Top > Sport > 2005 > November > 2005-11-27

Houston We Have a Problem

What would it take to fix whatever is wrong up in Houston? This is the exact question that head coach Jeff Van Gundy and general manager Carroll Dawson have been asking themselves repeatedly over the course of the past few weeks. The fact is that the Rockets have an aging and injured backcourt that so far has played poorly. The trade for Rafer Alston didn?t yields the results the Rockets had expected (what a surprise).

Van Gundy?s decision to start Anderson has proven to be erroneous, since it didn?t make great basketball sense. How would a guy who couldn?t scratch the lineup for a non-playoff team suddenly make the Rockets a contender? The answer, quite simply, is that he can?t. David Wesley has now started two straight games, and while they have both been losses his numbers have been marked improvements over Anderson.

Prior to Wesley getting the starting nod Anderson was shooting 31% from the field and averaging right at nine points per game. Wesley is giving Van Gundy better production and improved efficiency, which is two steps in the right direction. Rockets fans can appreciate the value of having accurate shooters on the perimeter while a big man tries to operate in the paint.