Top > Sport > 2006 > January > 2006-01-05

Stro Show Finally Landed in Houston

Don?t look now, but the Rockets have been showing some signs of life as of late. One of the biggest keys to the Rockets? resurgence has been the play of power forward Stromile Swift. The Rockets signed Swift in the offseason for the full midlevel exception. Up until recently, Swift hasn?t justified the investment. It reached a point where the Rockets seriously contemplated trading him.

In the past three games Swift is playing like we hoped he would, averaging 18.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. His play was helping the Rockets dig themselves out of the pattern of blow-out losses that defined the first three games of Yao Ming?s absence, and it was a big part of the win that snapped the losing streak which was equally long.

Maybe the thought of being traded was enough to get his attention. Perhaps he just suddenly ?got? Jeff Van Gundy?s system. Perhaps his head wasn?t screwed on just right. Perhaps his heart grew three sizes on Christmas Day. Whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood there on Christmas Eve hating the . . .wait ? wrong story.