(My Sportsbook) - The Houston Rockets used the first overall pick in the NBA Draft to select Chinese center Yao Ming, thus addressing a glaring roster weakness from last season's 28-54 season. Houston had to cut through a mountain of international red tape to land the pivot.

The Shanghai Sharks, Yao's former team, had originally withheld him from the draft because Chinese sports officials feared his departure could cause further damage to its fledgling professional league. Houston was able to clear this hurdle. Yao still had to get approval from the Chinese Basketball Association before he could sign with the Rockets. Houston was able to work that out, and has since agreed to a reported four-year, $17.8 million contract with Yao. The fourth season is a club option.

Yao led his Sharks to a Chinese Basketball Association championship earlier this year. He made 72.1 percent of his shots and averaged 32.4 points and 19 rebounds during the season.

"Yao has signed an agreement with the CBA basically affirming his responsibilities as a national team player," Yao's agent Erik Zhang told the Houston Chronicle. "Houston has reached agreement with the CBA on various issues. The key was allowing Yao to play for the national team."

With Yao in the fold, the Rockets were left with more conventional issues to handle, namely injuries to their backcourt.

Moochie Norris will be sidelined for about three weeks with a dislocated right pinkie finger he suffered in a preseason contest. Norris, the only Rocket to play in every game last season, will undergo surgery to repair the injury.

"He dislocated it, and I could not reduce it [pop it back into place]," Rockets trainer Keith Jones told the Houston Chronicle. "Sometimes you can do it with normal pulling. I tried to reduce it on the court. The doctor tried to reduce it in the locker room. We sent him to a hand specialist, and he tried to reduce it. We had to go with an open reduction [surgery]."

Last season, All-Star guard Steve Francis missed seven games due to migraine headaches. During the offseason, Francis was diagnosed with Meniere's Disease, which is an inner ear disorder that causes migraine headaches. This disorder results in an abnormal amount of fluid in the inner ear.

The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota confirmed the diagnosis, which was originally made by team doctors back in February.

Francis, the 1999-2000 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year, averaged a career-best 21.6 point per game last season. He also averaged 7.0 rebounds and a team-leading 6.4 assists per contest.

Francis ranks fourth in franchise history in both scoring average and triple- doubles. He has averaged 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 214 career games with Houston.

FRONTCOURT

The pivot position was a weakness for the Rockets most of last season, which is why drafting Yao was such a priority. Yao should be an upgrade over Kelvin Cato and will start in the season opener.

The Rockets will probably dig up some of the plays they used to run for Hakeem Olajuwon, allowing Yao to make decisions in the post. Houston will keep Yao in the high post, keeping the lanes clear for Francis and Cuttino Mobley to drive. Yao's passing and outside shooting ability make him a great fit for that spot.

Maurice Taylor returns to the power forward position after missing most of last season with an Achilles' injury. Taylor has plenty of offensive game, but he must adjust his approach a bit. He must become more of a rebounder and low-post scorer, leaving the finesse offense to Yao. This may be a tough conversion for the sweet-shooting big man.

Glen Rice will start at the small forward. Rice still has a reputation as a great perimeter shooter, despite the fact it has been five years since he has been such a marksman. The Rockets are betting he can revert to his old form, especially since there are a lot of other offensive players for opponents to worry about. Rice's job this season will be to stay healthy and bury open jumpers created by Houston's penetrating guards.

GUARDS

Francis is not a point guard in its purest definition, but he's an amazing talent with an incredible desire to win. He will once again battle migraine headaches all season long due to his inner ear condition. Francis can score off the dribble as well as from the perimeter. The headaches and offseason shoulder surgery didn't slow him down that much last season, and now the shoulder is completely healthy

Mobley has really come into his won over the past couple of seasons and will pair with Francis to form one of the most formidable backcourts in the NBA. He can also score both on penetration and from the perimeter. The key for Mobley this season will be to be unselfish: he must give up the ball even more often with Yao in the fold.

BENCH

Cato was originally supposed to be the heir to Olajuwon. He failed to develop a hook shot and struggled with even the most elementary offensive post moves. Now, assuming his ego can handle it, Cato has a chance to contribute in a reserve role. Remember, he was heavily publicized as Olajuwon's successor, and now he's had to watch all the fanfare connected to Yao's arrival. If that doesn't distract him too much, he will be very effective in his new role.

Given an opportunity in Taylor's place, Kenny Thomas proved to be a hard-working but undersized power forward who put up decent numbers on most nights. As well as he played, Thomas still is a reserve on a contending team. Taylor's injury is one that can recur, so Thomas will have to ready if called upon.

Eddie Griffin is an athletic youngster that can play either forward spot. He takes a lot of three-point shots, which will make him a nice fit if Rice goes down at the small forward. Rice is injury prone, so Griffin is the perfect insurance policy

The reserve guards, Norris (39.8 percent, 26.9 percent from the 3-point line) at point guard and Oscar Torres (39.6 and 29.4) at shooting guard, are not great shooters. Norris, however, is a great clutch shooter, and his 4.9 assists average is exceptional for his limited minutes.

OUTLOOK

The Rockets are an improved team. Health, as it is with most teams, will be a huge factor in Houston's upcoming campaign. If Francis, Mobley and Yao are all on the court the majority of the time, the Rockets will challenge for a playoff spot. If one or more of the aforementioned players is injured, it will still be a better season, but only a few wins better than last season.