Ranking The Houston Rockets Players: Worst To Best

The Houston Rocket's are a team with a lot of talent but no definitive star. Ranking them is a hard task considering how close together a lot of their talent is. Obviously Yao Ming is up their, but how good is he going to be in his return after being out for all of last season with a foot injury? Well let's see who the best player on the Houston Rocket's is. (When i say worst i mean not as talented, not saying they are bad.)

#15 Ishmael Smith

Ishamel Smith was signed to a non-guaranteed multi-year deal. He averaged 13.2 points with 6 assists per game with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons last year. He's pretty fast and is a good play maker. But i'd expect him to be something like Garrett Temple was last year, a guard who gets sparing minutes and will likely have some stints with the Rockets D-League team, The Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

#14 Jermaine Taylor

Jermaine is a fantastic athlete who can throw it down with the best of them. He only played in 31 games last year and when he played it was only for 10 minutes a game. Didn't get as many chances as he would have liked. He can score, that's why the Rockets traded for him. We'll find out how much playing time he will get next season. Jermaine averaged 4.1 points per game last season.

(I couldn't find a picture of Jermaine.)

#13 Jared Jeffries

Jared Jeffries is another guy that came over in the trade for T-Mac. He is a very good defensive player and a great charge taker. Being very long helps him as well. He has developed a pretty nice shot but other than that not much of an offensive game. Definitely a difference maker on defense and the glass. Jared averaged 5.3 points, 4.1 boards and 1 block per game last season.

#12 Patrick Patterson

Picked 14th overall in the 2010 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, Patterson is basically good at everything but not great at anything. He is a guy who is used to winning and will provide athleticism and strength to a fairly weak team. Not much else to say about him other than we'll have to wait and see how the rookie will fair this upcoming season.

#11 Jordan Hill

Jordan came over just before the trade deadline in the Tracy McGrady trade. He can dunk, rebound and has a fair post game and an so-so mid range shot. Very physical player not afraid of contact and has loads of potential. He will be a key guy at center if Yao goes down with another injury. If not though he will likely get limited minutes again. Jordan averaged 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game the previous season.

#10 Chuck Hayes

Every Rockets fan knows what this man did for the team last year, at six foot six he started at center and did a pretty good job defending some of the top post players in the game. One of the best post defender in the league despite his size, an excellent rebounder and takes charges very well. He also worked on his offensive game a lot this off season so definitely should see some improvements there. Chuck averaged 4.4 points and 5.7 boards last season.

#9 Brad Miller

Miller was signed to a three year 15 million dollar deal this off-season. He is a pretty good offensive center. He had an off year last year but should be back on track coming back with coach Rick Adleman whom coached him with the Kings years ago. Solid rebounder and brings height to a short team, but has lost a few steps with age. He averaged 8.8 points and 4.9 boards last year with the Bul

#8 Chase Budinger

Chase was a pleasant surprise last year for the Rockets, a second round pick ended up being a top 15 rookie. He's a good shooter and dunker, athletic and can dunk pretty well. Needs to improve on defense though. He sprained his ankle and will miss some of training camp which isn't good but it's not the end of the world. He averaged 8.9 points and 3 boards per game last season.

#7 Courtney Lee

Courtney came over in a four team deal that sent Trevor Ariza to the Hornets. He had a down year with the Nets because he was asked to do things more than usual, like be a main scorer and taking bad shots. He is an above average defender with a good three point shot and a pretty good athlete. Should be a good addition as a backup shooting guard. Averaged 12.5 points last year with the Nets.

#6 Kyle Lowry

Backup point guard to Aaron Brooks last season. He can score, hustle, defend and is probably the best passer on the team. He would be a starter on a lot of teams including the world champion Lakers and the Miami Heat. He said he would prefer to be a starter but said he would return to the Rockets to back up Aaron Brooks. It's not like he had much of a choice as he was a restricted free agent. None the less he played great averaging 9.1 points, 4.5 assists and .9 steals per game last season.

#5 Shane Battier

Regarded as one of the best defenders in the game and in my opinion, the best in the game. He shuts down stars on a nightly basis. Just ask Kobe. He's also an excellent three point shooter and is just another guy who can hustle and take charges. One of the best role players in the game. Remember no NBA team has one a title without solid role players. Last year he averaged 8 points, 4.7 boards, 1.13 blocks and .79 steals points per game. He is also a very clutch player.

#4 Luis Scola

Luis Scola is possibly the hardest worker in the NBA, night in night out he gives you 115%. Has a good hook shot and a sweet mid range jumper. Played in every single game last season and got a brand new contract because of all he does. He averaged 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. But in the games after Carl Landry was traded he averaged over 20 points with just under 10 boards per game. He is definitely one of the best power forwards in the game.

#3 Yao Ming

Yao Ming, the best offensive center in the game when healthy. But will he stay healthy? Coming off a major foot injury Yao had to have season ending surgery and missed the entire 2009-2010 season. Even if he's healthy will he return to the star he once was? All these questions surround Yao. I think Yao will remain healthy, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had the same surgery and he has been fine ever since. Yao, I think, should return to at least 80% of what he was. he will faced reduced minutes at the beginning of the season but will make a huge impact when on the court. He could very well be the best player on this team, but you just can't say that with so many question marks.

#2 Aaron Brooks

The 2009-2010 season Most Improved Player. Brooks electrifies the crowd with his blazing speed and great three point shooting skills. He needs to improve his passing and defense. He is definitely one of the better point guards in the NBA. He averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists per game last year. He made the most three's out of anybody last season. Looking forward to seeing how much he has developed since the last season.

#1 Kevin Martin

Kevin Martin came over from the Kings in the Tracy McGrady trade. He can score with anybody in the league. Getting to the foul line at will and knocking down three after three and shooting over 85% from the free throw line. Maybe not the best defender ever but he does his job. Last year he was coming off an injury and was not in his best shape. This season is going to be the season he makes the all star team and is recognized as one of the best players in the league. He is 27 and entering the prime of his career. He averaged 20.6 points per game last season.

Conclusion

I believe Kevin Martin is the best player on the Rockets. But your opinion counts too! Tell me if you agree or disagree and why. Either way it should be an exciting upcoming season for the Rockets and for the rest of the NBA. Thanks for reading and Go Rockets!