All eyes on Howard but don't forget Asik says Horry

MANILA, Philippines – Robert Horry is known to be one of the game’s big shot players.

After all, he’s nicknamed the Big Shot Rob for his clutch baskets in important games that helped him win two titles at the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and a couple more with the San Antonio Spurs in an unforgettable 16-year career in the NBA.

Horry, 43, who is now based in Houston, is trying to nail a big shot in his preseason analysis that the key to the Rockets’ success this coming season is not, by large, on Dwight Howard but also Omer Asik.

The 7-foot Asik, who was the Rockets starting center last season, did not play in the team’s 116-115 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans due to a minor calf injury.

“I think Dwight [Howard] is great for the Rockets. People will talk about Dwight all the time but I think [Omer] Asik, who I thought should be the Most Improved Player last season, holds the key,” Horry told Philstar.com.

As the Rockets’ starting center last season, Asik averaged 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in 30 minutes after playing as back-up in his first two seasons in the league with the Chicago Bulls.  

“The way he came into the Rockets, he started and was a constant double-double, the key is for Asik to still play the same way and not fear that Dwight will take over his place but absorb and learn from him, use him [Dwight] to get better in practice,” Horry explained.

Horry, who played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, the most important big man in the Rockets’ history, has this conjuring vision of Howard and Asik becoming a huge twin tower combination at Houston.

“Those two guys if they play against each other everyday in practice, they can really be like the twin towers of the old Rockets team that had Ralph Sampson and the Dream [Hakeem Olajuwon],” Horry said. 

Olajuwon and the 1984 Rookie of the Year Sampson formed the original "Twin Towers" duo in the NBA. Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks during his rookie year in 1985 while Sampson had his best individual season that year averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. 

Horry is in Manila for the second time to grace the first ever NBA preseason game to be held on Thursday at the MOA Arena featuring the Rockets against last season's Eastern Conference finalist Indiana Pacers.