Rockets Collection of Rookies Best in NBA

Outside the city of Seattle, Houston is home to the best collection of rookies in the NBA. While the Sonics' absurdly talented duo of Kevin Durant (19.3ppg/4.1rpg) and Jeff Green (8.7ppg/4.5rpg) set the bar, no other collection of rookies in the league have had as meaningful an impact as Rockets forwards Luis Scola and Carl Landry and point guard Aaron Brooks who have, thus far, given the team hope in an otherwise disappointing season. Despite Tracy McGrady's injury woes and commitment issues (big surprise), Yao's upper respiratory struggles, and a record that, unless improved upon, will have the Rockets praying for ping-pong balls, the Rockets have three reasons to celebrate. New additions Scola, Landry, and Brooks provide a much-needed injection of youth and energy into a lineup that continually struggles to produce the effort and intensity needed to win consistently. Having spent several years as a pro in Spain and Argentina, Scola is only a rookie by technicality. Despite his early struggles to pick up the "American" game and propensity for getting into foul trouble, Scola seems to be aclimating rather well to the NBA . At 27 years old, the combination of his international experience and desire to prove himself makes Scola an exciting sixth-man and spot starter. In addition to Scola, PG Aaron Brooks and F Carl Landry are making Rockets GM Daryl Morey look like a draft-day savant. With his (Leandro) Barbosa-like quickness and decent outside shot, Brooks is the point-guard of the future. Although many consider his small stature a road block to his NBA success, Rockets management knows better. Meanwhile, Carl Landry has quickly made a name for himself with his relentless hustle, physicality, raw energy. Granted, Landry has a long way to go before he can effectively match up with the collection of talented big men in the Western Conference. But, head coach Rick Adelman has been impressed enough with the former Purdue Boilermaker's effort (and occasional scoring binge) to continue, albeit slowly, increasing Landry's minutes. In fact, Adelman has recently been playing all three at the same time as late as the 4th quarter of close games. "[Landry] seems very capable and finding open spots, catching the McGrady passes and bending rims with regularity. Brooks will keep getting better, especially at the point...and Scola is as solid as it gets, no longer making the learning-curve mistakes of the first months of the season" says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. While that proves the coach's confidence in the youngsters, only time will tell whether these three rooks will take Houston to the next level.