The Houston Rockets and former point guard Aaron Brooks are seeking to reunite.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
The Rockets have spoken with representatives of Aaron Brooks, 27, with the sides showing “mutual interest†in bringing him back to Houston, according to a person familiar with the talks.
This is a smart idea for the Rockets, considering Brooks' NBA experience as well as how quickly the backcourt has depleted.
By that token, let's take a look at why Houston must get Brooks to return for the 2012-13 NBA season.
Proven Ability
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Despite not receiving one start as a rookie during the 2007-08 season, Aaron Brooks played in 51 games and averaged 5.2 points while getting just over 11 minutes per contest. He then started 35 of 80 games played in 2008-09 and all 82 games in 2009-10.
During his third season with Houston, Brooks averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 assists and shot 43.2 percent from the field. Possessing great quickness, solid court awareness and the knack to score at will, Brooks is Houston's best bet in the backcourt.
The Rockets need a guy who can draw defenders out of the frontcourt and dish the rock underneath to Terrence Jones or outside to Jeremy Lamb. Ranking No. 9 in offense last season, the Rockets will only improve this year with Brooks running the point.
Lest we also forget about Brooks' postseason numbers in 2008-09. In 13 playoff starts, he averaged 16.8 points and 3.4 assists and shot 45.3 percent from the field.
Potential
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Right now Aaron Brooks is only 27 years old and has a lot of playing time left.
With four NBA seasons under his belt and two solid performances in the postseason, Brooks' potential is virtually unlimited. Even during his injury/trade season of 2010-11, Brooks still averaged 10.6 points and four assists in 59 games played (12 starts).
Plus, his role was significantly reduced to getting only a little over 20 minutes per contest. In 2011-12, Brooks played in China and led the Guangdong Southern Tigers to a 27-5 record and a CBA finals appearance.
Coming off a season overseas where he averaged 22.3 points and 4.8 assists and shot 55.3 percent from the field, Brooks has greatly enhanced his NBA potential.
Can Houston become Western Conference title contenders with Brooks at the point?
Can Houston become Western Conference title contenders with Brooks at the point?
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Most definitely
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No way
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Too early to tell
Backcourt Need
Regardless of how much the Houston Rockets use Aaron Brooks, his addition can only help the need for a deeper backcourt.
In the early days of July, the Rockets saw Kyle Lowry and Goron Dragic both split. Lowry was traded to the Toronto Raptors according to Marc Stein and Ric Bucher of ESPN, and Dragic went back to the Phoenix Suns, also according to Stein of ESPN.
Two guys who combined for the 66 starts at point guard in Houston are now gone. This, in turn, bodes well for Brooks' potential return, as he'll be the best option to orchestrate the offense in 2012-13.
Already having displayed he can put on a show in the association, it's reasonable to anticipate that Brooks will take his game to the next level. There's no pressure to win, and coming off a strong season in China, Brooks can emerge as a star player in Houston with some impressive young talent supporting him.
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