Heir Rose Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Rockets' Season Can Be SalvagedBy The Big Threehttp://i29.tinypic.com/167qvth.jpgGuard Aaron Brooks. Brooks averaged 18 PPG and 2.5 APG in the Rockets' second round series against the L.A. Lakers. I was shooting hoops a little bit ago, and the main thing on my mind was the Houston Rockets and what the upcoming season holds in store for them. If you haven't heard, Yao Ming will be having foot surgery and should be out for the upcoming season. This was expected, but now Houston's front office can start making their decisions knowing that Yao won't be suiting up this year. I post at a sports forum called realsportstalk.net, and my friend htown11 posted a similar thread to the topic I'm going to be writing about. We've talked about the Rockets' situation quite a bit, and I've floated trade ideas to him a few times to see what he thinks. At first, he was extremely bummed, but he's been able to see some light in all of this, and now so have I. Let me explain. First off, Houston's hopes of making the playoffs aren't over without Yao. Their hopes of contending for a title, however, are. You don't have to worry about them tanking or rebuilding now, they're going to remain competitive. Remember, this is a group that took the Lakers to 7 games even without their two star players. Aaron Brooks will be entering his third season in the NBA, and in the playoffs he showed he could be a very good scorer at this level. Brooks is small but quick, and is a very good penetrator. His three-ball is improving, and on offense I believe he is the playmaker this team needs. http://i25.tinypic.com/xmihld.jpgKey veterans Luis Scola (left) and Shane Battier (right). Surrounding Brooks, you have a few very good role players. Shane Battier is one of the best perimeter defenders in the game, and can knock down an open shot. Trevor Ariza is similar in that he can shoot and defend, but he also adds a lot of athleticism. Some believe he could just be a product of the Triangle Offense, but in Houston I don't think that will be the case. Finally, Luis Scola is one of the best energy big men in the game. He's got a great motor, rebounds well, and can contribute with garbage buckets in the paint. Every coach in the NBA would love to have this guy on their team. This isn't a very sexy supporting cast, but they've got great chemistry. Losing Ron Artest will hurt, and Trevor Ariza can't make up for the shot-creating ability that Artest has. Tracy McGrady could be that option, but he's getting older, and he could be worn down by injuries. I wouldn't bank on him being the scorer Houston needs with Aaron Brooks, and his reporting the injury to the media before the team pissed off coach Rick Adelman. I expect him to be traded, more on that after I talk about the remaining contributors on the Rockets' roster. Houston lost shooting guard Von Wafer via free agency, and center Dikembe Mutombo called it quits in free agency. With a big hole at center, the Rockets traded for the draft rights to Australian center David Andersen. Andersen is athletic for a center, can shoot, and score in the post. The team is going to look to run more, so he would be a very good fit at center with his ability to run the floor. Could this possibly be Luis Scola v. 2.0? http://i27.tinypic.com/2n0ihhz.jpgCenter David Andersen of Australia, who is expected to sign with the Rockets and play in 2009-10. Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, and Joey Dorsey will all compete for minutes in the post off the bench. Landry is a solid scorer, Hayes is a premier post defender, and Dorsey is a monster rebounder (led the Summer League with around 14 a game). They all bring different things to the table, but also lack one thing: length. Without their 7'5" Chinese stud in Yao, Houston is suffering from dwarfism on their frontline. I personally believe size is underrated when it comes to big men, but Houston will have it's struggles with taller opponents. At guard, the Rockets drafted Arizona's Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor of UCF. Both are solid shooters, but lack on the defensive end. James White is ultra-athletic, and he could make a splash off the bench this season. Expect some electrifying dunks in transition from him. Kyle Lowry is the current backup point guard. He's quick, but can't shoot. Houston would try to find a better reserve to Aaron Brooks, but with all their needs this can't be high on their list of priorities. Losing Wafer off the bench will hurt, and with Yao, Artest, and possibly McGrady gone, some existing players will need to take on bigger roles, and younger players will be expected to jump in and get key minutes as reserves. If the Summer League is any indication (the Rockets went 5-0), then a few of these guys might be able to play right away. With very little money left and not many trading assets, they'll have to. http://i27.tinypic.com/10o09si.jpgFrom left to right: Rookie guard Jermaine Taylor of UCF; GM Daryl Morey; rookie guard Chase Budinger of Arizona. The best thing Houston can do at this point is try and trade forward Tracy McGrady. He's made some people angry in the past, and has seemed like an outsider on this team, not a core guy despite his talent. T-Mac could miss some time this year, and even when healthy I don't like him on the team. Houston is going to look to go up-tempo at times (albeit not as extreme as the Suns), which I think really suits their style of play. Aaron Brooks is a quick guard that I think can handle a big role this year, and they've got a ton of shooters around him. McGrady needs the ball in his hands to be effective, so I think a more off-ball-oriented wing would be a better fit. Michael Redd would fit in perfectly. He's missed a lot of time in the past few years, but not too long ago he was averaging 25-26 PPG. With Aaron Brooks, Redd could focus on shooting as well as creating his own shot when he needs to. Adding in a former All-Star's presence elevates the talent level of this team, and solidifies the backcourt. To make the trade work financially, Milwaukee could throw in center Dan Gadzuric, who would provide some more length and depth to the frontline. He would quietly be a very good filler in this trade. The Bucks are looking to cut salary, so McGrady's expiring contract would help them achieve that more quickly. Not to mention if he comes back healthy he could be the All-Star playmaker to complement center Andrew Bogut. This season can be salvaged. GM Daryl Morey made a good move in acquiring David Andersen, and Trevor Ariza will be a big help when the team decides to push the ball due to his athleticism. Now there is one final move, and that is to trade Tracy McGrady for Michael Redd or another All-Star caliber player. Houston has one of the best head coaches in the business, a great front office, and some of the best team chemistry in the NBA. Expect them to defy all odds, make it back to the playoffs, and overachieve as usual. And when Yao Ming returns in 2010-2011, watch out. The Rockets could very well be competing for an NBA title. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This article was originally published at TBT's new blog, check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChosenOne Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 I agree with everything it that, besides the fact that they will be able to trade him especially for Redd. I think they will keep Tracy unless they get a mind blowing offer from someone (highly unlikely). I personally think that we should keep him looking at that contract and the fact that it really is a break or make year for the rest of his career him being in the so called contract year for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heir Rose Posted July 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 After reading some reviews at other places I've posted this, I realize I messed up a bit in saying Kyle Lowry should be upgraded. Kind of hard to write about the depth of another team when it's not one I watch a whole lot, but I still should have done some more research to make sure my writing's top-notch. Kind of like if someone said we need to go get someone to replace George Hill, I would think that's a dumb idea. Overall though I'm pleased, most Rockets fans I've talked to agree with the writing in general, just some finer points that I could have tuned up. Even made it on ClutchFans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Hawk Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Eh. I dont think the rockets will make that much noise this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobeedoo Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 I didn't like the Ariza signing much but Battier could serve as a valuable trade chip. A deal for Redd doesn't excite me either, I'd rather have TMac's contract come off the books next Summer and retool from their. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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