EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Steve Francis	rookie	Exciting star-to-be is turnover machine
SG	Shandon Anderson	14 threes	Defends, posts up, but has no range
SF	Walt Williams	9.3 PPG	Well traveled and ready to shoot for all
PF	Charles Barkley	12.3 RPG	Expect big year as Chuck finishes career
C	Hakeem Olajuwon	18.9 PPG	Still dominant at times, but not very often
SG	Cuttino Mobley	9.9 PPG	Rookie season at point wasn't that bad
C	Kelvin Cato	1.3 BPG	Had a 12-block preseason game
PF	Carlos Rogers	2 games	Never healthy, but ability seems there

		The transitional Rockets are refueled. They have rookie Steve Francis and a shot blocker in Kelvin Cato. They have gotten bigger, younger, and more athletic. They have a 3-point shooter in Walt Williams to go with veterans Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon. Shandon Anderson was an excellent offseason addition. Last year the Rockets floundered around and didn't have home-court advantage. It's important for them to at least have home court in the first round. The big challenge for them is getting at least fourth place in the Western Conference. The Rockets may have all the parts they need. Now it's up to Rudy Tomjanovich to stir all those ingredients together and come out with a Happy Meal.

Just over a year ago, they deemed themselves not good enough to compete in the rapidly improving Western Conference, so they took the Bull by the horns and somehow landed Scottie Pippen from Chicago. This season they felt neither the team nor Pippen was good enough, so they again pulled the trigger on a major trade, dealing the disgruntled forward to Portland for six players. Well, six warm bodies, anyway, three of which the Rockets decided were able enough to keep around.

But that's not all.

They also beat everyone else to the punch and worked out a deal with Vancouver for Steve Francis, the No. 2 pick in the draft, for Michael Dickerson, Othella Harrington, Brent Price and Antoine Carr. The Rockets also got Tony Massenburg and a raft of other players from Vancouver, but Francis is the one they wanted.

And don't forget about signing Utah free agent Shandon Anderson, who should be a valuable cog in the Rockets' attack this season with his versatility and ability to run the floor.

The key, however, was dumping Pippen. Enter Portland, which offered Walt Williams, Kelvin Cato and four others for him. Bingo. Suddenly the Rockets went from being an aging, halfcourt-oriented team to a deep, young, fastbreaking squad that has tremendous versatility.

"The way it looks right now," says Olajuwon, "this is the best team I've ever played on."

That's saying something, and it says a lot about the team's mindset entering the season. "The biggest thing," says coach Rudy Tomjanovich, "is the positive enthusiasm about this team. The older guys, Charles and Dream, have expressed nothing but positive things about this team. They feel rejuvenated and excited about the new mixture."

Especially considering the many ways the Rockets have to attack. In the past, they relied almost exclusively on their punishing halfcourt offense. But with Francis, Anderson, second-year guard Cuttino Mobley and Cato on the floor, the Rockets suddenly have the makings of a very good fastbreak team as well.

"I thought we'd go up and down a little bit, but (Tomjanovich) wants us to get up the floor every time," Anderson says. "We can always set up in the halfcourt. But we're going to get up the floor and try to get the easy basket."

	Player to watch
	Anderson Has Shandon Anderson bitten off more than he can chew, or is he an emerging superstar? We're quite certain Anderson will be fine defensively and know he will be able to take advantage of smaller defenders on offense, but can he score when the team isn't running? Luckily for Anderson, this team should do a lot of running, so we may not find out how good Anderson can really be.

Point guard
What once was considered the Rockets' most glaring weakness has suddenly become a tremendous strength. "We think in Steve Francis we're getting probably the most exciting player available in the draft," Tomjanovich says. "He's amazing." Francis appears to be the real deal, especially considering the rules changes that will limit how much defenders can lean on him or hold him. Francis has the ability to shoot with range, drive and dish or slice through the lane and finish -- often with a dunk over the opposing center. He also brings some much-needed enthusiasm to a team that has lacked exactly that over the past couple of seasons.

Bryce Drew is maturing into a solid backup, and he gives the Rockets a decidedly different look at the point when he's on the floor. Drew is more out of the Mark Price mold, able to pull up from the 3-point line on the break or direct the break from the middle of the floor. It's when the Rockets get into their halfcourt sets that Drew suffers. Any sort of physical play seems to knock him off his game, and that will have to change.

Shooting guard
The Rockets plan to have Anderson start at this position, giving them a young, explosively athletic backcourt. Just one problem, though: Anderson can't shoot. The Rockets are looking at him more from a transition-offense, full-court-defense perspective, however. He'll thrive in the fastbreak offense after playing with John Stockton in Utah.

But don't be surprised if Mobley, last year's surprise after being taken with the 43rd pick in the draft, settles in at shooting guard. Mobley still has some work to do on his streaky outside shot, but he can take it out to the arc and knock it down. He also has excellent speed, quickness and athleticism, and it's clear already that he and Francis -- two of the most humorously cocky and outspoken players around -- have developed a special rapport already.

Small forward
This is where the Rockets really upgraded themselves, even though that may seem a reach since they lost Pippen. In Williams, they got the small forward they've been chasing for years. Remember, he was one of the players they coveted in that ill-fated trade they had set up with Toronto two seasons ago that would've also landed them Damon Stoudamire. Williams gives the Rockets a legitimate small forward, a guy who can knock down the three -- a must in the team's halfcourt sets -- post up when needed and create his own shot off the dribble.

Anderson figures to slide down to small forward when Williams sits, giving the team a lot more defense but considerably less shooting from that position. But Tomjanovich would ideally like to have what he calls an "energy" unit as the second team, with Anderson teaming with Mobley and Cato in a high-pressure defensive mode.

Power forward
As he enters his final season, Barkley still gets it done on the glass-as evidenced by his league second-best 12.3 rpg last season-and he's also able to score without taking a significant number of shots. He's especially proficient at finding open shooters on the perimeter when defenses collapse inside. Another factor to consider: Barkley is out to stick it to Pippen after Pippen accused Barkley of not being committed to winning. "This whole thing really has pumped me up," Barkley says. "My manhood has been questioned."

Tony Massenburg, Don MacLean, Carlos Rogers and even Cato figure to log time at power forward, giving the Rockets a lot of versatility. MacLean and Rogers are shooters, while Massenburg and Cato are more muscle guys who will do most of their work on defense.

Center
Olajuwon has actually surprised some with his all-positive attitude about the offense. He doesn't mind one bit sacrificing shots if it means this version of the Rockets can run more and get more players involved. But the Dream can still do it. He averaged almost 19 points, 10 boards and three blocks last season, even though a lot of people still talk about it being a "down" year for him.

Cato gives the Rockets the first legitimate backup center in ages. And the fact he's an athletic 7-footer has Olajuwon and Tomjanovich drooling over the possibilities, especially in the shot-blocking department. Tomjanovich has even suggested that Cato could lead the league in blocks this season.

Coaching
Tomjanovich has the respect and trust of his players, which goes a long way in this league. And he's now proving that he's not a slave to the style the Rockets have employed since they won consecutive titles in 1994 and '95. The Rockets looked old and vulnerable against the Lakers in the first round last season, but this is a new team, and Tomjanovich appears to have renewed vigor.