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| Von Wafer could see an increase in playing time with Ron Artest questionable and Tracy McGrady in need of reduced minutes, according to the Houston Chronicle. Brent Barry is dealing with a sprained right thumb as well. Coach Rick Adelman said, "Wafer is very important. Every time we used him, he’s stepped up. Offensively, he really gives us a boost, because not only can he shoot it, he can attack the basket. He’s a very good offensive player. Defensively, we lose a little bit but offensively, he’s proven he can step in."
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Our View: Wafer is an asset from long-range, and could be worth a look as a short-term acquisition for deeper leagues. |
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| Ron Artest is questionable for Wednesday's game against Dallas due to his sprained ankle, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: He will be a risky fantasy option, but Artest is optimistic he will be able to play tonight. |
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| Tracy McGrady is questionable for Wednesday's game against Dallas due to his ailing knee, according to the Sports Network. |
Our View: McGrady's minutes could be limited if able to play, so fantasy owners should consider him with caution if he gets the green light for tonight. |
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| Yao Ming is likely to miss tonight's battle with Dallas due to his ankle injury, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: He will be a game-time call, and fantasy owners should proceed with another option at center to be safe. |
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| Tracy McGrady played well in limited time on Wednesday after being questionable going into the contests. He had 16 points, with one each of rebounds, steals, assists, and blocks in 29 minutes. |
Our View: The Rockets clearly missed 100 percent T-Mac, in addition to Yao Ming. |
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| Ron Artest did his best Yao Ming impression on Wednesday finishing with 14 points, 13 assists, two blocks, two steals, and an assist. However, it wasn't enough as the Rockets lost 96-86 to the Mavs. |
Our View: Artest owners should be weary about his sprained ankle still, but it certainly didn't bother him on Wednesday. |
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| It has been revealed that Ron Artest sprained his left ankle during battle with the Thunder, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: He is considered questionable for Wednesday's game against the Mavericks. Artest recorded his first double-double of the season against the Thunder, with 17 points and 11 boards. |
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| Tracy McGrady commented after tweaking his surgically repaired knee against the Thunder, according to the Houston Chronicle. McGrady said, "My knee gave out on me. They told me if I was to go back in, and they saw me limping they were going to take me back out. My knee is feeling right. I hate to do this, but I’m going to get an MRI tomorrow and until, further notice, I’m going to have to shut it down."
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Our View: We will keep you posted on the results of his MRI, which should give the Rockets an idea of how much time he will miss. He was handling 34 minutes per game this season. |
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| Shane Battier, who is yet to play this season while rehabbing his sore left foot, is expected to practice with the Rockets Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: He went through a vigorous workout Monday, and was cleared to rejoin the club for practice. He would play a larger role if Ron Artest's sprained left ankle fails to heal quickly. |
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| Tracy McGrady practiced on Tuesday through his knee injury and could play on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. The MRI that was planned ended up not being necessary and was canceled. |
Our View: We'll continue to update you on McGrady's status, but right now it looks like he will probably play. However, his minutes might be a bit limited. |
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| Yao Ming didn't practice on Tuesday, but insisted he would play in Wednesday's game according to the Houston Chronicle. Ming said that the x-ray didn't reveal any problems and that he felt much better. |
Our View: Ming should be in your lineup for Wednesday. |
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| Ron Artest did not practice on Tuesday, but will play in Wednesday's game according to the Houston Chronicle. Artest said that he has been cleared to play by both the team doctor and trainer. |
Our View: Artest might be a risky lineup move for Wednesday with 10 games on the schedule. His ankle sprain will make him far from a sure thing, as it may make it more difficult for him to shoot and to go up for rebounds. |
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| Yao Ming scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and blocked three shots while shooting 7-of-8 from the field as the Rockets defeated the Thunder 100-89 on Monday. |
Our View: Ming's numbers have been down slightly this season, but he remains one of the best centers in the game. |
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| Tracy McGrady scored just eight points in 18 minutes as the Rockets won in Oklahoma City 89-100 on Monday. He left the game in the opening minute of the second half after aggravating his surgically repaired left knee, according to the AP. |
Our View: He never went to the locker room for treatment, and remained on the bench for the remainder of the game. McGrady has been remarkably hot or cold this season and it almost seems as if Rick Adelman is only using him as needed. |
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| Luis Scola finished Monday's 100-89 victory over the Thunder as the Rockets' leading scorer. He finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. |
Our View: Scola entered the game averaging just 10.8 points and should continue to share minutes with Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. |
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| The AP reports that Ron Artest scored 17 points and added 11 rebounds in a win over the Thunder on Monday, but was left clutching his right ankle after driving the lane in the final minute of the game. |
Our View: The extent of his injury is not yet known. Artest is averaging just 14.2 points per game after averaging well over 20 last season. |
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| Yao Ming had a big night on Saturday for the Rockets, scoring 21 points in the 91-82 win over the Hornets. He also had six rebound and an assist. |
Our View: Ming having a big night certainly made the difference, a night after he was held to 13 and the Rockets lost. |
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| Tracy McGrady bounced back nicely a night after being held to seven points. He scored 18 in Houston's win over New Orleans while adding nine rebounds, four assists, and a block. |
Our View: McGrady was solid for the Rockets on Saturday and need him to contribute if they're to keep winning. |
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| Aaron Brooks is replacing Rafer Alston at point guard while he serves his two-game suspension stemming from a fight with the Suns, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: He scored 14 points and three assists in his first NBA start Friday, and would be worth a look tonight, but will draw a tough assignment while matching up against Chris Paul (Hornets). |
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| Tracy McGrady was held to just seven points in Friday's 77-75 loss to the Spurs. McGrady had five assists, three rebounds, and two steals as well. |
Our View: If the Rockets are going to win consistently, they can't afford for McGrady to have games like this. Neither can fantasy owners for that matter. |
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| Yao Ming had a decent game on Friday for the Rockets, by notching 13 points, eight rebounds, and an assist. |
Our View: Ming is a good source of points, rebounds, and blocks in fantasy. |
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| The AP reports that Tracy McGrady snapped out of a slump to score 22 of his 27 points in the second half Wednesday night, and the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 94-82. T-Mac, 1-for-16 shooting in his previous two games, made 11 of 18 shots, going 9-of-14 in the second half. |
Our View: McGrady was also involved in a scuffle during the third quarter and a possible suspension could be looming. |
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| Aaron Brooks scored 19 points in 25 minutes as the Houston Rockets won in Phoenix 94-82 on Sunday. Rafer Alston was ejected in the third quarter and left coach Rick Adelman no other option than to play Brooks for the rest of the game. Brooks handled the duties exceptionally, but he did fail to get an assist. |
Our View: The second year point guard has 39 points in his last two games and he should be a hot pickup once Alston receives his likely suspension. Also, Alston has not played well in the early going and Brooks is a legitimate candidate to win a starting job this season. |
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| Yao Ming had 17 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in his matchup against Shaquille O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. |
Our View: Ming remains one of the most consistent centers in the game when he is healthy. However, he has already undergone X-rays once this season (knee) and owners should be aware of his fragility. |
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| Ron Artest shot just 1-of-12 from the field on Wednesday as the Rockets defeated the Suns. He managed to contribute seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. |
Our View: Artest has been held to less than 10 points in three of his past four games. We can assume that he is just still trying to get acquainted with his new team, but his inconsistent production has to be a concern. |
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| Rafer Alston was ejected from Wednesday night's Houston-Phoenix game after dramatically retaliating to a Matt Barnes shove in the third quarter. Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming were also involved in the scuffle. Barnes was the only other player ejected. |
Our View: Expect suspensions to follow. Alston has been outplayed by his backup, Aaron Brooks, and this incident could push the second-year guard ahead of Skip-to-my-Lou in the rotation. |
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| The Rockets were beaten by 29 points by the Lakers, but Ron Artest is encouraged by the club's potential, according to the Houston Chronicle. Artest said, "I felt good about the game because I just felt everybody in that game made a mistake. So when you have a lot of mistakes made, it’s correctable when you have a team such as the Houston Rockets. It wasn’t a thing where we didn’t have a chance. We had a chance to beat Portland, we had a chance to beat Boston, and against the Lakers, we were up big early when we were playing together. We made mistakes and the game got out of hand. I would rather make those mistakes now than later."
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Our View: Artest only scored eight points over 32 minutes in the loss to the Lakers, but chipped in four steals and a block. He should remain a solid starting option at forward in fantasy leagues, and has his head in the right place so far. |
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| Shane Battier remains sidelined by his foot injury, according to the Houston Chronicle. He continued to raise his workload in his bid to return from a bruised left foot, but the swelling has forced him to slow down his workouts. He said, "It’s day-to-day more than ever. I’m trying to test it, push it and see how I respond. I don’t have any pain, but I don’t want to lead to worse things. It really is a watch and wait and see, learn about it every day."
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Our View: He is being cautious, and the team does not want to rush him back to risk losing him for a longer period of time. Even when he is ready to return, his minutes and fantasy value looks to be limited by Ron Artest. |
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| Tracy McGrady had one of his worst outings in recent memory as he hit just one of 11 shots, a three pointer, as he finished with just three points in 33 minutes of action against the Lakers. |
Our View: McGrady entered the night having averaged 21.1 points, 5.3 boards and 5.3 assists in 21 matchups with the Lakers, so it was utterly amazing to see him produce such a pathetic line on this night. |
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| Aaron Brooks led the Rockets in scoring with 20 points as the Rockets lost to the Lakers by 29 points in a humiliating 111-82 defeat on Sunday night. Yao Ming had 12 points and eight boards while Ron Artest scored just eight points in the blowout loss. |
Our View: Brooks was about the only positive on the night as he made three 3-pointers, but his total of five turnovers somewhat mitigated his positive efforts though Brooks rebounded spectacularly from a scoreless effort in his last game. |
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| Rockets center Yao Ming had X-rays on his knee, but they were negative, and it turned out to be just a bruise, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: Ming should be fine, and he is performing fairly well, putting up over 17 points, nine points and nearly two blocks per game for fantasy owners. |
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| Shane Battier, who is recovering from a sore left ankle, is close to returning to practice, according to the Houston Chronicle. |
Our View: He is doing shooting drills and strengthening exercises, but has not yet been cleared by Dr. Tom Clanton and the rest of the medical staff. We will keep posted on his status. |
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| Tracy McGrady led the Rockets with 26 points but fell to the Celtics 103-99. |
Our View: With the addition of Ron Artest, McGrady's scoring has seen an early decline but he will still be a premier scorer. |
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| Luis Scola scored 21 points and added nine rebounds in the Rockets' 103-99 loss to the Celtics on Tuesday. |
Our View: Scola has been inserted into the starting lineup for the Rockets and is rewarding the team for that decision. He has scored double digit points in 4-of-5 of the Rockets games. |
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| The Houston Chronicle reports that Shane Battier has increased his rehab intensity but there is no timetable yet for his return. He has been dealing with an injured left foot since the preseason. |
Our View: Battier's role once he returns is not yet certain with the addition of Ron Artest. He played 36.5 minutes per game last season but that might too many to expect in this campaign. |
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| Yao Ming contributed 16 points and 11 boards in Saturday's 89-77 win over the Thunder, with two assists and a block. |
Our View: Yao notched a double-double in each of the first three games of the season, while guiding the Rockets to a 3-0 record. He should continue to generate strong fantasy numbers, as long as he stays intact. |
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