<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Andy Warhol once said, "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Realizing that nothing would be achieved standing pat, the Houston Rockets took it upon themselves to change their roster and to have their destiny in their own hands. While standing firm with last year's 51-31 team may have built cohesion and perhaps even advancement throughout the playoffs due to experience, Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson bypassed that slim possibility and pulled the trigger on some transactions that have placed the Rockets among the elite of the NBA. While the Rockets made tremendous progress last season, Dawson saw some areas where the Rockets could be even better. He saw a team that had a need for a frontline player who could run the floor and be a backstop for Yao, as well as provide defensive frontcourt help both on and off the ball. He also noticed the room for improvement in the backcourt. While the needs were few, Dawson saw them essential in order to maintain progress in a Western Conference that gets more and more competitive each passing season. Dawson started addressing these needs on June 29th with the 2005 NBA draft. Owning the 24th selection of the first round, Dawson chose 6'4" combo guard Luther Head, a senior out of the University of Illinois. Dawson was enamored with Head's athleticism (Head boasts a 39-inch vertical leap), basketball smarts, versatility, and his winning attitude.</div> Rest of Preview and comment
