Last Updated on October 28, 2025 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Houston Rockets > Roster & Statistics
Below is a comprehensive presentation of the Houston Rockets 1985–86 Season.
Houston Rockets 1985–86 Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Height | Weight | Birthdate | College/From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Allen Leavell | G | 6-1 | 170 lbs | May 27, 1957 | Oklahoma |
| 11 | Jim Petersen | F/C | 6-10 | 235 lbs | Feb 22, 1962 | Minnesota |
| 21 | Rodney McCray | F | 6-7 | 220 lbs | Aug 29, 1961 | Louisville |
| 22 | Robert Reid | F/G | 6-8 | 205 lbs | Aug 30, 1955 | St. Mary’s (TX) |
| 30 | Lewis Lloyd | G | 6-6 | 185 lbs | Feb 22, 1959 | Drake |
| 33 | Ralph Sampson | C/F | 7-4 | 228 lbs | Jul 7, 1960 | Virginia |
| 34 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 7-0 | 255 lbs | Jan 3, 1963 | Houston |
| 40 | Steve Harris | G | 6-5 | 195 lbs | Oct 15, 1963 | Tulsa |
| 41 | Mitchell Wiggins | G | 6-4 | 195 lbs | Sep 28, 1959 | Florida State |
| 55 | Buck Johnson | G/F | 6-6 | 200 lbs | Mar 19, 1964 | Saint Joseph’s |
Note: This roster represents the primary players who suited up during the season. (Some bench contributors and midseason transactions are omitted for brevity.)
1985–86 Regular Season Player Statistics (Per Game)
| Player | Pos | Age | G | GS | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TOV | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | FTA | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 23 | 68 | 68 | 36.3 | 23.5 | 11.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 17.5 | .526 | 0.0 | — | 7.9 | .645 |
| Ralph Sampson | PF | 25 | 79 | 76 | 36.3 | 18.9 | 11.1 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 16.2 | .488 | 0.2 | .133 | 4.8 | .641 |
| John Lucas | PG | 32 | 65 | 65 | 32.6 | 15.5 | 2.2 | 8.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 2.3 | 12.6 | .446 | 2.2 | .308 | 4.6 | .775 |
| Rodney McCray | SF | 24 | 82 | 82 | 31.8 | 10.3 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 7.7 | .537 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.7 | .770 |
| Lewis Lloyd | SG | 26 | 82 | 82 | 29.8 | 16.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 13.6 | .529 | 0.2 | .200 | 2.9 | .843 |
| Robert Reid | SF | 30 | 82 | 5 | 26.3 | 12.0 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 10.7 | .464 | 0.4 | .182 | 2.6 | .757 |
| Jim Petersen | PF | 23 | 82 | 20 | 20.3 | 6.2 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 5.0 | .477 | 0.0 | .000 | 2.0 | .706 |
| Allen Leavell | PG | 28 | 74 | 12 | 16.1 | 7.9 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 6.2 | .463 | 0.9 | .358 | 2.1 | .854 |
| Mitchell Wiggins | SG | 26 | 78 | 0 | 15.4 | 6.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 6.3 | .454 | 0.2 | .083 | 1.5 | .729 |
| Hank McDowell | PF | 26 | 22 | 0 | 9.3 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | .571 | 0.0 | .000 | 1.1 | .680 |
| Steve Harris | SG | 22 | 57 | 0 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.1 | .442 | 0.1 | .200 | 0.9 | .926 |
| Craig Ehlo | SG | 24 | 36 | 0 | 5.5 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | .429 | 0.3 | .333 | 0.8 | .793 |
| Granville Waiters | C | 25 | 43 | 0 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | .333 | 0.0 | .000 | 0.1 | .167 |
| Team Totals | — | — | 82 | 82 | 240.9 | 114.4 | 45.7 | 28.3 | 9.1 | 6.7 | 16.8 | 93.5 | .490 | 3.8 | .274 | 29.7 | .730 |
1985–86 Regular Season Player Statistics (Totals)
| Player | Pos | Age | GP | GS | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | TO | FGA | FGM | 3PA | 3PM | FTA | FTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph Sampson | C | 25 | 79 | 76 | 2864 | 1491 | 879 | 283 | 99 | 129 | 285 | 1280 | 624 | 15 | 2 | 376 | 241 |
| Rodney McCray | F | 24 | 82 | 82 | 2610 | 847 | 520 | 292 | 50 | 58 | 130 | 629 | 338 | 3 | 0 | 222 | 171 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 23 | 68 | 68 | 2467 | 1597 | 781 | 137 | 134 | 231 | 195 | 1188 | 625 | 0 | 0 | 538 | 347 |
| Lewis Lloyd | G | 26 | 82 | 82 | 2444 | 1386 | 324 | 300 | 102 | 24 | 194 | 1119 | 592 | 15 | 3 | 236 | 199 |
| Robert Reid | F | 30 | 82 | 5 | 2157 | 986 | 301 | 222 | 91 | 16 | 96 | 881 | 409 | 33 | 6 | 214 | 162 |
| John Lucas | G | 32 | 65 | 65 | 2120 | 1006 | 143 | 571 | 77 | 5 | 149 | 818 | 365 | 146 | 45 | 298 | 231 |
| Jim Petersen | F | 23 | 82 | 20 | 1664 | 505 | 396 | 85 | 38 | 54 | 84 | 411 | 196 | 3 | 0 | 160 | 113 |
| Mitchell Wiggins | G | 26 | 78 | 0 | 1198 | 531 | 159 | 101 | 59 | 5 | 62 | 489 | 222 | 12 | 1 | 118 | 86 |
| Allen Leavell | G | 28 | 74 | 12 | 1190 | 583 | 67 | 234 | 58 | 8 | 88 | 458 | 212 | 67 | 24 | 158 | 135 |
| Steve Harris | G | 22 | 57 | 0 | 482 | 257 | 57 | 50 | 21 | 4 | 34 | 233 | 103 | 5 | 1 | 54 | 50 |
| Hank McDowell | C | 26 | 22 | 0 | 204 | 65 | 49 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 42 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 17 |
| Craig Ehlo | G | 24 | 36 | 0 | 199 | 98 | 46 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 84 | 36 | 9 | 3 | 29 | 23 |
| Granville Waiters | C | 25 | 43 | 0 | 156 | 27 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 39 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Team Totals | — | — | 82 | 82 | 19755 | 9379 | 3750 | 2318 | 745 | 551 | 1353 | 7671 | 3759 | 310 | 85 | 2434 | 1776 |
1985–86 Houston Rockets — Functional Impact Breakdown
| Player Name | Role Tier | MPG | Usage Tier | PPG | RPG | APG | STK (SPG+BPG) | Impact Index* | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Franchise Centerpiece – Defensive Engine & Go-To Scorer | 36.3 | Elite (Primary Usage) | 23.5 | 11.5 | 2.0 | 5.4 | 21.2 | Anchored both ends. Fourth in MVP voting. Dominated inside with elite rim protection and improving post scoring. The team’s identity revolved around his energy and shot-blocking. |
| Ralph Sampson | Co-Star Frontcourt Hub – Inside-Out Scorer | 36.3 | High (Secondary Creator) | 18.9 | 11.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 18.3 | Complementary star next to Hakeem. Stretched defenses with midrange touch, elite rebounder. All-Star again before injuries changed his trajectory. |
| John Lucas | Offensive Orchestrator – Tempo Control & Playmaking | 32.6 | High (Primary Facilitator) | 15.5 | 2.2 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 13.9 | Veteran floor general who unlocked the Twin Towers with his pace and vision. Balanced scorer. Offensive rhythm depended on him. |
| Lewis Lloyd | Dynamic Wing Scorer – Secondary Offensive Punch | 29.8 | High (Complementary Scorer) | 16.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 1.5 | 13.0 | Efficient, attacking guard who thrived cutting and finishing. Provided crucial spacing and midrange scoring alongside Lucas. |
| Rodney McCray | Two-Way Connector – Point Forward/Defensive Anchor | 31.8 | Moderate (Glue Role) | 10.3 | 6.3 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 10.8 | Quietly essential to Houston’s system. Elite passer and defender at forward. Handled difficult defensive matchups. |
| Robert Reid | Veteran Stabilizer – Versatile Wing Support | 26.3 | Moderate (Spot Scorer/Playmaker) | 12.0 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 9.9 | Resilient two-way contributor. Reliable midrange threat and secondary defender on the perimeter. Veteran leadership presence. |
| Jim Petersen | Rotation Big – Rebound/Finish Specialist | 20.3 | Low–Moderate (Support Usage) | 6.2 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 6.6 | Efficient, low-turnover big. Strong on the boards and solid positional defender. |
| Allen Leavell | Bench Playmaker – Second Unit Distributor | 16.1 | Moderate (Backup Creator) | 7.9 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 6.5 | Brought pace and spacing off the bench. Reliable free throw shooter and steady secondary ball-handler. |
| Mitchell Wiggins | Energy Wing – Transition Finisher & Bench Spark | 15.4 | Medium (Complementary Offense) | 6.8 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 5.5 | Aggressive slasher and defender off the bench. Efficient within his role, though low playmaking volume. |
| Hank McDowell | Depth Big – Low-Minute Insurance | 9.3 | Low | 3.0 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.8 | Spot frontcourt backup. Strong FG%, minimal role. |
| Steve Harris | Development Guard – Scoring Reserve | 8.5 | Low | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 3.5 | Young scorer who flashed shot creation in limited run. |
| Craig Ehlo | Perimeter Depth – Emerging Shooter/Defender | 5.5 | Low | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 2.6 | Early-career glimpse of a future 3&D archetype; minimal minutes. |
| Granville Waiters | Reserve Center – Depth Role | 3.6 | Minimal | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | End-of-bench big. Defensive spot filler. |