According to the Yahoo Fantasy team, this is a glimpse into the Rockets of 09/10. Sourced from the Yahoo rotowire draft kit. Houston Rockets Who’s Coming: Jermaine Taylor (32nd), Sergio Llull (34th), Chase Budinger (44th), Trevor Ariza (LAL), David Andersen (ATL), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (TOR) Who’s Going: Ron Artest (LAL), Dikembe Mutomobo (FA), Von Wafer (FA) The 2009-10 season will certainly be a test of Rick Adleman's coaching skills. The season is done before it started, thanks to season- ending surgery for Yao Ming (foot) and Tracy McGrady's microfracture surgery on his left knee that leaves him out, at best, until December. You'd be foolish to bank on someone with McGrady's injury history playing a major role. Where do the injuries leave the Rockets? First and foremost, they need to fill Yao's void. Bringing in Aussie David Andersen is a start, but he's an NBA rookie and a European big man - he can space the floor and hit jumpers, but isn't a defensive stalwart. More likely, we'll see the 6-9 Luis Scola and 6-8 Joey Dorsey (14.8 rpg, 2.bpg, in summer league) getting heavy minutes in the middle. The 6-9 Carl Landry and 6-6 Chuck Hayes will also find some minutes in Adelman's rotation of "bigs." Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza round out the forward rotation. It's far from certain that McGrady will be performing at a high level or for a ton of minutes nightly. Ariza will be forced to play some shooting guard. Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry will make up one of the league's smaller point-guard rotations. Rookies Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger could find their way into the rotation because of the McGrady situation. Budinger was the best player on the summer league team. And some comments on the 'sleeper pick' potential of Ariza. Trevor Ariza, SF, HOU - Ariza is no longer a secret after playing a role in the Lakers winning a championship last season, but he only averaged 8.9 points (which was a career-high) while doing so, hardly making him a great fantasy option. However, Ariza also averaged 1.7 spg, tied for sixth best in the league, and that was while playing just 24 mpg. He might not be worth the contract Houston gave him, but Ariza immediately becomes the Rockets' best player with Ron Artest gone, Tracy McGrady still battling a knee injury and Yao Ming (foot) likely out for the season. As a result, don't be surprised if his ppg more than double this year, and with increased floor time, he could also challenge for the league lead in steals.
Scola is the fantasy guy for us. Brooks could surprise also, Ariza if you need steals I guess? hopefully his ballhandling has improved though to create for himself or others.
Scola, Brooks and Ariza won't go very high in drafts. Definitely could turn out to be low risk - high reward type pick ups for fantasy teams.
Actually Scola was a very solid fantasy player for his average draft position. Definitely a valuable pick, I hope more people haven't found out about him.
Landry is the guy I would pick up as a last round pick. Among all our players with untapped offensive potential, you gotta think he's at the top of our list (with Lowry being second) for guys that could break out. You don't really want to get fringe players in fantasy--only guys that either pay off big or clearly do not so that you have no qualms about dropping them and picking up the flavor of the week in their stead.
I'd take McGrady with a late pick. He will come back and do decently--maybe not his usual numbers, but still enough to be worth a late pick. He's undervalued at this point.
How could he not be worth that contract if he's automatically gonna be the best player? Are our guys really that bad?
It's weird. I think guys don't realize that it's just a MLE level deal. I think Ariza could be HUGE in an up tempo system where he handles the ball a bit. I'm talking 15-17 ppg, 6-8 rpg, 2-4 apg, 2-3 spg, 2-3 threes (if he continues improving his stroke). I don't know why more people aren't pedicting this with the drastic increase in minutes and possessions he'll be getting. I could see him totally being a Shawn Marion type.
Thank you! Why do most people not see that Marion was a system guy. In 2 years without PHX he hasn't been trash but he's definitely not the "superstar" he was claiming to be. Anyway, always got Yao in the first round for about the last 3 years, now we don't have any first rounders besides maybe Brooks.
Scola, Ariza, Brooks, Landry in that order. I have been able to draft all in the late rounds without any trouble. Landry can easily be a waiver wire pickup.
and at the same time he might not even be worth his contract! lol all brought to you courtesy of yahoo, which incidentally also employs the national game-tape-watcher champion kelly dwyer
absolutley ! I picked him in one of my last rounds simply because his level of play will be high, IF he can make it back completley healthy. He has developed too many great skills on the court to come back healthy and be average. I like it.
