The Rockets merit some notice now for starting better than expected, standing equal with the Mavericks at 6-4 entering Monday's visit to Sacramento. Road games at Portland, Seattle and LA (Clippers) follow, so you'll have to check back in a week to see if they're still surprising us, but it looks as though they were wise not to fold the franchise just because Hakeem Olajuwon fled for Canada.  

The skeptical side of us says a team that's even smaller than the Mavericks, almost fully reliant on its backcourt to do the carrying, has little shot to do so much as make the playoffs in the unforgiving West. Then you are politely reminded, by the wondrous Stevie Francis, that the Rockets didn't look too bad against the Spurs or the Lakers in the two games that preceded the Dallas demolition.