HOUSTON (AP) - Aaron Brooks blossomed in the playoffs last year
as he carried the Houston Rockets to a second-round Game 7 with
quick moves, sharp shooting and smart decisions.
The trick now is to play like that for a full season.
The speedy 6-foot point guard drafted by the Rockets in 2007 is
a major key to Houston's season with Tracy McGrady's status
uncertain and Yao Ming out until next year.
Houston opens the 2009-10 campaign at Portland on Tuesday, not
far from where Brooks starred in college at Oregon. Only two years
and 35 starts into his NBA career, the Rockets think Brooks is
already mature enough to handle the responsibilities of an everyday
point guard.
The Rockets traded veteran point guard Rafer Alston in February
and thrusted the inexperienced Brooks into the starting role.
Brooks averaged 13 points and 3.4 assists in the final 27 games of
the regular season, and the Rockets earned the No. 5 seed in the
West playoffs, facing Portland in the first round. The Rockets beat
the Trail Blazers and took the Los Angeles Lakers to a Game 7
before being eliminated. By that time Brooks had already made
believers out of his teammates.


(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)