This was an impressive road victory for the Rockets on many counts. Whenever they ran hand-offs, give-and-go procedures and circle-cuts, they usually kept the ball and the bodies moving with an admirable degree of synchronicity. They also used isolations in a judicious fashion: Carl Landry was 1-2. Ron Artest tallied five points in six one-on-one situations. Tracy McGrady produced nine points, two assists (and one turnover) in his 14 go-it-alone plays. And Yao Ming attacked defenders with jump hooks and turnaround jumpers in establishing nearly total dominance in the low post. Just about every offensive play opened up with some kind of high-post screen and evolved from there — executing different plays from the same initial look being an excellent strategy devised by Rick Adelman and his staff. Luis Scola was usually in the right place at the right time, and also played rough-tough defense on Dirk Nowitzki, especially in post-up sequences. However, whenever Nowitzki was able to turn and face, Scola was abused. T-Mac was clearly hampered by injuries to his left shoulder and left ankle, but compensated by making sharp passes to generate open looks for his teammates. Also, the Rockets got substantial contributions from the bench, particularly the speedy Aaron Brooks, who still has difficulty making mature decisions with the ball, but who can shoot and scoot with any of his peers. Yet the star of the game was Ron Artest. He powered and slicked his way to the hoop, hit standstill treys, and mid-range jumpers pulling left. Indeed, it was two late-game jumpers worth five points that ultimately put the game out of reach. And, of course, Ron-Ron busted his chops on defense — totally shutting down Nowitzki in the clutch. But no team is perfect, and with the season still in its infancy the Rockets have several issues that must be resolved if they hope to dethrone the Celtics. Artest forced five shots, making only one. Artest picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter when, during a post-whistle-bump-and-shove set-to he raced toward the scrum and — in the name of protecting Yao — made aggressive contact with both Josh Howard and Jason Kidd. A no-no for Ron-Ron, and a danger sign for the Rockets. Erick Dampier routinely out-muscled Yao at every turning. But for some reason, Dampier played only 22 minutes (accumulating only three fouls) — and Yao had his way with DeSagana Diop and Brandon Bass. On the defensive end, the Rockets were hurt by any and all high screen/rolls that involved Yao. The big man failed to make an appearance in the vicinity of the screens, choosing instead to retreat to the familiar turf of the paint. As a result, the Mavs were always able to find an open shot. However, why Dallas used this tactic only in the first half remains a mystery. If Yao can easily block shots that are brought into his face, he lacks the lateral quickness and the quick ups to challenge any other sudden in-the-lane attempts. The Rockets' transition defense left a lot to be desired. If Artest locked up Nowitzki with the game on the line, in the first half Josh Howard easily out-quicked him and scored at will. And that's precisely how to counter Artest's aggressive, chest-to-chest, intimidating defense, i.e., make him run, and look for perimeter shots in early offense. At times, Houston appeared to be more of a collection of talented individuals instead of being a team. Presumably, over the course of the long season, Adelman will be able to mold these disparate talents into a more cohesive and more consistent whole. If/when this happens, the Rockets could easily win the championship. However, aside from Ron-Ron's potential for disruptive behavior, the biggest problem for this particular cast of characters is to determine who the leading man should be. In Indiana, Artest and Jermaine O'Neal were perpetually battling to be the Pacers' go-to guy, and although Artest has recently confessed the sins of his youth and vowed to change his ways (for the nth time), the pecking order must be clearly established for the Rockets to truly blast off into the league's upper echelon. It says here that T-Mac is too fragile and too soft. That Yao is likewise injury-prone, and also must be passive and wait for the ball to come to him. And that because he can post-up, drive with power, and also shoot the lights out from downtown, it's Artest who has to be the Rockets' main man. Perhaps this responsibility might also make his latest, oft-repeated promises finally come true. Perhaps not. http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8740314/Should-Artest-be-Rockets'-main-man
