best rockets players of all time

McGrady was the face of the franchise while there, even with Yao Ming in the fold. He's not top-10 worthy, but he's certainly worth a look as a fringe guy. The No. He played his entire 13-year career with the Rockets and is recognized accordingly as one of the best in franchise history. The NBA has nearly 68 years of history. Thorpe's career also wasn't the same after leaving Houston, as he never again averaged more than 14.2 points or 8.4 rebounds in a season. 17. The No.1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, the Rookie of the Year in 1959, an 11-time All-Star, and an astounding 10-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Baylor more than lived up … 1 overall pick, a player who played three separate stints for Houston and a player who had a world of talent, the injury-ridden Lucas easily cracks the top 20. Moses Malone, a Rocket from 1976-1982, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. Tracy McGrady was the Rockets from 2004-2010. He only averaged 2.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game with Houston, but did manage to shoot 50.1 percent from the floor. Vote or rerank this list of the greatest Houston Rockets of all time with who you think should be at the top. He may very well be the best pure scorer in team history, and that's why he makes the top 10. Mutombo's famous taunts after blocking shots and his overwhelming presence in the paint made him useful to Houston even in the latter stages of his career. He services were put to use, but they weren't used in the same way they have been over the past two seasons with the Miami Heat. The team has had few poor seasons and they have, it's been to the Rockets benefit. The top 10 is made up of nearly all Hall of Fame players, and that speaks of the type of teams the Rockets have put on the court over the years. All of have played center for Houston and all were drafted with the top overall pick in the NBA Draft. Best Point Guards Currently in the NBA. He averaged an astounding 20.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game over seven seasons, but the most stunning thing about Hayes was that he missed just two games in his entire career with the Rockets. Spread the loveWho is the Greatest NBA Player of all Time? Given Reid's lack of hardware during his tenure in Houston, he comes in pretty low on this list. He shot a ridiculous 40.2 percent from deep in Houston, making him one of the best shooters in Rockets history. This is the best win share season of all time with Kareem putting up 35/16.5/5.5 with 4+ blocks a game. He's ahead of Sam Cassell, a player with two championships with the Rockets, because of his longevity with the team. His final season in 2007-08 only saw him play 10 games, but the previous, more healthy seasons were both a sight to behold and something to wince at. He only played four seasons in Houston, but his shooting from deep were key to the success of the championship teams. As a No. Harden is considered one of the best current players in the NBA. He spent 17 seasons with the Rockets after being drafted first overall by the team in 1984. The Celtics had the best record in the NBA by a whopping 13 games over the second-place Lakers, with the top defense in the league that was … The U.S Postal Service doesn’t actually have that “Neither rain nor snow…” motto, but we still think of mail carriers as being largely reliable. He never delivered a championship and only played in one All-Star Game in 1979. He did not add any hardware to his collection when in Houston and remains one of the best players to never win an NBA championship in the history of the league. 15. John Lucas played three separate stints with the Rockets from 1976-1978, 1984-1986 and 1990. 1. Steve Francis was both explosive and disappointing in his five-plus years with the Rockets. It also helped him block 1.9 shots per game. Ming increased the NBA's popularity in China and made him one of the most popular athletes in all of sports. Whether or not the player was a No. He missed just nine games in his 16-year career. Mutombo had a long NBA career, but his days in Houston were a far cry from his early years with the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks. Those numbers are good enough to rank him higher than championship-winners like Vernon Maxwell and Robert Horry. Clyde Drexler was the missing piece to the championship puzzle in 1994, as the team went on to win the NBA Finals after acquiring him from the Portland Trail Blazers (along with Tracy Murray) for Otis Thorpe, Marcelo Nicola and a first-round draft pick. Kareem’s season before and after were also among the top seven ever in win shares. Ralph Sampson is one of the most dominating big men in team history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. He played six years in Houston, scoring 12.5 points and dishing out 5.2 assists per game. 50. Because of his underwhelming statistical numbers, though, it wouldn't be fair to rank him anywhere higher the rankings. Barkley never played in more than 68 games during a single season for Houston, as his playing days were beginning to come to an end when he signed with the team prior to the 1996-97 season. Arguably his best years came in Houston, though. The criteria for making this list are difficult relative to the competition, but not all that difficult in terms of understanding. Kenny Smith was the starting point guard on both of the championship teams in the mid-90s and was responsible for orchestrating the offense and the most successful squads in team history. Dikembe Mutombo was a Rocket for the final five years of his career, 2004-2009. Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. Baylor was a beast, ... Read more The Best NBA Players Of All Time Tim Duncan. Unfortunately, he was but a stepping stone to the players on those teams. His contributions rank him higher than Dikembe Mutombo, but his overall lack of impact prevent him from ranking higher. He started just one game during those two years, coming off the bench and making an impact when point guard Kenny Smith needed a breather. Scola would fit perfectly on the current team with James Harden and Dwight Howard, as the team lacks a steady contributor at power forward. He averaged 16.3 points and 12 rebounds per game and is one of the most talented players to ever put on a Rockets uniform. His height gave him the advantage near the rim on both offense and defense, though it helped him to be extremely efficient on offense. Cassell went on to have a great NBA career. He truly filled the stat sheet and led the team to a playoff berth as the No. That type of efficiency led to a scoring average of 15.5 per game in Houston. He drained 36.8 percent of his shots from there during his six-year tenure in Houston. He shot 38.7 percent from three with the Rockets, establishing himself as one of the more consistent shooters in team history. Career Stats: Points: 19.0 Rebounds: 10.8 Assists: 3.0. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29105801/ranking-top-74-nba-players- It's a move that could continue to haunt general manager Daryl Morey for the rest of his tenure in Houston if the team doesn't win a championship. Leaving the Rockets just seems to have an adverse effect on the careers of many. 06 Kawhi Leonard. Newlin posted strong numbers, dropping 14 points and dishing out 4.3 assists per game. Author: SI Staff Publish date: Feb 8, 2016. He did so on poor shooting percentages that never exceeded 43.1 percent, so maybe that's a reason why his teams weren't more successful. Vernon Maxwell had a great five-plus years in Houston that were capped off by two consecutive championships in 1994 and 1995. He also threw in 9.6 rebounds per game for good measure. Lantz put together a solid line, scoring 15.4 points, grabbing 3.9 boards and racking up 3.3 assists per game. Robert Horry won seven NBA championships during his illustrious career as "Big Shot Bob," and the first two came as a member of the Rockets. Olajuwon is one of the best players of all time and is—by far—the best player in Rockets history. He still put up respectable numbers in his career with Houston, dropping 12.8 points and grabbing 5.3 boards per contest. Francis filled the stat sheet in Houston, scoring 17.1 points, dishing out 5.8 assists and grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game. Though he wasn't drafted by Houston, Moses Malone is another great big man who has played for the Rockets. He was also great in 22 career playoff games, shooting 50 percent from the field and scoring 14.8 per game. This was expected of him after he was selected No. Players who also posted strong statistical lines in their careers with the Rockets were also considered. 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He finished his four-plus years in Houston with averages of 18.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. 50 Images. Each matchup took into consideration many […] Not only was Jordan prolific on the offensive end, but he also dominated defensively and averaged 2.3 steals per game. 1996-2016: 25.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg, 172.7 Win Shares, 1-time MVP, 15-time All-NBA, 5-time champion The final two of those titles cemented Bryant in … His role on the team was crucial, as he started 127 of the 139 regular-season games he was active for during the two championships years. That type of impact puts Ming ahead of more talented players like Tracy McGrady and Otis Thorpe, though his "what-could-have-been" career just wasn't successful enough to rank him higher. Injuries derailed his career, but he still lived up to the expectations after putting together some great seasons. He missed 30 games in his final season with the team, though he was no longer the same player he was in his earlier days at that point in his career. 1 overall in the 2002 draft. #246 of 2,753 The Most Influential People of All Time#3 of 107 The Best Foreign NBA Players of All Time, The Best Harden Vol. A two-time All-Star, Boozer has … He also averaged a ridiculous 15 rebounds per game in Houston. He shot 52.4 percent for his career. Robert Reid was a member of the Rockets from 1977-1988, though he missed the entire 1982-83 season. That being said, Cassell was a key member of the two championship teams in the mid-90s. His pure talent also rivals that of some of the top players. Do I need to explain his presence on this list any further? He may not have been as efficient as Otis Thorpe, but he scored at a much higher output and was the face of his team. 1 overall by the team in 1983. He averaged double digits in points in all five seasons, with three seasons exceeding 15 points per game. Sam Cassell played his first three seasons in the NBA with the Rockets (1993-1996) and didn't really put up great numbers. Soccer. Even still, he put up great numbers and is one of the more recognizable faces in team history. Otis Thorpe is the most efficient scorer in Rockets history—period. Lantz's contributions to the history of the franchise rank him ahead of Mike Newlin, who played double the amount of years with the team. Unfortunately, the Rockets let him walk. List RulesPlease rank the players based only on their time with the Rockets. For much of its history, the Houston Rockets have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA. Those players who left lasting imprints on the team and the league were placed higher on this list than others who simply fit in with the crowd. Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets: NBA champion, six-time NBA All-Star. He played 80 games or more just five times in his 14-year career and played under 50 games four times. The Golden State Warriors dealt him to the Rockets in a package deal that netted Golden State Hall of Famer Ralph Sampson, and that is, perhaps, what makes Floyd famous in Houston. The team went to the 2011 NBA Finals on the strength of these three stars. Rudy Tomjanovich played his entire 11-year career with the Rockets after being drafted No. The problem with Francis, though, is that he didn't lead the team to a championship, despite the hype surrounding him when he demanded to be traded after being drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies. He scored 14.6 points and dished out 4.6 assists per game, playing alongside point guard Kenny Smith in the backcourt, and the duo formed one of the best backcourts in the NBA during the early-90s. During three-plus years in Houston, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. He played four seasons with the franchise, three of which came when the team was located in San Diego. Yao Ming is one of the most polarizing figures in NBA history. He was an important member of the core group that helped the team transition to Houston during the following season. The 1993 Hall of Fame inductee averaged 17.9 points and 4.4 assists in his career and even shot 48.2 percent from the floor. The type of impact he had in just one season with the team would suggest that he could rank in the top 10. All-Time Offensive Rating Leaders. A former professional basketball player and coach is considered one of the best NBA players and the most incredible power forward of all time. The Greatest European NBA Player Of All Time. As a No. The 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time. Newlin is one of the best Rockets whom nobody talks. Tomjanovich is one of the most respected people in the history of the Rockets franchise. He was also a steady presence on the glass, pulling in at least 6.4 rebounds per game each year. His presence was likely what gave general manager Daryl Morey the confidence to bring in superstar Dwight Howard, and the duo will form a formidable tandem for the opposition to deal with. Drexler is one of the most talented players in NBA history and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2004. COMMENTS: O.T. He shot 33 percent from downtown during his time with the team, averaging double digits in points in three of the four seasons (he missed out in 1993-94 with 9.9 points per). Shane Battier was with the Rockets from 2006 to 2011, though he was traded halfway through his last season in Houston to the Memphis Grizzlies. 1999-2013. A list of the best Houston Rockets of all time. These are three of the best current NBA players and the Thunder at one point had all three on its roster. Throughout his short career in Houston, though, Battier made a name for himself as a three-point specialist. #8 — Elgin Baylor (1959-1972) Killer Stat: 27.4 Points Per Game One of the game’s first all-around stars, Elgin Baylor also might have had the worst luck in NBA history, never winning a championship despite helping lead the Lakers to eight NBA Finals appearances in his 14 seasons on the court. Maxwell often gets overlooked when talking about the best players in Rockets history, but his importance to the franchise should make him a lock on any "best of" list. Other than his shooting, though, his numbers weren't great across the board. Michael Jordan goes down as the best NBA player of all-time, as he is a six-time NBA champion and averaged 30.1 points per game in his career. As the best two-way player on this list and the third multi-NBA Finals MVP honoree, Kawhi Leonard has proven he can win as the lone superstar while with Toronto and is looking to take the Clippers to those same heights. Charles Barkley, a 2006 inductee into the Hall of Fame, played just four years in Houston. 15. He shot a ridiculous 56 percent from the floor during his six-plus-year tenure in Houston and established himself as one of the best post-scorers in the league. Tomjanovich scored 17.4 points and grabbed 8.1 rebounds per game during his career and could have done much more in the NBA. After he failed to deliver championships, though, the relationship began to go sour. He's not a Hall of Famer, but Reid had a very respectable NBA career. Luis Scola was a beast for the Rockets from 2007-2012, and many members of the fan base were upset after he was waived by the team and allowed to sign with the Phoenix Suns. The 50 Greatest NBA Players of All Time. Newlin never ranked amongst the best at his position, but the amount of time he spent with the team during his career propels him over the likes of Sleepy Floyd and some others who placed behind him. He continued to make an impact in Houston even after his retirement from playing, as he was the head coach for the team's two championships in the 90s. Lantz played in the team's first season in Houston and put up strong numbers to boot. He was a member of both championship teams of the 90s and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008 after averaging 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game in Houston. Sampson played in the NBA for just nine seasons, but he was so dominant, while active, he deserved a spot in the hall. SI Staff. From Mikan to Mike, Baylor to LeBron, the NBA has given a stage to dozens of transcendent athletes whose legacies still resonate and inspire today. - 8 Time NBA All-Star- 2 Time All-NBA Second Team- 3 Time All-NBA Third Team- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2003) Yao Ming wasn't just a basketball player, he was a phenomena. Meta.reviews compiled its ranking of the best players, which takes into account not only sports records, but also achievements in public life, the film industry, and even the fight for human rights.. 5. During his rookie season in 1998-99, he averaged 9.9 points. Floyd averaged 11.3 points and 5.2 assists per game in his five-plus seasons with the team, but his biggest accomplishment might be the fact that he played in all 82 games in five of those seasons. That’s how Karl Malone got his nickname, … 10-1. play. This list will pay homage to the 50 greatest Los Angeles Lakers of all-time. The Houston Rockets have a storied history of Hall of Fame talent, making their top 25 players of all time list especially difficult to crack. That's obviously not enough to put him on the list (though it would if this were a hairstyle ranking). There aren't enough words to describe the career of Hakeem Olajuwon. 9. He came over to Houston after leading the league in scoring in back-to-back years with the Orlando Magic, and the world was expected of him with his new team. In order to determine what sets certain players apart from others, several components were looked at. As one of the top players in the history of the NBA, he was a lock to be in the top three here. The two championship teams Hall of Fame in 2004 NBA players and coaches, now throughout. 'S sitting pretty at No cuttino mobley, like Shane Battier and Robert.. Career numbers came when the team went to the championship teams 4 and... 'S days as the No lists that rank the team would suggest that he rank! 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