1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

[CHRONIC] Rockets roster full, maybe set. But is it enough?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Rockets34Legend, Jul 20, 2010.

  1. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2002
    Messages:
    20,476
    Likes Received:
    15,047
    http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2010/07/rockets_roster_full_maybe_set.html

    Now, we wait. Rockets training camp opens Sept. 25.

    There will be press conferences; Brad Miller on Tuesday, Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry on Wednesday. Daryl Morey will keep working the Blackberry because you never know. But he does not expect major changes, and he is OK with that.

    For now at least and probably for the foreseeable future, this is the team. The Rockets have 15 guys signed to guaranteed contracts, including a lot that they did not have at this time a year ago — a pair of seven-footers, with nine All-Star nods between them, a shooting guard successor to Tracy McGrady and a collection of young prospects to develop.

    The question now becomes, "Is that enough?"

    That of course depends on another question, "Enough for what?"

    Assuming Yao Ming remains healthy, because there is no point in asking the other questions if he is not healthy, the Rockets should be solid in the mix of Western Conference playoff teams, and since the pack is usually so tightly grouped, that could place them anywhere from second or third to seventh.

    If Yao is a force come playoff time, the Rockets should go back to that Leslie Alexander goal of a few years ago, "a deep playoff run." That year, Yao dominated the Trail Blazers for a game, and then forced them to tear apart an outstanding defense to deal with him. The Rockets won in six, then took the eventual champion Lakers to seven games.

    They are a better team now than then, with Aaron Brooks the league's most improved player last season, Kevin Martin replacing McGrady, who was out in that postseason, and with the bench considerably deeper, depending on the development of the second-year prospects — Jordan Hill, Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger — by next postseason.

    The Rockets need to make the improvements they did not last season. More than anything, by far, they have to get much, much better defensively. After that, and with all that has happened in the past 13 months, the Rockets' prospects seem to be back where they have been for years.

    It's still all about Yao. He has more help than he perhaps ever has had in the NBA. This could be his best team. (McGrady was out in the 2009 postseason and Yao was not all the way back in 2007.)

    The pursuit of Chris Bosh serves as a reminder that the Rockets are among many teams that need a whole lot of things to go right to contend. They do not have the wealth of stars — which is why they went after Bosh — to be among the teams to beat. Retaining Lowry and Scola and signing Miller has left the Rockets without any glaring holes, and with excellent depth. It takes stars to be more.

    If they don't come up with that sort of a home run by next February — and Morey is not kicking back on a beach, yet — they need a few of their own to play like stars.

    Once again, for the Rockets, that will take Yao. The more things change...

    • • •

    If you do wish for another move, the pursuit of a full-sized point guard — or combination guard that can fill in at point — might be the way to go.

    A third-string guard is not a real great priority. You are still talking about someone that won't play a lot, and the Rockets right now have no roster spot available. But the Rockets season went south when Kyle Lowry was hurt last season.

    The Rockets have done too much rebuilding and Leslie Alexander is spending way too much for a chunk of the season to be sacrificed to a turned ankle. And if you can give a few minutes to someone with more heft on Deron Williams, that would not be a bad thing, either.


    • • •

    Miller's addition will likely return Chuck Hayes to his role as a power forward/defensive specialist.

    Odd to say, but the Rockets missed Hayes last season.

    It puts to mind a Bruce Springsteen tour many years ago when he was in his LA/Julianne Phillips/Human Touch/Lucky Town phase. I mentioned after the show that I missed Roy Bittan, the piano player from the E Street Band, which did not seem to make a lot of sense since Bittan was actually still with Springsteen on that tour, playing keyboards in that Shayne Fontaine version of the band. But I missed him, anyway.

    He was no longer in his previous role, featured and at times starring.

    Hayes was that way last season. As a starting center, he would have some good moments, but he needed all his defensive abilities to make up for the shortcoming of being so short. He sort of blended in to the mix.

    Even with all the extra playing time, he was missed at power forward, where he could enter the game when a Dirk Nowitzki or LaMarcus Aldridge was going nuts and the Rockets needed a defensive hammer.

    In some ways, that's an even tougher job, playing only when a great scorer is going great. The Rockets did not have that last season. It's a much smaller role. It does not come up every game. But it was, at times, valuable.

    With this week's move in the middle, the Rockets not only added Miller, they regained Hayes.


    • • •

    If you need something Rockets-related to follow in the remaining free agent developments, hope that Shannon Brown does not return to the Lakers. LA's addition of Steve Blake was a good one, but if there were two Western Conference point guards that could not handle Aaron Brooks' quickness, first and second on the list were Blake and Derek Fisher.

    Brown would be a key to those games if the Lakers bring him back. If not, the Rockets would have an advantage at that position to help counter the Lakers advantages elsewhere.


    • • •

    There were a couple sentences in the Racine (Wisc.) Journal Times about Yao Ming on Monday:

    "Houston officials are hopeful All-Star center Yao Ming will be physically sound for the regular-season opener. But I'm hearing the Rockets aren't about to rush their star back too soon and he could miss up to the first two months of the season."

    Rockets officials report that Yao — who is back in China for his annual charity game — is entirely on track to start training camp and the season on time. More specifically, Daryl Morey said the suggestion that caution could lead the Rockets to hold Yao out of as much as the first two months of the season or that the Rockets have considered it is "totally false."

    • • •

    After another strong summer league, John Lucas III could land in Miami or might go to Chicago, potentially costing Yao Ming his Shanghai Sharks point guard.

    Will Conroy, come on down? Either that, or Ish Smith, when training camp rolls around, it might be a good idea to buddy up to the big guy.
     
  2. Francis3422

    Francis3422 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2000
    Messages:
    7,931
    Likes Received:
    5,582
    One of the better chron articles.

    I would like us to make a move to go all in, I think we have to at some point (because otherwise the Miller signing is pointless). I think we are one player away at this point, but that player has to be of a star caliber.

    However, I am content to just wait, see how Yao does and go from there. We have the firepower to win 48-50 games even without a dominating Yao.
     
  3. orbb

    orbb Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2002
    Messages:
    2,045
    Likes Received:
    16
    the makings of a train wreck... lol
     
  4. Hard Rock

    Hard Rock Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2001
    Messages:
    1,150
    Likes Received:
    280
    Work your phone Yao! John Lucas III would be perfect 3rd pg!
     
  5. Dave2000

    Dave2000 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2001
    Messages:
    11,091
    Likes Received:
    813
    If its between Ish and Conroy, I'd have to go with Conroy. Ish is quick, great passer, but if he can't make a jump shot, the opposing PG would double Yao every time down
     
  6. PeppermintCandy

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2009
    Messages:
    4,136
    Likes Received:
    1,547
    If this is the case, the rumored attempts to trade for Rudy Fernandez makes sense. He's an SG who can probably fill in at the point in emergency situations.

    And it could also be why the Rockets are intent on developing Chase Budinger's skills as a playmaker/facilitator.
     
  7. RudyTBag

    RudyTBag Contributing Member
    Supporting Member

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2006
    Messages:
    28,028
    Likes Received:
    21,123
    The fact is that Yao has to play like a star again for us to win. I believe...
     
  8. Malcolm

    Malcolm Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2008
    Messages:
    1,190
    Likes Received:
    34
    I don't think people are paying attention to the western conference in general. 2 of the top 5 teams in the west have lost key components to their rosters due to free agency. Also the Rockets were 1 victory from being a 2 seed 2 years ago in the western conference. Also that same team took the Lakers to 7 games with Yao Ming out for 4 of the 7 games in that series.

    The true question for the Rockets is if Kevin Martin can move up to being an all-star caliber player. If that happens at minimum the Rockets will be a top 4 team in the west.
     
  9. lalala902102001

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2002
    Messages:
    6,615
    Likes Received:
    429
    I agree. I think that the key to the Rockets' scuess next year will be Kevin Martin's performance. He has to play like an all-star and shoots over 45%. If he can't do that, we are in big trouble.
     
  10. Depressio

    Depressio Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2009
    Messages:
    6,416
    Likes Received:
    366
    Re-quoted for emphasis. Stop theorizing on how Yao won't play at the beginning of the season and start listening to actual, tangible reports.

    Thanks!
     
  11. ima_drummer2k

    ima_drummer2k Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2002
    Messages:
    35,571
    Likes Received:
    7,460
    It's not the beginning of the season that I'm concerned about...
     
  12. mms

    mms Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2007
    Messages:
    1,189
    Likes Received:
    25
    Who was the guy playing pg in the training camp but lost the chance to Von Wafer?
     
  13. mms

    mms Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2007
    Messages:
    1,189
    Likes Received:
    25
    If Martin puts up to 18-20 ppg and gets along well with Yao, he is a 2010-11 all star guaranteed.
     
  14. JuanValdez

    JuanValdez Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 1999
    Messages:
    34,061
    Likes Received:
    13,410
    I won't believe we're standing pat with this roster. It makes no sense to be this deep and not try to concentrate more talent on the starting 5.

    Strawberry?
     
  15. mms

    mms Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2007
    Messages:
    1,189
    Likes Received:
    25
    Yes, he was good at 1. Where is he now?
     
  16. Aruba77

    Aruba77 Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 1999
    Messages:
    13,455
    Likes Received:
    14,343
    Agreed Juan Valdez, but I think Morey is fine going into the season with this roster, with the plan of netting an impact talent closer to the trade deadline; or at least that's the way it seems to me.
     
  17. txmanincali

    txmanincali Member

    Joined:
    Jun 24, 2010
    Messages:
    40
    Likes Received:
    3
    IMO I dont think that we will attract any big name free agents until February. I believe that we'll be in 3rd place in the west making a strong push for running with 2nd place and this will entice big names to join a now proven team (by this time in the season). The question is who would put the Rockets over the top?
     
  18. Hippieloser

    Hippieloser Contributing Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2003
    Messages:
    8,213
    Likes Received:
    1,973
    Sounds so simple, doesn't it? :grin: Whatever happens, this season needs to start NOW.
     
  19. D-rock

    D-rock Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2006
    Messages:
    40,743
    Likes Received:
    64,228
    I agree with everyone who wants DJ for the 3rd PG spot. The guy is verstatile (can play 1 or 2), has size, familiar w/both the Lakers & Rockets and is a defensive specialist.

    He is the perfect complement to Brooks, Lowry and Martin.
     

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now