[foxsports.com] Rockets have the pieces, but remain a puzzle

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Rockets have the pieces, but remain a puzzle
by Randy Hill

You may have overlooked it on your schedule, but we seem to have reached the rerun portion of this NBA season.

Oh, we've had clues. Here's one: Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum begins to rise like an absolute monster and is promptly KO'ed when a teammate takes out his knee. Just like last season.

Our second clue happened at the start of this month when the Houston Rockets beat the Chicago Bulls — much like last season, when Houston enjoyed a perfect February and eventually rolled up 22 straight wins. OK, so Wednesday's loss to the Grizzlies left the Rockets a measly 20 triumphs short of their 2008 streak, but we probably should expect them to begin pole-axing the Western Conference, right?

Well, just like last season, the pre-streak evidence has been a bit spotty.

That's because, just like last season, the team's whirlpool has become a timeshare. While managing a record of 30-20, the Rockets have suited up their Big Three — Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest, take a bow — just 25 times for the same game. For the record, Houston is a tidy 16-9 when the anticipated Combination Domination has taken the floor together.

Tuesday's conquest of the Bulls represented the first time Yao, T-Mac and Artest have teamed up since Jan. 2.

So, as long as everyone's healthy and relatively happy, it's all good, right? Well, let's not start printing T-shirts with pithy words of glory just yet. Yeah, there's trouble in Three Amigo paradise. And it really has nothing to do with Artest not getting along with Yao, a premise that seemed to have been cleared up soon after last summer's (let's call it) misunderstanding.

Let's also note that Yao has been fit as a fiddle (for him), missing just three games thus far (I now must hope an anvil doesn't fall on the guy's head). Artest has been relatively serene in Houston, although one Western Conference assistant coach I contacted regarding this column suggested that instead of making the usual basketball player noises, Artest can be associated with the sound of ticking.

Anyway, if Yao is in uniform on a regular basis and Artest has avoided attacking the paying customers, what could be the problem?

Oh, you know it has to be McGrady.

Prior to his recent 10-game absence, T-Mac became a popular topic when the Rockets ordered this absence as a means of getting their highly paid employee in proper NBA condition. It seems the team was a bit lacking in on-court continuity with McGrady hopping in and out of the lineup on a bum knee.

It may have been a bit risky, because the Rockets had been 19-9 with McGrady playing and 5-6 without him. However, even with Artest on the shelf for a time with a nasty ankle, they sort of flourished during T-Mac's last departure, winning seven of those 10 games. They recorded a 10-point, plus-minus swing in this span, turning the stat fiends among Rockets fans into advocates of a McGrady trade.

Well, the almost-30-year-old three man with the maddeningly underutilized skills has another year at 23 million scoots on his current guaranteed NBA contract. As a cap-relief candidate, he'd be golden in trade talks one year from now.

Anyone interested in rolling the dice for a title run that includes McGrady this year (anyone outside of Houston) probably wouldn't be able to put together a trade proposal the Rockets would seriously consider.

But it would be interesting to see how the Rockets would manage for a long spell without McGrady. Frankly, the ball sort of dies in his hands, preventing defenses from having to deal with the ball reversals and basket cuts that often define how the team scores when relying on Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Shane Battier and Von Wafer.

The same offensive strangulation is true of Artest, who believes himself to be superstar-caliber on offense. Throw in Yao, who needs someone to throw him the ball in the post, and the Rockets roll out three big shots who often need multiple touches to remain pleased.

All three players are enjoying statistical drops — that includes field-goal percentage dips for T-Mac and Artest — from last season. This could be a function of geography (Artest was a King a year ago) and the problems inherent in making three big names execute a fluid offense. Throw in dribble-happy starting point guard Rafer Alston, and it's a wonder the Rockets ever beat the shot clock.

But before we seize upon the crazy notion of jettisoning one or two of the Big Three, please note that T-Mac (21) and Yao (12) participated in large chunks of last year's 22-game miracle.

This suggests that two stars behaving well — surrounded by co-workers capable of making open shots and playing defense — can make hay in the NBA. Acquiring Artest as the defensive stopper and tough guy seemed like a bit of reach, especially with Shane Battier already on the payroll.

With Artest rockin' an expiring contract worth $8 million and change, he might provoke trade interest. But if not, Houston might as well see if the Big Three can stay healthy, play good basketball and attempt to ambush some teams in the Western Conference playoffs.

No matter how much some of us would love to see player and ball movement on offense, abetted by a commitment to team defense, we also must reconcile with the reality of star talent being (almost always) necessary for NBA playoff success.

Rebuilding teams generally find the climb back up the mountain to be insanely treacherous. Just ask the Chicago Bulls.

Then again, we can't really ask the Rockets to rebuild until we're convinced that teaming up Artest with McGrady and Yao qualifies as building.




LINK: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/9172226/Rockets-have-the-pieces,-but-remain-a-puzzle