I mentioned earlier that I woulda like to have taken a look at him. Q-dub is obviously the higher ceiling prospect, and I beleive is probably better right now.

Dec. 12, 2005, 1:16AM

Graham latest addition to Rockets
CBA player gets callup to NBA in South Dakota
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

PORTLAND, ORE. - Awakened too early by the phone, Stephen Graham was just disoriented enough not to believe what he was hearing.
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Graham was in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he was eight games into his career with the Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association, when his agent, Robert Montgomery, called to say the Rockets wanted to bring him to the NBA.

"I couldn't believe it," Graham said. "I thought he was joking around with me at first, but he was serious. I called my CBA coach (Dave Jaeger), and he told me I was being called up. I was pretty excited. I got right up and started packing."

Graham could have really thought himself the subject of a practical joke when he got to Portland and the Rockets were not there, having taken their side trip to Las Vegas. But he practiced with the team Saturday, studied with coaches Sunday, was on the Rockets' active roster by Sunday night and played 35 seconds, scoring four points.

"He leads the league in points per minute," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gunday said.

Knowing his role
As an undrafted rookie, Graham knows what his role will have to be to carve out any playing time with the Rockets.

"I have a pretty good feel for how I would fit in," Graham said. "It's a good situation for me because teams all want to double-team Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. I would have to spot up and knock down open shots, especially now, while Jon Barry and Bob Sura are out. I think I can do that and be a hustle, energy guy for them."

At 6-6, 215, Graham will work at shooting guard and small forward. With the Skyforce, he averaged 21 points, 3.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

"It wasn't really positional," Van Gundy said of the skills he sought with the roster addition. "Originally we wanted to bring Chuck (Hayes) back, but he was hurt. We were looking for a point guard, which we could still use. We'll see how this goes with Stephen. If we feel we can improve ourselves down the line with something else, that's what we'll do, too."

Graham went to summer league with the Suns and to camp with the Spurs and played well against the Rockets in the preseason, scoring nine points on 3-for-4 shooting in 26 minutes. In seven games with the Spurs, he averaged 5.4 points on 59.3 percent shooting.

They've been watching
"We followed him last year. Coop (Rockets director of scouting Dean Cooper) saw him twice in the CBA and said he thought he looked like an NBA player," general manager Carroll Dawson said. "With Jon Barry out and him playing well, we thought we'd bring him in and see how it goes."

This is not the Rockets' first up-close look at Graham. He worked out with twin brother Joey before the draft. His brother, a 6-7, 240-pound power forward, was taken by the Raptors with the 16th pick.

But now, Stephen Graham can tell Joey of his own NBA experiences — assuming he realizes he's not still dreaming.

qyntel woods signing still has me scratching my head. there really was no particular need persay, to sign him. for what i remember, he's wasn't playing anywhere and more importantly, he's got baggage. isn't this the type of player dolan was avoiding? i'm not sure what's going on here, and i don't think it's as simple as just finding guys in the bushes and seeing if it works out. we have so much youth INCLUDING 2 SF's in ariza and lee so why bring in woods? i think it's b/c ariza may be used in a deal within the next 2 months and woods gives us some sort of insurance.

I seriously may have felt better than and feel better now if we signed Stevie instead of Woods....