NBA Fans and Experts Alike: Please, Keep Sleeping on the Rockets

It seems that NBA fans and experts alike have dismissed the Rockets from being contenders. They've struggled with injuries this year, but they are just recently getting everyone back.

Even with all the injuries, the Rockets have posted a 30-20 record. They have played well against the upper echelon of teams, and should be able to make noise in the playoffs.

They've played San Antonio twice, lost by two without Shane Battier and smashed them without Tracy McGrady. They've beaten the Nuggets twice in a row now. They took the Celtics to the wire at home without Shane, and beat them in Boston without T-mac.

They got smashed by the Lakers without Shane or T-mac, and took them to the wire in Houston without Artest or T-mac. The Rockets have shown they can play with the 'big boys,' and should be able to do the some come May.

This all hinges on whether or not the Rockets can stay healthy. Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady have shown they can be injured on any given night, and the season would be all for nought if this happens.

That being said, I'm ecstatic that everyone is writing off the Rockets. It could be the best thing to happen to the team this season. They need to harness those opinions and use them for motivation moving forward.

The following are reasons why the Rockets, if healthy, will wreck havoc in the playoffs.

The Bench

Aside from maybe the Lakers and the Celtics, the Rockets have the deepest bench in the NBA. With Ron Artest, Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, and Von Wafer, the Rockets bench has the ability to keep the Rockets in games or extend leads.

Brooks has been getting increased playing time and it almost seems as if he might get the starting job soon. Adelman has been playing him almost like Jason Terry with Dallas, bringing him in with the reserves but keeping him in the game late. Rafer Alston has been playing poorly, and maybe a stint on the bench would wake him up.

Artest being on the bench gives the second unit a scorer, and gives him a role in which he is more comfortable. While at Sacramento, he was the first option on offense. This way, Adelman can allow him to play that role as the first option in the second unit.

Carl Landry has turned into an absolute stud off the bench. He is a workhorse, and is a beast on the offensive boards. Most importantly, he has heart. He may not have the size, but will out hustle and out muscle you. Landry is very underrated, and could start for some teams.

Von Wafer filled in spectacularly for Tracy McGrady. When McGrady was injured, Wafer gave the Rockets the ability to drive to the basket they needed when McGrady was resting. He is a terrific shooter and has potential to be a star in this league, at the very least a starter somewhere.

Determination

Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are determined to win a series and a championship. People have question Tracy's heart this season, which is baffling to me. If you need any reassurance of his intentions, please, go check out his post game press conference from two seasons ago.

X-Factor: Rick Adelman

Rick Adelman has been to the finals before, and knows what it takes to win in the post-season. He will be able to prepare the Rockets for the playoffs better than in the past. I realize they had Jeff Van Gundy, but he had a different team.

Last year, they did not have Rafer Alston for the first three games of the series, and would have done much better against the Jazz because he can contain Deron Williams. If they had Rafer, it would have been a different series. There is no way the Rockets would have lost both of the first home games in a row with Rafer on the floor.

If the Rockets can stay healthy they will make noise in the playoffs. Until then, please, keep sleeping on them, it's all they need to take them to the top.