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.

Starter problems

I don't have statistics to back this up, but it seems like every game, the Rockets either jump out to a double digit lead by the middle of the first quarter or fall behind to an equal degree. Why are the Rockets inconsistent at the start of games? I would love to be privy to the mountain of data generated by Daryl Morey's computer. It might tell us which players come out strong and which lack early motivation.

What is obvious from a little research is that the Rockets are a team with little difference in quality between the starters and their backups. In fact, one could argue that Coach Adelman saves his better players for the second and fourth quarters. The top four Rockets on the very revealing +/- stat sheet (on a per-minute basis) are substitutes: David Anderson, Chase Budinger, Kyle Lowry and Carl Landry, in that order. In other words, the Rockets outscore their opponents while these guys are on the floor. All of the rest of the team are just the opposite, with negative +/- numbers. Some would say that the obvious reason for these upside-down stats is that our subs are on the floor against their subs, not their first-line players. There may be some truth to that, but Adelman often stays with his subs to finish games. His lineups are consistent, but the minutes and times they play are not.

Should we praise the team's depth or look for weaknesses in the starters? Both, actually. Let's play "What's wrong?" with the starting lineup.

Last year I campaigned for Kyle Lowry to be elevated to starter. I wouldn't argue if that happened right now, but to be fair, Aaron Brooks has come a long way and has earned the right to start. Even though both these young colts tend to be a bit inconsistent, the Rockets have one of the best point guard combos in the league. PG is not a problem.

Luis Scola is a very lovable player. He gives his all every night and is consistent, both offensively and defensively. So why does he only play 30 minutes per game? Does he have stamina problems or is Adelman just making room for Landry?

Chuck Hayes is a fine defensive player, despite his lack of height for the center position. But let's face it, Chuck is an offensive liability and Scola cannot carry the entire inside scoring load by himself. That means that the team must rely on outside shooting when the running game is not spot on. Outside shooting, on any team, is going to be inconsistent.

I would never say that Shane Battier is a problem. He is the most intelligent, durable and consistent player on the team, especially on defense. Offensively, his role is as the designated third option, stationed at the 3-point line. That takes him out of position to be a great rebounder and assist man, not that he was ever either one.

The Rockets brought in Trevor Ariza to be the go-to man on offense and a big guard stopper on defense. He has played well defensively, but offense is another story. His 38% shooting (31% from the 3-point line) is not good enough for a starting scoring guard. Compounding that deficiency, his decision-making is below par, as evidenced by his 2.5 turnovers per game and poor shooting percentage, despite many of his shots coming from the paint. He too often drives into an over-crowded lane, only to throw up an off-balance prayer.

There it is. The diagnosis is that a lack of inside scoring is exacerbated by poor outside shooting. That's why the subs have excelled. Carl Landry and David Anderson provide better inside punch and Chase Budinger is a better outside shooter than Ariza. There is no drop off in play when Lowry comes in, so the ball keeps moving well. What's the solution to the problem? Simple. Yao Ming.

New Year's Status Report

In my post of 11/30, I detailed the rocky road the Rockets faced in December. It was a busy month, with most of it on the road. They faced several really good teams and had to deal with five back-to-backs. I said that if they just held their own and beat the teams they were supposed to beat, they would go 8-8.

Wow. They won 11 games, dealt with the Tracy McGrady saga and beat Dallas twice. This team is doing everything right - playing hard, team-oriented basketball and focusing on all the right things. The only negative is that they lost to Portland, Denver, Cleveland and Orlando. Those are all teams that they could see in the playoffs, but in their defense, three of those losses were the second games of back-to-backs on the road.

Les Alexander announced yesterday that the team would pick up its option for the fourth year of Rick Adelman's contract. Yet another smart move, Les. Adelman has earned every penny you've paid him and has made me - and thousands of other prognosticators - look foolish for pre-season predictions that the Rockets would miss the playoffs this year. The way they are going (and improving all the time), they could even achieve home court advantage for the first round.

Happy New Year everyone!

T-Mac Era is Over

Tracy McGrady has been given permission to leave the team while the Rockets attempt to trade him. That effectively ends his tenure in Houston; one of unfulfilled potential. In his 5+ seasons here, the Rockets did not win a single playoff series while he was on the court. That speaks volumes.

For his entire career, McGrady has been told that he was a superstar. It is understandable that he would begin to believe it and let it go to his head. Unfortunately, while Tracy has the talent and the skills to be a great player, he has never had the mindset. Great players do whatever it takes to win, especially using their teammates to the team's advantage. With Tracy, it was always T-Mac first, then the team. At least that's the impression he gave out at every opportunity. He was the leading scorer in the league for two years, but those teams were terrible. So rather than help them become better, he demanded to be traded. He was warmly welcomed in Houston and given every chance to succeed. The Rockets surrounded him with a great center and as fine a cast of role-playing warriors as has ever been on an NBA team, yet he still could not win. Why not? Injuries certainly played a part. He was never healthy for a full year. But mostly, players didn't rally around McGrady. They were not as convinced of his stardom as he was. He was their best player, but he was never their leader.

Now the problem is, how do you trade him? He is the third highest paid player in the NBA. To make a trade, the salaries of the players involved must fall within 125% plus $100,000 of each other and must fit under the salary cap for both teams. Players that make even close to that kind of money are superstars, critical to their teams and not touchable. That means they would have to trade for a combination of players, most of whom could not help the Rockets this season and could affect team chemistry. This is a hard deal to make. The Rockets don't want to take on any large long-term contracts because they want to have space under the salary cap to make a pitch for a big-name player this off-season. And what an off-season it will be! Among the available free agents will be Joe Johnson (ATL), LeBron James (CLE), Dirk Nowitzki (DAL), Kobe Bryant (LAL), Dwyane Wade (MIA), Amare Stoudamire (PHO) and Chris Bosh (TOR). Put any one of those players beside Yao Ming and the aforementioned cast of overachievers and you have an instant championship contender. Houston is lucky to have Daryl Morey at the helm at this point in time. He has shown the patience to not make long-term deals for short-term gain. On a budget, he has put together a team that is one or two players from the NBA finals.

Texas does not have a state income tax. Isn't that interesting, LeBron? Dwyane? Chris? Tell your agents to give Daryl a call.

Gimme a Break!

Every once in a while, the Rocket's schedule cuts them a little slack. It's hard to say that a back-to-back on the road which includes Cleveland tomorrow night is a break, but at least the lead-in game should be a breeze. The Rockets face the hopeless and hapless New Jersey Nets tonight. I can't remember a worse team in modern history. 2-27 is about as bad as it gets. If the Nets were a horse, the league would shoot them.