2001–02 Houston Rockets season

The 2001–02 NBA season was the Rockets' 35th season in the National Basketball Association, 31st season in the city of Houston, and their 27th and penultimate season at Compaq Center.[1] In the 2001 NBA draft, the Rockets selected Richard Jefferson from the University of Arizona with the 13th pick,[2] but soon traded him to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for top draft pick Eddie Griffin.[3][4] During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star forward Glen Rice from the New York Knicks,[5][6][7] and re-acquired former Rockets forward Kevin Willis from the Milwaukee Bucks.[8]

2001–02 Houston Rockets season
Head coachRudy Tomjanovich
ArenaCompaq Center
Results
Record28–54 (.341)
PlaceDivision: 5th (Midwest)
Conference: 11th (Western)
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionKTBU
Fox Sports Net Southwest
RadioKTRH

In their first season without All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets got off to a 7–5 start, but then suffered a dreadful 15-game losing streak. Rice only played just 20 games due to a knee injury,[9] and Maurice Taylor missed the entire season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.[10][11] Due to injuries that hindered their roster for parts of the year, the Rockets played mediocre basketball all season long, losing 15 of their final 18 games, and finishing fifth in the Midwest Division with a disappointing 28–54 record.[12]

Team captain Steve Francis averaged 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, and made his first All-Star appearance being selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game,[13][14][15] but he only played 57 games, and starting 56 of them due to recurring foot injuries and migraines.[16][17] He also participated in the Slam Dunk Contest. Cuttino Mobley led the team in scoring averaging 21.7 points per game, and Griffin was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.[18] Following the season, Walt Williams signed as a free agent with the Dallas Mavericks,[19] and Willis signed with the San Antonio Spurs.[20][21]

Offseason

Draft picks
Main article: 2001 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College
113Richard JeffersonSF United StatesArizona
118Jason CollinsC United StatesStanford
123Brandon ArmstrongSG United StatesPepperdine

Roster
2001–02 Houston Rockets roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 10 Brown, Tierre 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 189 lb (86 kg) McNeese State
F/C 13 Cato, Kelvin 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Iowa State
C 52 Collier, Jason 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Georgia Tech
G 3 Francis, Steve 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Maryland
F/C 33 Griffin, Eddie 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Seton Hall
F 14 Langhi, Dan 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Vanderbilt
G/F 5 Mobley, Cuttino 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Rhode Island
F 44 Morris, Terence 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 221 lb (100 kg) Maryland
G 12 Norris, Moochie 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) West Florida
F 41 Rice, Glen Injured 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Michigan
F 21 Thomas, Kenny 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 261 lb (118 kg) New Mexico
G/F 18 Torres, Oscar 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Xavier
F/C 2 Taylor, Maurice Injured (IN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 260 lb (118 kg) Michigan
F 42 Williams, Walt Injured 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 219 lb (99 kg) Maryland
F/C 43 Willis, Kevin 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Michigan State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Injured Injured

Roster
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Roster Notes
  • Forward/center Maurice Taylor missed the entire season due to an ruptured Achilles tendon.

Regular season

Season standings
Midwest Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-San Antonio Spurs 5824.707–32–926–1521–3
x-Dallas Mavericks 5725.695130–1127–1416–8
x-Minnesota Timberwolves 5032.610829–1221–2015–9
x-Utah Jazz 4438.5371425–1619–228–16
Houston Rockets 2854.3413018–2310–319–15
Denver Nuggets 2755.3293120–217–348–16
Memphis Grizzlies 2359.2803515–268–337–17
#
Western Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Sacramento Kings6121.744–
2 y-San Antonio Spurs5824.7073
3 x-Los Angeles Lakers5824.7073
4 x-Dallas Mavericks5725.6954
5 x-Minnesota Timberwolves5032.61011
6 x-Portland Trail Blazers4933.59812
7 x-Seattle SuperSonics4537.54916
8 x-Utah Jazz4438.53717
9 Los Angeles Clippers3943.47622
10 Phoenix Suns3646.43925
11 Houston Rockets2854.34133
12 Denver Nuggets2755.32934
13 Memphis Grizzlies2359.28038
14 Golden State Warriors2161.25640

Record vs. opponents
2001-02 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MEM MIA MIL MIN NJN NYK ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS SEA TOR UTA WAS
Atlanta —2–22–23–13–10–22–01–32–01–11–31–11–12–03–11–30–22–11–31–31–31–11–10–20–20–20–41–10–3
Boston 2–2—2–12–24–00–22–02–21–10–23–02–02–02–03–11–31–13–14–03–11–31–11–10–20–21–12–21–13–1
Charlotte 2–21–2—4–03–10–22–01–32–01–13–11–10–21–13–02–20–21–32–23–11–32–01–10–21–11–12–21–13–1
Chicago 1–32–20–4—1–30–20–21–31–12–00–40–22–01–11–32–20–20–43–10–31–21–10–20–20–21–10–40–21–3
Cleveland 1–30–41–33–1—0–21–11–31–12–02–20–20–21–13–13–12–01–32–21–30–31–10–20–21–10–21–30–21–2
Dallas 2–02–02–02–02–0—4–01–14–02–22–02–21–34–01–12–02–22–01–11–11–13–12–23–11–33–11–13–11–1
Denver 0–20–20–22–01–10–4—0–21–32–20–21–31–33–10–20–22–21–12–00–21–13–12–20–40–43–11–11–30–2
Detroit 3–12–23–13–13–11–12–0—1–11–13–11–10–22–02–12–21–13–13–12–22–11–10–20–20–21–13–11–14–0
Golden State 0–21–10–21–11–10–43–11–1—1–30–22–21–33–10–20–21–31–11–10–21–10–42–20–40–40–40–20–41–1
Houston 1–12–01–10–20–22–22–21–13–1—0–21–30–41–30–21–12–20–21–10–21–12–21–30–40–42–21–12–21–1
Indiana 3–10–31–34–02–20–22–01–32–02–0—1–10–21–12–21–31–11–32–13–13–11–11–12–01–10–21–31–13–1
L.A. Clippers 1–10–21–12–02–02–23–11–12–23–11–1—1–33–12–01–12–20–22–01–10–23–11–31–31–31–31–10–41–1
L.A. Lakers 1–10–22–00–22–03–13–12–03–14–02–03–1—3–11–12–02–21–12–02–01–12–22–23–13–13–11–13–12–0
Memphis 0–20–21–11–11–10–41–30–21–33–11–11–31–3—1–10–20–40–21–10–22–01–32–21–30–40–41–13–10–2
Miami 1–31–30–33–11–31–12–01–22–02–02–20–21–11–1—3–10–21–32–23–11–31–11–10–21–12–01–30–22–2
Milwaukee 3–13–12–22–21–30–22–02–22–01–13–11–10–22–01–3—0–21–21–32–11–30–20–20–22–00–24–02–03–1
Minnesota 2–01–12–02–00–22–22–21–13–12–21–12–22–24–02–02–0—1–12–01–11–12–22–21–32–22–21–13–12–0
New Jersey 1–21–33–14–03–10–21–11–31–12–03–12–01–12–03–12–11–1—4–03–12–21–11–11–12–01–12–21–13–1
New York 3–10–42–21–32–21–10–21–31–11–11–20–20–21–12–23–10–20–4—0–41–31–11–11–10–22–03–01–11–3
Orlando 3–11–31–33–03–11–12–02–22–02–01–31–10–22–01–31–21–11–34–0—3–12–00–21–10–20–23–11–12–2
Philadelphia 3–13–13–12–13–01–11–11–21–11–11–32–01–10–23–13–11–12–23–11–3—2–00–20–21–11–11–30–22–3
Phoenix 1–11–10–21–11–11–31–31–14–02–21–11–32–23–11–12–02–21–11–10–20–2—2–21–31–32–21–12–20–2
Portland 1–11–11–12–02–02–22–22–02–23–11–13–12–22–21–12–02–21–11–12–02–02–2—2–21–33–11–11–32–0
Sacramento 2–02–02–02–02–01–34–02–04–04–00–23–11–33–12–02–03–11–11–11–12–03–12–2—3–12–22–04–01–1
San Antonio 2–02–01–12–01–13–14–02–04–04–01–13–11–34–01–10–22–20–22–02–01–13–13–11–3—2–21–14–02–0
Seattle 2–01–11–11–12–01–31–31–14–02–22–03–11–34–00–22–02–21–10–22–01–12–21–32–22–2—2–01–31–1
Toronto 4–02–22–24–03–11–11–11–32–01–13–11–11–11–13–10–41–12–20–31–33–11–11–10–21–10–2—1–11–2
Utah 1–11–11–12–02–01–33–11–14–02–21–14–01–31–32–00–21–31–11–11–12–02–23–10–40–43–11–1—2–0
Washington 3–01–31–33–12–11–12–00–41–11–11–31–10–22–02–21–30–21–33–12–23–22–00–21–10–21–12–10–2—

Player statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Season
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG

Awards and records

References
  1. 2001-02 Houston Rockets
  2. "2001 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  3. Wise, Mike (June 28, 2001). "PRO BASKETBALL; Three High School Stars Are Among First Four Chosen". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  4. Sheridan, Chris (June 28, 2001). "High School Player Tops NBA Draft". Associated Press. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  5. Robbins, Liz (August 11, 2001). "PRO BASKETBALL; Looking for Balance, the Knicks Trade Rice". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  6. Services, Times Wire (August 11, 2001). "Rice Goes to Houston in Three-Team Trade". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  7. Wise, Mike (October 30, 2001). "PRO BASKETBALL; Jordan Against the New Generation, Lakers Against the World". The New York Times. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  8. Gardner, Kris (October 22, 2001). "Rockets Get Kevin Willis". The Houston Roundball Review. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  9. Berman, Marc (January 7, 2002). "Rice Reunion Derailed by Injury". New York Post. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  10. "PLUS: BASKETBALL; Rockets' Taylor Will Miss Season". The New York Times. September 6, 2001. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  11. Services, Wire (December 17, 2001). "Wizards Keep Rolling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. "2001–02 Houston Rockets Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  13. "2002 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  14. "2002 All-Star Weekend - at Philadelphia: February 8-10". Eskimo North. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  15. "2002 NBA All-Star Game: West 135, East 120". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  16. "Cartwright Gets Bulls' Promotion". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. December 29, 2001. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  17. "Francis' Migraine Eases Up; Guard Rejoins Team". Chron. January 18, 2002. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. "2001–02 Houston Rockets Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  19. "Mavericks Sign Walt Williams". United Press International. October 18, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  20. "Spurs Sign C-F Kevin Willis". United Press International. August 27, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  21. Heisler, Mark (October 28, 2002). "West Capsules in Predicted Order of Finish". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 20, 2022.

See also
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