The Houston Rockets are on a roll with a franchise record 17 straight wins after thumping the Mavs with Jason Kidd but minus forward Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. 

Tell the truth. Did you pick them to win an NBA championship this year? If you did, let's go to Vegas.

The Rockets are on a roll now and people are beginning to take notice. Rick Adelman just won the Western Conference Coach of the Month award and a little known rookie (at least in the States) Luis Scola won Western Rookie of the Month. Since he has been in the starting lineup, Houston is 15-1 and still counting.

'Tell the truth. Did you pick the Rockets to win an NBA championship this year? If you did, let's go to Vegas'


I admit he has surprised me. I know he is an Olympic champion , but this is the NBA. Sometimes people put too much emphasis into how athletic a player is or how much he dunks. Plain and simple, Scola can play. He rebounds, sets crushing picks, scraps for every ball and even makes a great deal of his shots. Scola is averaging 22.5 minutes per game, 9.2 ppg , 5.6 rebounds per game and shooting over 50 percent from the field. Not bad for a rookie.

Actually, he is not a rookie at all. The 27-year-old Scola is a veteran of numerous professional seasons in the premier Spanish league, two Olympics and two World Championships with an NBA filled Argentinian line-up.

He has been an MVP player and proved his worth by carrying a less than stocked Argentina team to a second-place finish in last year's FIBA Americas tournament.

Scola is a winner and I believe the Rockets have found their power forward for the next few years. With Yao coming back next year , the Rockets will be one of the favorites to win it all. If they do, Luis can then fulfill one of his dreams since he was a little kid from Buenos Aires imitating one of his favorite players, Michael Jordan, swishing a basket.

I think the Spurs let go a future NBA star. For Luis , it's another day at the office.