I started this blog almost seven years ago now and I stopped writing because I lost passion for my Bayou City teams. Yao and T-Mac fell apart physically, the Astros self-destructed thanks to bad contracts and even worse player development (frankly, they became boring) and the Texans struggled mightily to produce a respectable defense.
In the four years since I last made a post, many things have changed. The Rockets have moved on, with just Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola remaining from the amazing 2009 playoff run. In Lowry the Rockets have hope that they are one major trade away from being real contenders. The Rockets thought they had that trade when they made a move for Pau Gasol before the start of the season only to see David Stern spike that deal. We won't know how good (or bad) the Rockets would have been if the deal had gone through. But they're currently in the playoffs because they have found ways to get contributions from everyone.
Some nights it will be Kevin Martin, Lowry and Scola doing the damage. Other nights Chase Budinger and Courtney Lee will carry the load. It makes for a really fun team to watch even if they aren't quite good enough to be an elite team.
The Texans have been the best surprise of all. Everyone knew Wade Phillips was good but few fans would have guessed the Texans defense would be in the top-five in most defensive categories in 2011. Phillips' schemes were certainly a game changer for the Texans but it is impossible to ignore how big the additions of J.J. Watt ("The Milkman") and Jonathan Joseph were. Both proved themselves as elite players on the defensive side of the ball. With Conner Barwin finally healthy and Antonio Smith, Demeco Ryans and Bryan Cushing serving as vital cogs, the Texans defense is poised to be stay elite even if Mario Williams bolts this offseason.
With Matt Schaub coming back next year and (hopefully) Arian Foster in tow, the Texans really seem poised for big things, which you could not have said about them when Schaub and Kubiak first arrived on the scene.
It's also important to mention the revival of the Houston Cougars. I'll post something I wrote back in January about them but suffice it to say they were on the cusp of shocking the college football landscape. I'll avoid saying they missed greatness because one does not go 13-1 on luck; the 2011 Houston Cougars were special and I will always remember them.
Of course, some things never change. The Astros are still bottom feeders. This is a complicated issue that could easily span 10 posts. For now I'll say the Astros have done a decent job of getting young talent in their farm system as of 2011. If Jim Crane is the owner he says he is, the Astros could be very good in four or five years. Patience will be key and will be resisting the urge to splurge on high- end free agents.
2012 will be a year where there is a legitimate championship contender in Houston: the Texans. Let's relish in that for now and worry about the rest later.
