Bosh to Miami

Chris Bosh announced today that he will team up with Dwyane Wade in Miami. Nice try, Daryl. You can't win 'em all.

Now what? Who's left of the free agents that could help the Rockets? LeBron? Ain't happening. The reasons are irrelevant at this point. He would be perfect for Houston, but then again he would be perfect for almost everybody. Nowitzki is staying in Dallas. Johnson is staying in Atlanta. Stoudemire is going to New York. Boozer agreed to terms with Chicago today. Gay is staying in Memphis.

The rest are second tier players, some of which could help the Rockets, but none of which will set the world on fire. Udonis Haslem may want out of Miami now that Bosh is coming, but the Rockets already have Battier at that position. David Lee is a fine, underappreciated player that could make a great backup for Yao, but it's unlikely he will want to go to a team that won't promise to make him a starter. Wouldn't it be fun if Shaq would come here to back up Yao? He's available, and if the Cavs re-sign LeBron, they may not be able to afford Shaq, assuming they still want him.

Hang in there, Daryl. You're going to have to do it with role players again. Pick a couple that will bust their ass for the team and I'll stick by you.

It's On!

Free agency began at 11:00 PM last night and the jockeying for most of the greatest players in the game begins today. Daryl Morey has already visited with Chris Bosh in Dallas to let him know that the Rockets are more than interested in his services (like Bosh did not already know that). I love Bosh as a player, I just hate to see Luis Scola coming off the bench. In a sign and trade deal, the Rockets will have to give up 20-something million dollars in salaries to get Bosh and I fear that much money may come from areas that will leave them very strong at power forward, but weak at other positions. Unless, of course, Scola is a part of that trade. I would hate to see that because $ for $, Scola is a bargain and his salary will not scratch the surface in a trade for Bosh. If it was just a straight swap of Scola for Bosh, well, there would be no discussion. But it would be some combination of Scola, Ariza, Martin, Battier, Jeffries, Lowry, etc. totalling over $20 mil.

Have fun Daryl, but be careful. Don't give away the ranch to sell some season tickets.

The New Guy

Patrick Patterson was selected by the Rockets with the last lottery pick in this year's draft. He is a big, tough power forward from Kentucky that should be able to earn some playing time sooner or later. The Rockets' brass keeps saying how well he fits into the Rockets' "locker room", meaning that his attitude is good and he works and plays well with others. Team chemistry is important of course, but why did they choose another player at what is probably their deepest position? Luis Scola, Jordan Hill and Chuck Hayes are already stacked up there.

The answer would seem to be that they are covering themselves in case Scola bolts in free agency, but Daryl Morey has stated categorically that Luis will be back. Perhaps the team has decided that the Knicks were right about Hill when they traded him halfway through his rookie season. Maybe Rick Adelman wants to use just Yao at center and back him up with Scola and Hayes. That would leave more time for Patterson, but put David Andersen on the bench. Then again, some coaches and GM's say that you just can't have too much talent at the big positions.

All of that assumes that Morey is jockeying to put together a team with the players at hand. The true story may come next Thursday when the free agent marketplace opens its doors. That's the real story of the coming season and may well determine the next champion.

It's time

I've missed this blog, but the way the team ended last season was frankly a little depressing, so I had to take some time off for the playoffs. But now draft time is upon us, so it's time to ramp up the site again. Let's talk BBall!

What should the Rockets do with the 14th pick? It's a pretty deep draft, so what would normally be a mediocre first round pick may end up being someone with enough talent to not just make a roster, but make a difference. But at number 14, that's hardly a given, just a possibility. There may even be a player or two that could fill a need.

So what are the Rockets' needs? Backup center heads the list. Yao may not be back to full strength for some time. There's not even a guarantee that he will be back at all, but indications are that he will be in camp ready to play at least part time. That leaves 25 minutes per game or more for a capable backup. Luis Scola filled the gaps admirably last year, but he is not a true center. David Andersen is a likeable journeyman, but will never be a star. They need another big man.

I'm not a huge fan of Kevin Martin. The team made its mark on the league last season by playing determined, gritty defense, at least up until "the trade." When Kevin came to town, his lack of defensive intensity seemed to make the other players surrender. Maybe that's too harsh, but that's just how it seemed to me. I wouldn't mind seeing Martin traded. The team could use another scoring guard.

The point is adequately manned with Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry. Power forward Luis Scola is a strength of the team. The combination of Battier/Ariza creates a defensive small forward that can shut down opponent's scoring forwards. If Yao is healthy, center is obviously under control. Projects Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are still unknown factors that may prove to be fine investments in the future. So as I see it, the Rockets need to add a big and an SG.

All that said, none of it will happen, probably. This year is one giant wild card awaiting July 1 when almost all of the biggest names in the league will be free agents and can negotiate with other teams. The Rockets hope to be players in that arena. If so, the team will be shaken up in a huge way. It is likely that no one will be untouchable and whoever they draft will be an afterthought. OK, Daryl. Line 'em up and knock 'em down. I'm ready for changes.

I'm still here

I've been a Rockets fan since they came to Houston and I will continue to love and support the team. That's what I mean when I say I'm still here. So why do the guys who are making gazillions of dollars seem like they are mailing in the rest of the season? I haven't seen such mediocre efforts from this team since Steve Francis left. I can deal with the losing. I just can't deal with not giving it 100%. Yes, they are mathmatically out of the playoffs, but unless they are going to lower ticket prioces for the rest of the games, why have they stopped trying? I'm still here and I'm still watching.

Last night in Boston was frustrating. Not for the Rockets, but me personally. I set my DVR to record the game and, as often happens when the games are close, the game took more time to play that was allowed for by Comcast. With less than a minute to play, the recording stopped and I think the TV actually thumbed its nose at me. I missed the OT and a gritty Rockets win. Why can't Comcast monitor the game length and extend the recording as required? It sounds like pretty simple technology to me. They automatically extend the broadcast, why not the recording?

Last Month

In the early part of the year, the Rockets were a model of consistency. They lost some games, but rarely by much and their defense was strong every night. But the last 30 days have revealed flaws in the team's character. Not only have they lost 7 of their last 12 games, but the games have not been close. Wins and losses have been by an average of 13 points. The team's defense has been non-existent, giving up 104 points per game against teams with only a .454 mean winning percentage..

Kevin Martin has always been considered a bit of a defensive liability. He is scoring 23 ppg, but shooting only 41% from the field. The Rockets are not a strong enough offensive rebounding team to overcome that many missed shots. Jared Jeffries has shown some quality moments as has rookie Jordan Hill, but neither will ever be mistaken for Tracy McGrady or even Carl Landry.

The good news is that Trevor Ariza and Kyle Lowry both came back from injuries this week and the improvement in team speed was obvious. It will be interesting to see how the new guys work with the former starting guards.

I'm trying to love this team.

Two Games Later

My heart is heavy. Mediocrity prevails in Toyota Center and there is little hope on the horizon. I have made several posts this season about how much I enjoyed watching the team because of the heart with which they played. I complimented Morey and Adelman for the manner in which they handled the team and Alexander for his leadership. I was positively giddy with anticipation for next season with Yao returning and high hopes for signing a serious impact player to put the Rockets over the top.

Now next season looks like the last ten. The Rockets will put a winning team on the floor, but will not have the hungry world-beater that can forge a championship with his will. Morey, Alexander and Adelman have proven themselves to be impatient and short-sighted. This "new" team is no better than the one with Carl Landry, but now they are stuck with what they have.

I have been a loyal Rockets fan through thick and thin. That won't change. Still, I can help feeling sad for what could have been.

The Trade

McGrady, Landry and Dorsey are gone. In return, the Rockets got Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill, Hilton Armstrong and Jared Jeffries. Reporting the facts is easy. Figuring out why this trade went down is not.

On the surface, it makes sense to get something for McGrady before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and walks away. But McGrady was a key to this trade in salary cap considerations only. The real trade was Carl Landry for Kevin Martin. Everything else is just making the dollars work. Unfortunately, in making the dollars work, the Rockets have given up their ability to sign a significant free agent after this season. They have locked themselves into almost $19 million in new salaries that extend into next season or beyond. Barring off-season trades, that effectively eliminates them from the James/Wade/Bosh/Stoudemire sweepstakes. In fact, most of the biggest names in the league will either be untrestricted free agents or have early termination options this off-season.

What did the Rockets get in return for losing their flexibility? A one-dimensional guard, a third-tier backup center, an overpriced journeyman forward and a young big with potential. It's hard to find much to love in this trade. So why did it happen? Do the Rockets know something about the available big name free agents? Are they all likely to sign with teams other than the Rockets? Was Landry already at the top of his game with no upside? Does Hill have more potential that the Knicks envisioned? Did Dorsey have more holes in his game than Adelman admitted?

Given his history of smart personnel moves, I can only believe that Daryl Morey knows things that we do not. This is the first move he has made that does not sit well with me at all. Rockets fans were completely understanding of the fact that the team was without its two best players, but still winning with grit and determination. We were perfectly willing to be loyal to the team and wait for the off-season to sign an impact player that would take them to a championship. But now, that hope is lost. The four players the Rockets got will not take them anywhere.