http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6170131.html By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Dec. 17, 2008, 5:53PM After 25 games marked by injuries, rapidly changing lineups and wildly inconsistent results on the court, the position of the Rockets owner has remained constant. Determined after last season and heading into this season to build around Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said Wednesday he remains firmly behind that plan. "I am committed to them being healthy and building a team around Yao and Tracy," Alexander said Wednesday. "Nothing's changed. "The plan really depends on Yao and Tracy's health. Yao looks like he's gotten healthy and is playing well. Tracy had the leg problem which he seems to be overcoming. You can see how great he is. I mean, the guy isn't playing at his full capacity and he gets 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists (Tuesday against the Nuggets). Try to replace that with somebody at one position." Alexander spoke Wednesday at the naming of the Yao Ming Foundation and the Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund as the beneficiaries of the 13th Tux and Tennies Charity Gala Feb. 18 at Toyota Center. He said he would not have reason to change his plan based on McGrady's injury because McGrady's injury is not new since Alexander determined the plan. He added that he agreed with McGrady's decision to sit out seven games to strengthen the leg. Alexander said there have been no efforts to even test the market on a trade involving one his stars and that the Rockets have received no inquiries. "Nobody's called," he said. "I'm trying to think — no, nobody's called." As steadfast as he was in support of the current course, he said the happy accident of having so many contracts coming off the Rockets' books in time for the celebrated free agency class of 2010 would make the team a significant player that summer. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobili, Steve Nash and McGrady are scheduled to be free agents that summer. Yao has the option to become a free agent. "That's the way things worked out; it wasn't carefully done," Alexander said. "That will be one of the most interesting summers in the history of the game. You can't predict the future. I think we'll be in that game. We'll be in that hunt in some way." Until then, the Rockets would look to improve but are determined to move under the luxury tax threshold, he said. He said the Rockets would still like to bring back Dikembe Mutombo but will not unless they can first move enough salary to avoid paying a luxury tax. They would have to cut slightly in excess of $2.5 million to sign Mutombo without incurring the tax. Alexander said the luxury tax threshold of $71.15 million is in effect a hard cap for the Rockets with the exception of any opportunity to land "a great, great player." "I'm firm," Alexander said. "I always say unless you can show me a great, great player that I definitely think will change the course of the team. "I love Dikembe. I love him as a player and as a person. I said a 'great, great player.' He's a terrific guy and a good player, but he's not a great, great player, anymore." Mutombo took over at center when Yao was hurt last season, but the centers played in the same game only 14 times. In the 55 games both were active, Mutombo averaged fewer than two minutes per game. Alexander said he is still trying to learn more about his 16-9 team with information so limited by injuries that disrupted the rotation. "Ron (Artest) has always been a pretty healthy player," Alexander said. "Shane (Battier) has been a healthy player. With Rafer (Alston), thank God right now we have a really good backup (Aaron Brooks). And Rafer, for the salary he makes ($4.9 million this season) in this league to have a starting point guard as good as him is a terrific value. Point guard and center are the two hardest positions to find. I'm not going to get a better point guard than him. "I need to see the team play at least 10 consecutive games with the whole team. How can you judge? You don't know. There is no way of knowing. You have to see Tracy healthy. You have to see Yao healthy. Ron has played the whole season with a bum ankle. He liked the showing at home on Tuesday night. "We didn't have our starting point guard. Give me a chance to see my team in full over a span of a few games to see what they'll do," he said. For all his determination to stay the course, the owner said he would change direction if the Rockets found the right opportunity. "As an organization for 16 years, I and we have always tried to improve this team at all times," Alexander said. "We never stop looking. We never stop working. No matter who the players are here, no matter who the players will be, that will always be our philosophy. It's not as if we're not looking. We're never standing still and we'll never stand still. If we won 20 games in a row and everything looked great as was perfect, we would stand still. Until that happens, we're searching."
indeed....patience is required until the playoffs...we dont even want home court...we cant shoot here anyways
I wish one of these days a Houston journalist will ask Les about the pitiful crowd in the lower bowl and whether it embarrasses him.
Come on Les... Mutombo hasn't been a "great, great player" for years. Who cares? He's been an impact player for us in the 2nd half the last few years. We NEED his size, defense, and off/def rebounding. If not him, we have to get someone else.
Not having a good backup center will be a fatal blow.I don't think they can get past the 1st round,provided they get there first. The team is still unhealthy despite our win against the Nuggets. I didn't feel that Les had been cheap,but I feel he is being cheap right now. He doesn't realize how tenuous the situation is. Deke is no longer the player he was but we still need him,preferably someone better which is very unlikely.
What? The coach, the GM and now the owner don't think Mutombo is a priority? Could it be....that they are right? Calvin Murphy has been repeating that Les loves Tmac and it sounds like he is right.
We need height and we don't need Francis. Perhaps we salary dump him closer to the deadline and we sign Dikembe. Maybe the rockets aren't making that offer to Deke yet as they're waiting for the deadline to dump Francis. There's just no room for him since AB is def the backup 1 with Head, Barry and Wafer also capable of playing spot minutes in the back court. Morey, please get some height for the second unit!
No, they are not right. They are being cheap. Deke is a great insurance policy...certainly better than anyone else available right now. Sorry, but IMO having a 6'6 backup center playing behind an oft-injured big man scares the hell out of me. I know if Yao goes down we have a slim chance at winning in the playoffs, but with Hayes at backup C that means NO chance
can't see any other superstar on this team besides yao and tmac, hope there aren't too many big changes in 2010 unless it upgrades the team like crazy.
Seriously though, if Yao goes down, we're screwed any way just like any team whose best player goes down.
screwed in the sense of not winning a championship...I agree. But we have a chance at winning a series if we had Deke. I think our team could still be good as long as Tracy, Ron and everyone else can stay healthy. I would even take a series at this point over nothing if it came to that You don't just give up, which is what having Hayes as the true backup tells me.
Still too small IMO I just want them to sign the guy as an insurance policy. Scola would get manhandled by a lot of WC centers if he had to match up against them 37 minutes a night.
