Building Through the Draft

The Rockets are so tight on salary cap space that signing a star free agent is highly unlikely for next year. The only player they have worth trading will have little value on the open market because of his salary and injuries (Tracy McGrady). Therefore, the only solution to improve the team in the immediate future is to build through the draft. So here is my recommendation as to who the Rockets should take in the upcoming draft:

Nobody. The Rockets have no picks in the 2009 draft and are not likely to trade for one.

Fortunately, one of last year's second round choices, Joey Dorsey, is on the mend after sitting out virtually all of his rookie season with foot problems and is working out furiously with the coaches. If he can get through a season without plantar fasciitis problems, he could be a real plus for the Rockets. They desperately need another big man to back up Yao Ming and Luis Scola in the post now that Dikembe Mutombo is no longer an option. That would also allow Carl Landry to play more small forward.

The Rockets are a team loaded with swingmen. Luis Scola, Joey Dorsey, Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Ron Artest and James White are all capable of playing more than one position. In fact, of the Rockets regular rotation, only Yao, Brooks, Lowry and Wafer are one-position players. That gives coach Rick Adelman a tremendous variety of options to match up with other teams' personnel. That flexibilty is a necessity in today's NBA as so many teams are eschewing the traditional big center in favor of a quicker lineup.