There were dozens of college prospects who might have been worth rolling the dice on with the 26th pick in the first round, handfuls of veteran free agents who would soon be looking for a new home and bigger paydays.

Then there was one video the new Rockets boss watched like a kid with his nose pressed against a candy store window.

"Look, we had to fill that power forward spot and you always want to be familiar with all of the players," Adelman said. "I had heard his name, but you knew the Spurs had his rights.

"Then I looked at the film and said, 'Oh, that's the guy. He'd be perfect for us and everything we want to do.' But I never got excited, because I didn't think it could ever happen. It was strictly fantasy stuff."

'More open to change'

On Tuesday afternoon, Luis Scola was a 6-9, 245-pound fantasy come to life, sliding like a perfect fit into a custom-made pair of Manolo Blahniks.

"I've looked at a lot of tape on Luis and the way he plays," said an almost giddy Adelman. "I think he's going to be a great attribute to Yao (Ming), because he's very active. There is always movement. He's a good passer. Of all the people we looked at in terms of being a complement to Yao, he really fills the bill."

Scola, 27, was a second-round draft choice by San Antonio in 2002, but he could never come to an agreement to play for the Spurs. A member of Argentina's gold-medal team at the 2004 Olympics, he has spent the past seven seasons with Tau Ceramica, winning a Spanish league title and twice being named MVP in the last three years.

"It's hard to know why I did not come (to the NBA) before now," Scola said. "Maybe I could have done it a couple of years ago when I was younger. Maybe now, I'm just more open to change. Different food, different league, different teammates.

"For every basketball player, the NBA is the dream. This has been my dream since I was a little kid. When I first started playing for the international team against NBA players, I could see that I was coming closer. It becomes a goal.

"You want to be the best player that you can be. For that, you have to play against the best players. The NBA has the best players in the world."

Despite the fact he might have been part of three NBA titles with the Spurs over the past five years, Scola couldn't have landed with a winning team that needs him as much as the Rockets. He provides size at a position where they were small. He brings a good shot, fine passing instincts and plenty of hustle.

"He's someone who we think can come in and contribute right away to the team," Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said. "It may take some time for the team to mesh with a new coach, new players. But we feel that by next year's playoffs, we have really improved with the addition of Luis."

A passer deluxe

Adelman is envisioning who can move the ball and make scoring opportunities easier for Yao and Tracy McGrady.

"With Yao and Tracy both, we need players who are going to be active and aggressive," Adelman said. "In the offense that we like to run, you want to have a lot of activity on the floor to make it easier for your better players to be effective.

"I think he can do that as far as cutting to the basket or passing the ball. The more passers you have on the floor, the more scorers you have, the harder you are to defend. He really fits the bill."

Scola will play for Argentina this summer in the Tournament of Americas, the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. There, he'll be reunited with Manu Ginobili, who could have been his teammate in San Antonio.

"Manu was the first one to call me after the trade became official," Scola said. "He is a great friend, a great player. It would have been fun and an honor to play with Manu and Tim Duncan. I would like to have been part of those rings they won.

"Now I am here. I am happy to be in Houston. Manu and I will always be friends. But when we play in the NBA next season, I will only try to beat him."