A year ago, the Boston Celtics added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to a lineup that was already anchored by Paul Pierce and their "Big Three" were considered an instant favorite to win it all.

The Celtics wasted no time proving they were the team to beat. They won their first eight games, 20 of their first 22 and stood 29-3 after winning at Detroit on Jan. 5.

That's showing you mean business.

It's time the Rockets took a page out of that book. They have added Ron Artest to a lineup that already had Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and there is no reason they shouldn't be a force right from opening night on Oct. 29.

No whining about the schedule. No complaining about travel. No promising to be ready in March or April. We know how that worked out.

A year ago, Rick Adelman's offensive system was brand new to all of them. There was going to be a period of adjustment. The Rockets won 6 of their first 7 games and then lost 6 of their next 7 games and spent the rest of the season trying to prove - to themselves and the league - that they were worthy.

Yes, the Rockets finished just two games behind the Lakers in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. But it took an anomaly to get there. Remember that before the Rockets took off on their historic 22-game win streak, they were sitting in 10th place in the playoff race.

There is something to be said for asserting yourself early and establishing yourself as one of the big dogs. It also means you don't have to wear yourself out over the final month just trying to get into the playoffs or grab home-court advantage."

"Absolutely. Absolutely," McGrady said after Tuesday's first workout of training camp. "I think that's gonna be a challenge for us, because we're playing the best teams in the league in the first couple of months.

"I think if we take care of our business and come out of there with a little swagger, yeah, when it comes that time towards the end of the season, we'll feel that we belong."

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After an easy walk-through in the opening practice, McGrady said that he knows there is work to do to get his wheels back in shape.

"I'm as good as I'm gonna be right now," he said. "I ain't ready to play. But as far as getting up and down the court, I can do that. My lateral movement is a little difficult right now. Jumping is a little difficult. But I can get up and down the court.

"I'll give (scrimmaging) a try, see what I can do. If I can't go, there are other things I can do."

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Even though he was prepared to join a young team in Charlotte and play for a veteran coach in Larry Brown if the Rockets had not matched his free agent offer sheet, Carl Landry admits that he's happier to back in Houston.

"This team definitely can be a special team, if we put all the pieces together." Landry said. "Houston is my first love, the first team I ever played for. I love the city, the team, the guys, the organization, everything about the Houston Rockets. Hey, I'm happy."

Landry said there are no lingering doubts from the bruised knee that took him out of the lineup and then slowed him at the end of last season.

"I think I'm explosive," he said. "I've passed several examinations on it. They say the bruise and everything that happened last year are completely gone. They say I have the exact same knees now that I had before the injury. I'm happy about it, pain-free, 100 percent and ready to go."

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After spending the last two months of last season watching from the sidelines, Yao Ming was delighted to be back on the floor with his teammates.

"I can't wait to go," he said. "I can't wait for the first preseason game, the first regular season game. I want to go out and try out myself."

For the second straight day, Yao declared himself 100 percent in shape and said no one should compare his fitness now to what he showed during the Olympics.

"That was not 100 percent, I know that," he said. "I was about 70 or 80 percent in the Olympics. I tried my best. Because of my injury, I could not give them 100 percent. But in a way, the Olympics were a very good tryout for me to prepare for the Rockets season. If you throw this out there, probably some of the Chinese fans will not be happy, but that's just being honest."

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The Rockets held their only two-a-day workouts of camp on Tuesday. They'll hold one longer practice each day through the rest of the camp.