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Monday October 2, 2006 8:34 PM


Reporting Day


Rockets report to camp with Western Conference title race in mind




Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer


HOUSTON -- Despite being offered about a half-dozen opportunities to proclaim the Rockets among the Western Conference's elite teams, Shane Battier didn't take the bait on Monday morning.

He wasn't quite ready to dismiss the rest of the conference.

"I'd be a happier guy in the Eastern Conference," Battier said. "We need to form an identity because the margin for error in Western Conference is so small. We have to play well every night and once we create that habit, then we can set our sights on Dallas, San Antonio and the other teams in the conference."

Battier might be right, but he'll have a hard time keeping everyone else's expectations for the Rockets in check.

Despite coming off a 34-win season, the Rockets reported to training camp Monday as a sudden favorite to contend in the Western Conference title race.

Houston, which had 19 players undergo physicals at Memorial Hermann-HBU Wellness Center Monday, has the potential for a major turnaround from last season's last place finish in the Southwest Division after a busy offseason.

Besides acquiring physical swingman Bonzi Wells and Battier in the offseason, the Rockets return one of the NBA's best -- and currently healthy -- duos in Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Houston was 21-10 when both were in the lineup last season.

The Rockets, of course, need their two primary stars to remain healthy with their new collection of complimentary players to challenge the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs in what should be a loaded Western Conference title race.

But if Yao and McGrady remain on the floor, the Rockets could compete with the best of the West.

"We have a great chance to have a great team," power forward Juwan Howard said. "I know we haven't even started training camp, but we have a team that can make a run for an NBA title."

The Rockets still certainly have some obstacles.

Besides playing in one of the toughest divisions in the NBA, Houston has to find a way to divide minutes and shots among its stars and needs some of its younger players to develop the desired depth needed to make a postseason run.

The Rockets are also hoping they have enough depth to remain in the playoff picture if one or more of their stars misses significant time. Overall, Houston is 1-8 when both McGrady and Yao are out of the lineup.

"The health issue is going to be the big question," point guard Rafer Alston said. "We can't struggle again if guys are out of the lineup. We do have more depth, but we've still got to make open shots."

The addition of Wells and Battier should make a major difference.

Wells offers a third proven scorer who can shoulder the load if either Yao or McGrady is out of the lineup and Battier provides the intangibles that the Rockets have been missing in the past. He is one of the game's best defenders and is a consistent shooter.

"We have a great group of guys with wonderful work ethics," reserve center Dikembe Mutombo said. "I have a lot of respect for Shane because he is such an intelligent player and Bonzi is a very hard worker who puts up numbers. Coach Jeff Van Gundy is going to be so happy with this team."

Battier and others still need to wait and see before declaring the Rockets among the top teams in the conference and rightfully so.

Still, the potential is there for a promising run.

"We have more bodies than the team had last season, so that helps," Battier said. "But there aren't any nights off in the Western Conference. The good news is that we have a lot of potential."