Who the Heck is Aaron Brooks?

Perhaps NBA fans wouldn't have had the opportunity to watch Houston's lightning quick guard Aaron Brooks had it not been for the night of March 9, 2006 at Staples Center, the same place Brooks burned the Los Angeles Lakers for 19 points in 36 minutes during Monday's 100-92 Rockets Game 1 win.

It was on that night that Brooks, then an inconsistent junior guard at the University of Oregon, staggered Washington's Ryan Appleby with a forearm shiver during the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament. Once a gifted prep star for Seattle's Franklin High School, the same school that produced Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry of Dallas, Brooks was considered an enigmatic player with a bad attitude, and it culminated with that cheap shot that caused Appleby to draw blood.

Brooks was suspended for the rest of the tournament, but he turned that mistake into success with a masterful senior season in leading the Ducks to the Elite Eight. Considered a late second-round pick at best when he arrived at the 2007 NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, Fla., Brooks brilliantly played his way into the first round with his quickness and shooting ability. The Rockets chose him 26th overall. There was a question as to whether Brooks could play point guard in the NBA because he was primarily a scorer at Oregon, but it took just 1 1/2 seasons for Houston coach Rick Adelman to anoint him the Rockets starting point guard by dealing Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic just before the trade deadline.

As a starter for 34 games, Brooks averaged 13.2 points, 3.8 assists and shot 38 percent from the 3-point line. In seven postseason games, the 6-foot Brooks is averaging 15.9 points, four assists and nearly 46 percent from the field. Brooks struggled to reach his vast potential until that moment at Staples Center, after which he seemed to become a different person and player. It is not something he likes to discuss, but there is no coincidence that his rejuvenation occurred following that embarrassing incident. This new Brooks is fun to watch, a handful to cover for the Lakers and perhaps a future star in the NBA.