Last Updated on September 15, 2026 by Mat Diekhake
League Search Page > NBA > Houston Rockets > Roster & Statistics
The Houston Rockets 1985–86 season was built around the dominant frontcourt pairing of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, who combined elite scoring, rebounding, and rim protection to give Houston one of the NBA’s most formidable interior attacks. Rodney McCray added versatile all-around production, while John Lucas directed the offense with steady playmaking. The Rockets paired an efficient, high-scoring offense with a physical inside presence, powering their run to the NBA Finals.
Roster
| NO | PLAYER NAME | POS | HT | WT | DATE OF BIRTH | COLLEGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Craig Ehlo | SG | 6-6 | 180 | August 11, 1961 | Odessa College, Washington State |
| 5 | John Lucas | PG | 6-3 | 175 | October 31, 1953 | Maryland |
| 8 | Hank McDowell | PF | 6-9 | 215 | November 13, 1959 | Memphis |
| 15 | Mitchell Wiggins | SG | 6-4 | 185 | September 28, 1959 | Clemson, Florida State |
| 20 | Steve Harris | SG | 6-5 | 195 | October 15, 1963 | Tulsa |
| 22 | Rodney McCray | SF | 6-7 | 220 | August 29, 1961 | Louisville |
| 30 | Allen Leavell | PG | 6-1 | 170 | May 27, 1957 | Oklahoma City University |
| 31 | Granville Waiters | C | 6-11 | 225 | January 8, 1961 | Ohio State |
| 32 | Lewis Lloyd | SG | 6-6 | 205 | February 22, 1959 | Drake University |
| 33 | Robert Reid | SF | 6-8 | 205 | August 30, 1955 | St. Mary’s University |
| 34 | Hakeem Olajuwon | C | 7-0 | 255 | January 21, 1963 | Houston |
| 43 | Jim Petersen | PF | 6-10 | 235 | February 22, 1962 | Minnesota |
| 50 | Ralph Sampson | PF | 7-4 | 228 | July 7, 1960 | Virginia |
Note: This roster represents the primary players who suited up during the season. (Some bench contributors and midseason transactions are omitted for brevity.)
Regular Season 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 |
Regular Season 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 |
HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight
| 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. |