The Houston Rockets are 14-11 this season and 11-4 since January 11th. While Houston can attribute some of their success to the newly installed frontcourt duo of Luis Scola and Samuel Dalembert, the tutelage of Kevin McHale and role players like Chase Budinger taking their games to new levels, the biggest shift in the team has been the emergence of Kyle Lowry as their starting point guard.
Lowry was the next in line after Aaron Brooks left the Rockets, now starting full-time the point guard from Villanova is being considered for an all-star spot:
"It would mean a lot," said Lowry, who is averaging 14.9 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. "It’s very humbling to even be considered in that type of category. It’s a testament to how hard I worked and what I put into my game to try to be the best I can be at all times. If I made it, it would be a big accomplishment. I would be ecstatic. I would be really, really happy. You wouldn’t even understand how happy I’d be. If I didn’t, I’d understand. It just wasn’t my time."
Lowry is also beginning to be recognized for lifting his team to new heights, as he continues to stick on Tom Ziller's MVP Rankings. Lowry is No. 7 this week:
| 7. | Kyle Lowry | Rockets | 16.5 points on .564 TS%, 8.7 assists, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals | 10 |
| The Rockets are now reflecting Lowry's genius, riding a hot streak into the playoff seeds. If Lowry and Kevin Martin can carry Houston all of the way into the postseason in Kevin McHale's first full season as a head coach, a whole lot of crow will be eaten around the league. | ||||
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