Carl Landry Gives Wrecked Houston Rockets the Jaws of Life

If a gunshot wound in the right leg could not stop Carl Landry from playing again, how could anyone expect a few missing teeth to derail the Houston Rockets' trampoline-like forward?

He missed three weeks in the spring after perpetrators, perhaps mistaking him for a thug acquaintance, shot at him several times mere blocks from his near-downtown home. One of the bullets grazed his leg, just missing a critical bone.

He ran from his surprise assailants and later said he felt lucky to be alive.

Flash forward to Friday night in Dallas, when Dirk Nowitzki unintentionally tested Landry's resiliency again. When Landry fouled the former MVP on a drive to rim, Nowitzki's wayward elbow smacked him in the mouth.

He lost five teeth in the freak incident, and pieces from several of them became lodged in Nowitzki's elbow. Both players missed the rest of the contest, which the Rockets won in overtime 116-108.

Nowitzki recovered after a two-game absence and played in Tuesday night's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Landry returned to action in Tuesday's win over the L.A. Clippers and scored a team-high 27 points.

While it would be insane to compare a third-year reserve to an All-Star performer headed for the Hall of Fame, their impacts are similar.

For the injury-riddled Rockets, that may qualify as the best news of the year.

Aaron Brooks has flashed his All-Star caliber talent, and Trevor Ariza leads the team in scoring, but Landry has been the team's most consistent performer on the offensive end.

Houston would not be 17-12, with a three-game winning streak heading into Wednesday's loss at Orlando, without Landry's 16 PPG of Rocket fuel.

His 87 percent accuracy from the foul strip leads the team, as does his 24 double-digit scoring outings.

Tuesday marked the 13th time Landry has topped 20 points. In his first two seasons, he reached that plateau only four times. His 27-point magnum opus also matched a career-high.

Selected by the Seattle Sonics with 31st pick in the 2007 draft and traded to the Rockets for a future second-rounder, Landry has become the gift that keeps on giving and the punching bag that hits back.

At 6'9" and 248 pounds, he often gives up several inches and a size or two in the weight department. He takes a beating when he bombards the rim, but has yet to let his physical disadvantages deter him from a breakout season.

If any Rockets player deserved All-Star consideration, it would be Landry, not among the four on the official ballot. He will get some votes in the "sixth man" and "most improved" races, even if Atlanta's Jamal Crawford is the early frontrunner for the top reserve award.

He unleashed his full arsenal of shots in his return this week—from driving reverse layups, to short hook shots from the left and right boxes, to rim-rattling dunks, forceful lay-ins, and even a reliable turnaround jumper.

Also count Landry among the league leaders in field goal percentage and fourth quarter scoring.

This was to be the season the Rockets would perish in their own wreckage.

This was supposed to be a year in which the team would struggle to win more than 14 games.

Many expected a tumble to lottery land instead of a gritty playoff push.

To those who say a postseason berth means little in the NBA compared to other sports, the Rockets provide an excellent rebuttal to that argument.

Landry has driven the success as much as anyone.

Unfortunately for the fatigued Rockets, he was the lone player who showed up in the fourth quarter Wednesday night at Amway Arena.

Facing a double-digit deficit to start the fourth, the team looked to Landry to spark a comeback. He delivered, hitting all five of his shots in the final period and swooshing his freebies.

No one else showed up to party.

The go-to tag most assigned to Brooks and Ariza in the preseason now belongs to Landry. He wears it well.

In a one-point overtime home loss to the Lakers, he scored six buckets in clutch time.

He did his best to help the Rockets run past the Phoenix Suns, pouring in 27 points.

Ariza is an awful 3-for-22 from the field in his last two outings. Brooks made a combined four field goals on 23 tries in Saturday's and Tuesday's games.

Can anyone question that Landry is the team's best option, at present, in the endgame?

He won't deliver a championship or more postseason series victories to Houston, but Landry has shown Morey that no matter the general manager's plans for the franchise's future, he should be part of them.

If Morey and Co. hoped to find a potential star among the supposed scrap heap of role players left in Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady's wake, consider Landry the best fetch.

He may never become a primo defender or a consistent yeoman on the boards, but his grand smile—now accentuated by fake teeth—and larger than 6'9" game on offense will avail.

Knocking his teeth loose? Shooting at him? An elephantine foul at the hoop?

If these setbacks failed to stop Landry, what will?

Wafer Fails Physical, Rockets Opt for Mike Harris Instead

Well, that was interesting. Perhaps wacky is the better word choice.

Von Wafer almost returned to the Rockets again after buying out his contract with Greek team Olympiakos.

He signed there this fall to play alongside ex-NBAers Josh Childress and Linas Kleiza. I had not followed his stint with the squad, but by most accounts, his Greece tenure was disastrous.

With McGrady in and out of the lineup last season, Rick Adelman looked to Wafer as the turbo-charged reserve scorer.

He also inspired his teammates, and a few fans, to sport red Von Hawks.

What baffles me is that Wafer agreed to take another physical in Houston after failing one in Memphis.

The fans would have embraced his return, but reports in the Houston Chronicle and other sources suggested he would need a few weeks to get back into NBA-level game shape.

The Rockets only pursued an extra player to fill out the depleted roster while Chase Budinger recovers from his ankle injury.

It is doubtful Harris will play much, if at all, during his brief call-up from Rio Grande Valley.

He does, however, know the system as well as any D-Leaguer can. If Adelman needed Harris to provide spot minutes in a game or two, he could more than hack it.

I would expect Morey to send Harris back to the Vipers when Budinger returns.

An All-Star From the Rockets in Dallas?

I have pondered this question for much of the season, but my answer remains the same.

With only 12 players on the Western Conference squad, it will be tough for any Rocket to earn a spot.

Among the forwards, Landry deserves the most consideration. There is no way he should get an invite over Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony, or Kevin Durant.

Among the guards, Brooks might be the best of the Rockets' eligible bunch. Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, and maybe Tony Parker, have all earned an All-Star selection. When you consider than only four or five of those names will go to Dallas, Brooks' odds look slimmer than ever.

The Rockets will have to settle for a better than expected winning record.