Post-All-Star Game Burning Question #1: Will the Rockets make the post-season?

...and they're off! With 30 games or less left for each team in the regular season, they're all doing a little more scoreboard-watching to see if they can gain -- or avoid losing -- any last-minute regular season ground.

One team many predict will make a major move is the Houston Rockets. Prior to the face-pounding from Phoenix on Thursday night, Houston had won 8 of their last 9. Yao and McGrady are back in action, and despite ranking 13th in the West today, they are less than 5 games back of the 8th seed, the Lakers.

But can they do it? Are the stars aligned for a big push towards an epic first-round series with the Mavs or Spurs? Let's examine the factors in play and see if we can't draw a proper conclusion.

How tough is their schedule?
The Rockets have 5 games remaining against Dallas and San Antonio, but they play those teams tough and figure to take at least 2 of them. They only have 12 roadies left, and 6 of those are in one trip at the beginning of April. Normally, that would be a good thing, but the Rockets are almost .500 on the road and have won only 8 games at home. Houston plays 5 games in April against the teams ahead of them in the race for 8th, giving them a chance to make up ground down the stretch. Most of those are part of the long road trip, and if they maintain their solid road play, they have a chance to help themselves. Overall, the Rockets have a realistic shot of going 19-8 over the final 27, which would give them a 42-40 record at the end of the year.

How tough are the teams ahead of them?
Minnesota's burying themselves, so count them out. Golden State plays Mike Dunleavy 30 minutes a night, and I'm going out on a limb and saying no team will ever make the playoffs doing that. Jerry Sloan finally broke Deron Williams, who looks shell-shocked every time he steps on the floor now. Pretty hard to win games when your PG dives under the scorer's table every time the coach clears his throat.

That brings us to Sacramento and the Lakers. Since the arrival of Artest, the Kings have fundamentally altered the way they play offense. Much less motion, much less ball movement -- now they just isolate Ronnie and let him work. Improbably, that has led to a 6-5 mark and could be a sign they've got life left. Still, the whole team knows Adelman is done, and Bibby's going to freak if he continues to be forced to stand around as a spot-up shooter collecting Artest's scraps. Expect them to finish around 40 wins.

The Lakers have collapsed since the big 8-1, winning only 3 of their last 10. All the trade talk isn't helping matters, and if the rumored Odom-for-Francis swap happens, Phil Jackson can book his trip to Katmandu or Jeannie Buss's bosom or wherever the hell he goes to cocoon between seasons. If they keep the present unit, though, it wouldn't surprise me to see Kobe and friends put on a show down the stretch and eke out a playoff berth.

There's also a team above the Lakers right now that might be running on fumes. Don't assume NO/OKC is a lock for the playoffs; they're recent win streak coincides with a lot of home games against bad Eastern Conference teams. They have a tough April and could slip under .500 by the end of the year.

What about the Rockets themselves? Can they do it?
This is the hardest question to answer. The Rockets are 22-18 when T-Mac plays; nice, but not eye-opening. Factor in McGrady's cryptic ruminations on Friday, when he claimed this season has been extremely difficult for him due to an undisclosed personal issue. It didn't sound like this issue was over and done with, either, so it's possible he'll be distracted over the next few months. Yao's pretty much the same player he's always been -- passive at times, dominant in short spurts, and still giving off the general impression that he's only 85% as good as he could be. Obviously, those two have almost no help, and a draft pick that would allow them to collect a dirty-work power forward could be better for the team than eking into the playoffs with both franchise players at less than perfect health.

Shut up already. Will they do it?
While they *could* win 19 games down the stretch, the Rockets' formula for success seems too fragile. 17 or 16 wins seems more reasonable, which would likely leave them a game or two short of the final playoff spot this season. One star is distracted, either could tweak any number of injuries, and no other player can shoulder the burden. The Hornets, Lakers, and even the Kings seem to want it just a little more this year. But if you see a Rockets team with Marco Killingsworth on it next year, the near miss could be a blessing in disguise.

"Damn RIGHT the Rockets could use me."