HoopWatch

No, I am not referring only to Yao Ming, but the whole Rockets team. As I watched the Suns plummet Houston earlier, I can’t help but notice their very suffocating defense. At the onset of the game, the Suns were having a hard time breaking Houston’s tenacious D. They were scrambling for loose balls and covering the passing lanes. And when a Sun is able to penetrate, like Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion, they have to loop their shots real high to avoid the long tentacles of Yao. And if ever Yao’s out, another long armed-man enters, Dikembe Mutombo.

Though the Rockets were thrashed by the Suns, 82-103, there were still signs of defensive brilliance. The Suns were just too fast and too quick for Houston to handle, but other teams should beware. That game was just a matter of who will control the tempo, and the Suns were able to dictate it. But for teams who play their pace, they’ll be in trouble.

The Rockets lead the league in limiting opponents’ field goal percentage to the minimum. And currently, they are fifth in the Western Conference, at 39-25, just behind the Utah Jazz. I feel that they are the ultimate dark horses in the NBA. A lot of talks are going on about Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio dominating the West, but they should not forget Houston. The Rockets are just lurking in the shadows, ready to take the spotlight away from those three perennial title contenders.