a career-best 13.5 points, 6.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He also developed long-range ability with a career best 3-point shooting percentage of 37.6, an increase from his 27.2 mark a season before.

To start the current season, Lowry exploded out of the gate, averaging 17.8 points, 9.3 assists and 6.9 rebounds in the season’s first 12 games. While his averages have dipped slightly since, he maintains an increase from last season by 2.1 more points, .9 more assists, and 1.2 more rebounds per game. His player efficiency rating (PER) has jumped from 16.5 to a gaudy 20.3, and he boasts a 1.4 in defensive win shares (a number based on how many wins that player is worth based on defensive efficiency), tied for first on the team with Samuel Dalembert (In comparison, Brooks had a 0.3 in defensive win shares last season). For example, Dwight Howard is the season leader in defensive win shares with a 3.3.

• THE SAMUEL DALEMBERT SIGNING: Looking back to Jordan Hill being the starting center before the start of the season, it would have been incredibly hard to watch all year long. The Rockets might not even be above .500 at the moment. Since signing Dalembert not long before the season started on Christmas, however, the team leader in blocked shots is no longer at the small forward position (Shane Battier, with 71 in 59 games), as Hill was actually the best returning big man in blocked shots with 52 in 72 games, and his block percentage was a measly 3.2, though the highest on the team.

This season’s slow start was not only due to a horrific schedule full of playoff participants from last season, but also from lack of defensive help inside as Dalembert had to work his way back into things. Hill still seems to get lost defensively, as he always has, Luis Scola is 6-foot-9 and lacks athleticism, and Patrick Patterson got off to a slow start due to a knee surgery he had in the offseason.  As Dalembert got into better game shape, though, you immediately saw the benefits of having a true shot-blocking center that the Rockets have lacked since the days of Dikembe Mutombo. His communication with perimeter defenders has enabled them to be more aggressive, as their mistakes can be fixed by Dalembert’s ability to protect the paint.

He currently is ranked eighth in the league in blocked shots per game (1.91), and seventh in the league in total blocked shots with 65. He also leads the team with a block percentage of 6.1, almost double what Hill put up last year. He’s also contributing this in only 23.2 minutes per game, and it can be argued he should be in the talks for team MVP.

• NEW HEAD COACH: Former Celtics icon Kevin McHale was hired last summer to replace Rick Adelman, who parted ways with the Rockets after developing the team’s best winning percentage as a head coach the last four years. With his staff that included former Rio Grande Valley Vipers head coach Chris Finch – assumedly coach in waiting – and Kelvin Sampson, McHale was forced to gain familiarity with his players and establish his systems early in actual games, opposed to preseason contests since there were only two this year.

For example, the tough situation was summarized when he was asked about current Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, whom the Rockets cut in camp this year.

“He’s a wonderful kid, but in our situation we had three point guards under contract and an eight-day training camp and we were trying to figure out who the hell we were going to play on the 26th of December,” McHale said.

After tinkering with the lineup to start the season, McHale’s best move to date was promoting rookie second round draft choice Chandler Parsons to the starting small forward position. A bold move that has definitely paid off, as Parsons has the team’s third highest DWS (defensive win shares) at 1.1, only behind Lowry and Dalembert (both at 1.4). Parsons’ defense has been admirable considering he’s filling in for defensive stalwart Shane Battier, who’s now playing aside LeBron James and Dwanye Wade in Miami.

Another strength McHale has shown is his willingness to go with the hot hand. For example, on Feb. 8 against the Portland Trailblazers, the Rockets’ bench played so well, veteran starting scoring guard Kevin Martin only logged 15 minutes the whole game. Reserves Chase Budinger (with 29 minutes) and Courtney Lee (31) led the way in scoring to hold off the Blazers 103-96.

McHale had this to say after the game:  “They deserved to be out there because they played well. It’s just one of those things where if they’re rollin’, we’re going to let them go.”

Considering he took over a Rockets team with little room to establish his ways, and in a tough Western conference to boot, McHale’s 20-14 record cannot be ignored. Especially when there’s not one signature name on the roster.

• INJURIES: For once, injuries, specifically a lack thereof, have worked in the Rockets’ favor this season. Last season, Houston first lost Yao Ming to a stress fracture in his foot after only five games, which eventually led to his retirement. Aaron Brooks, Chuck Hayes, Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Kevin Martin all suffered ankle sprains. Other players injured pre-All-Star break included Brad Miller (sore knee) and Kyle Lowry (back spasms).

This season, however, the Rockets have managed to stay healthy where it counts. Martin has sat out with plantar fasciitis (missing two games) and Hill is currently out with a sprained right knee, but neither has really impacted the team negatively. Giving Hill a few DNPs and Courtney Lee a few starts isn’t going to hurt this team too much.

Where the Rockets have benefitted most is meeting teams at opportune times, or when they’ve faced injuries of their own. For instance, in their only win in four tries against the Timberwolves, Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson and Martell Webster were on the sidelines due to an assortment of ailments. In their next meeting, Beasley went on to torch the Rockets with 34 points. Another crucial name is Zach Randolph. Not only can nobody on the Rockets guard the guy, but in Houston’s only win against the Grizzlies, Randolph didn’t play a minute due to a partial MCL tear. Even worse, he’s been out since Jan 1, meaning the Grizzlies have beaten the Rockets without him, holding a 2-2 edge in the teams’ matchups this season. It’s fully plausible that if Memphis had had him for most of this season, it would be sitting at a much higher seed right now.

Other games won with key players lost to other team include the Nuggets without Nene and Arron Afflalo, the Spurs without Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan (rest), and the Philadelphia 76ers without Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes. With those respective opponents missing key ingredients, the Rockets could easily be sitting 15-19 right now.

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Either way, and no matter what has or hasn’t gone right for the Rockets this year, Houston has progressed nicely enough to give fans an optimist’s view going forward after finishing ninth in the West the last two seasons. More encouraging is that the Rockets went 17-8 after the break last season.

If that’s any indication on how they’ll perform once play resumes, it’s possible they can find themselves along for a deep playoff run.

Chase Budinger will compete in this weekend' All-Star dunk contest.

Chandler Parsons will compete in this weekend's All-Star shooting stars competition.

BY: KYLE ADAMS

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

TWITTER: @KYLE0788

The Houston Rockets may not have anyone participating in Sunday’s All-Star game in Orlando, but they have a pair of young guns competing this weekend.

Chandler Parsons, the Rockets’ second-round pick in last year’s draft, will be teaming up with former Rocket Kenny Smith and Sophia Young of the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars as part of “Team Texas” to compete in the All-Star weekend’s Shooting Stars Competition.

Parsons is having a surprisingly solid year and is starting for the Rockets, though he has made his name defensively and with his highlight tip-in dunks.

Still, it’s a nice reward for the young man, who said he is thrilled to be a part of the weekend in his hometown.

“As a kid, if you told me I would be participating in All-Star weekend, I would not believe you,” he said. “To be part of it is real special. Obviously, being in my hometown is going to be a great opportunity and I’m going to have fun with it.”

Parsons is only shooting 42.2 percent overall, and 29.2 percent from 3, but those numbers have improved throughout the season. He’s been more comfortable on cuts to the hoop and stuff around the rim, but, as Wednesday’s game showed, he is getting more acclimated to the long-range stuff as well.

Chase Budinger is having a great year shooting the ball, drilling 45.2 of his field goals and a splendid 40.4 from 3. Oddly, however, he will be participating in the dunk contest, even though dunks account for just 3 percent of his total field goal attempts this season.

Budinger, however, is a high flyer with nice athletic ability, and the former volleyball legend in California certainly has hops.
But you would think with dunks even making up 8 percent of Parsons’ attempts, they should be flip-flopped. That’s not my take, however.

In my opinion, Budinger, who averaged 26 dunks the last two seasons before only taking six this season, is the better dunker, even if he has settled into more of a shooting specialist role this season, and I actually think Parsons can grow back into the shooter he was at Florida and start shooting/making more jumpers.

In an all-star weekend that is relatively obscure and has already drawn criticism for its weak field – especially in the dunk contest – these Rockets have a great opportunity to surprise people and make a name for themselves.

All-Star weekend is always fun to watch, even more so since Budinger and “Team Texas” are going to leave Orlando with the trophies.

Patrick Patterson and the Houston Rockets host the dangerous Sixers tonight before heading into the six-day all-star break.

BY: KYLE ADAMS

SPACECITYSCOOP.COM

The Houston Rockets (19-14) host the Philadelphia 76ers (20-13) tonight as they put the capper on a four-game homestand before the All-Star break this weekend.

The Sixers are in first place in the East’s Atlantic Division, but they have lost four straight games, including Tuesday’s bout in Memphis. For both the surging Rockets (7-3 in their last 10 games) and the reeling Grizzlies, this is a pivotal game tonight.

STINGY SIXERS: Philly is the best in the NBA in points allowed per game, surrendering a stingy 87.3 per contest. Andre Iguodala is their designated ball stopper, guarding the other team’s best backcourt scorer. He is having a bit of a down year in scoring, averaging just 12.4 points to his career number of 15.5, but he is the leader of this team on offense and defense, being named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season. He leads the team in assists at 5.3 per game, and steals at 1.8 a game. I expect him to shut down Kevin Martin, and hence bring forth more frustration and doubts before the break to accompany all the trade rumors thrown Martin’s way.

Sixth Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams is the Sixers’ leading scorer, surprising most with 15.9 points a game to go along with 3.8 assists and 2.2 rebounds in only 26 minutes, which is shocking. I know Jrue Holiday is the bigger, younger point guard, but Williams this year has been the better player and should be rewarded with more minutes.

The Sixers also have some talented big men in Spencer Hawes, Elton Brand, and Thaddeus Young. All pose tough defensive assignments for the likes of Luis Scola, Patrick Patterson and Samuel Dalembert. Hawes is 7-foot-1 and averages 1.5 blocks per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds and 10.5 points. I think he will give Dalembert a tough time on both ends of the court, and you might even see him go up against Scola if Brand or Young struggle. Brand is also averaging 1.5 blocks per game, so I think he will be tough for Scola to get around.

A TOUGH ROUND FOR HOUSTON: The Sixers will be a tough matchup for the Rockets all across the board. The Rockets will need Kyle Lowry and the bench to lead them to victory, since those are aspects where they are significantly better. I think Courtney Lee could have a big game for the Rockets off the bench defensively and offensively. He’s averaging 9.9 points per game to go with 1.2 steals and shooting 41 percent from 3. The Rockets will need him to help Lowry and Chandler Parsons keep the Sixers’ backcourt at bay, as they have a lot of scorers in the starting lineup and off the bench.

I would look for Patterson to also have a big game, taking minutes away from Scola just like he did in the Memphis win Monday night. The more minutes he takes from Scola, the faster Scola is more secure on the trading block. Patterson has shown a lot of promising potential, and I think eventually he becomes the starting power forward. He’s averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and shooting 47 percent on mostly jump shots. I think his shooting percentage will go up as he gets more experience down low.

I also expect to see more of big man Greg Smith. With Dalembert struggling lately, and Hasheem Thabeet never seeing the floor, the Rockets’ front office and coaches will want to see what he can do against the tough and strong NBA centers. His first game against Utah Sunday, he showed a lot of promise, getting four blocks. But his last game, the only numbers he tallied were his 11 minutes and five fouls. Look for him to contribute more against the Sixers’ frontcourt.

Will we finally get to see prized rookie Marcus Morris get some playing time? I hope so, but I don’t expect it in the last game before the break, unless there’s a player who goes out with an injury, or it’s a blowout. The Rockets are unlikely to throw him into the fire against Philly’s wing threats.

THE OUTCOME: I think it will be a close game. Each team will be playing its heart out, fighting to win the last game before the stars take the stage this weekend. This is the only meeting between the two teams this year, so that only adds to the excitement.  Whoever does come out with the win will be relaxing all weekend, watching the All Star festivities. The other team will be grinding its teeth, pacing around, waiting for the next chance to step on the court.

Rockets win in a nail-biter.

To anyone who knows anything about the NBA lockout, a preseason schedule is about as relevant as someone predicting the next rapture – there is a small chance it will happen, but it just won’t. The players and owners have far too much work to do. The two sides are miles away on several issues.

But, for anyone who cares to know, the Rockets’ preseason schedule is as follows:

I guess that’s why Houston got the 2013 All-Star Game. As of right now, no player on the Rockets’ roster is All-Star quality. Pile that on top of the fact that Houston hosted an All-Star game in 2006, and the decision might not make too much sense.

The decision is based on