Last season, the only team that pushed the eventual Champions Lakers to the limit - a 7 game series - was the Houston Rockets and this is a clear sign of how tough this team is. Even though they had lost their best player Yao Ming, the Rockets didn't give up and showed an incredible resilience. This isn't anything new for them because if you remember, a couple of seasons ago, they had a 22-game winning streak and several wins were after Yao Ming got injured. The Rockets finished last season with a 53-29 record and finally they get through the first round in the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, Yao Ming is injured once again and it is highly unlikely that he'll return to the court soon. The Rockets will have to live without one of the most efficient centers in the league and even though they battled well last season without him against the Lakers, it isn't the same thing competing for a playoff series and competing in an 82-games regular season. The Rockets will have to find a way to recover from a 20 ppg, 10 rpg and almost 90 % from the charity loss and this won't be easy at all.

To make things even worse, Tracy McGrady is still battling with injuries and although he supposedly is well ahead of schedule in rehabilitating his knee and he has indicated that he is feeling healthy right now, the fact is that for several reasons, T-Mac couldn't remain healthy for a long time. Last season, he missed 47 games and even when he was on court, he was very far from being the old "T-Mac" with just 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while shooting a dismal 38.8 % from the field. Nevertheless, the Rockets need him to be their guy down the stretch and the only player who will demand some extra attention for the Rockets' opponent's defenses. Playing now on his final year of the contract, T-Mac needs to be healthy to have a huge season and to carry the team in the absence of Yao Ming. Can he do it?

The biggest off season addition for the Rockets was Trevor Ariza and basically he is replacing Ron Artest in the Rockets' lineup. Ariza doesn't have the same offensive skills that Artest has (Artest doesn't have a lot of that by the way), but at the same time he won't repeat the consecutive bad shots like Artest used to take. What Ariza can bring is a stellar defense in a disciplined system and some timely good shots like he did in the postseason last year. In the playoffs, he averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 3-pointers and the Rockets are expecting such numbers from him, however I have to say that he will likely receive more attention from their opponents, which won't make his progression easier.

Aaron Brooks was a personal gamble from GM Daryl Morey, when he decided to send Rafer Alston to Orlando before the trade deadline, giving Brooks a chance to secure a spot as its point guard of the future. Maybe it was too soon for Brooks because he showed a normal inconsistency by shooting 33.3 % FG in January or 44.3 % in March. However, when he is at his best, Brooks' lightning quickness in attacking the rim makes him a touch matchup for the veteran and slower guards. You can ask Derek Fisher what I'm taking about. In the postseason, he averaged 16.8 points, 3.4 assists and 2.1 3-pointers in 13 games and without Yao and T-Mac, Brooks will have plenty of opportunities to put points in the scoreboard. Head coach Rick Adelman will have the challenge to make Brooks a better playmaker, as he averaged only 3.0 assists per game and right now he is more a scorer than a distributor. Kyle Lowry will be his backup and Lowry is a good defender, but he doesn't have the offensive upside of Brooks.

Luis Scola was one of the players that stepped it up last season and enjoyed a phenomenal season. His 12.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg, while shooting 53.1 % doesn't look impressive for a great player, but his intangibles are valueless for the Rockets. He's one of the hardest workers players in this team (along with Shane Battier) and without Yao Ming, we can expect Scola to raise his scoring numbers this season. Last season when Yao went down in the playoffs, Scola was a force in the paint and showed the ability to handle double-teams down low.

Shane Battier is the team captain of this team and an example for the young players to follow. Last season with Ron Artest on the mix, his numbers decreased (it was expected) in every category, but now with Artest's departure and with the lack of offensive solutions, we can expect him to have slightly better numbers this season. Nevertheless, his importance on this team is above his offensive numbers because he plays as hard as any player in the league and the Rockets have one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.

The biggest issue for the Rockets this season is to replace Yao Ming. Who will get the starting nod? The Rockets signed Australian player David Andersen who played in Spain last season for FC Barcelona. This will be the first experience of Andersen in the NBA, but he is already an experienced player, so he won't struggle badly to adjust to the NBA. The Rockets have in Scola a good example of a quick adaptation to the NBA. However, the Rockets need more contribution down the post. Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes are serviceable frontcourt players and will also offer quality minutes to the team from the bench.

The Rockets are one of the teams that the experts predict a huge dropdown for this season. Playing without their best 2 players won't be easy and the Rockets will contend with the Spurs, Mavericks and Hornets in a competitive division. However, they won't be an easy opponent to defeat due to their resilience and aggressiveness and if there is a non top team that will be a tough matchup for the elite teams, then we will be surely talking about the Rockets. Tracy McGrady can push this team to be more competitive, but right now he really needs to be healthy for this season.