The Rockets are on the right path

I watched the Miami game tonight and I liked the way the team hustled and never gave up. I think the Rockets are in the position they are in because (a) they have made some smart personnel moves and (b) they have had some bad luck.

With respect to where they are today. The Franics deal was undisbutably excellent. However, there seemed to be a lot of controversy over the Pippen deal. However, let's face it, last year we couldn't make it past the first round of the playoffs with Hakeem, Barkley and Pippen. What really made us think that we were going to do any better with Hakeem, Barkley and Pippen one year older, Pippen whining and a rookie point guard? If we had kept Pippen we wouldn't have been going anywhere. As a result, we had to trade him.

There seems to be a lot of controversy on whether we got enough for Pippen. Let's face it, the year before, Pippen had the Bulls in a similar sitution and we got him for Roy Rogers and a second round pick. This year, Pippen had us by the neck and everyone knows what we got for him. I would say that we got a lot more for Pippen than the Bulls got from us. Maybe its easy come easy go.

As a result, I believe that we tremendously improved ourselves with the two trades. We are having the bad season from the won-lost point of view, as a result, of the injuries to Hakeem and Barkley. Nobody could have foreseen that.

As a result, I think Rudy has done the best for the team in light of the circumstances.

With respect to the future. Let's face it, its all about making a championship run. We aren't going to do it next year with Hakeem in his last season and no big free agent signings, the year after Hakeem retires we can sign someone; however, since chemistry is so important, we probably can't seriously expect to make a title run with a new star on the team. As a result, it is going to be three years from now before we can even expect to make a run at things.

I see Francis, Mobley, Anderson and Cato as players that can be built around. While Rodgers, Drew and Thomas as good role players of the future. While Bullard, etc will not be around in three years.

With an eye for the future, I see Francis as the point guard, either Mobley or Anderson as the shooting guard with Cato as the center or power forward. This leaves a need for a SF and a C/PF. While having Mobley and Anderson provides depth at shooting guard. I think for a team that that has two huge holes in their starting five, we should seek to trade some redundancy to fill those holes. I like Anderson's all round game, as a result, I say Mobley is odd man out.

As a result, the core of the Rockets is Francis, Anderson and Cato. If I were the Rockets, I would trade any and all the others to fill those holes. For example, if we could trade any and all the other players for a defensive C/PF like Olowkandi and a shooting SF like McGrady then we would be much better off. A crew like this playing together for 2 or three years can all peak together.

Many may argue that a strategy like this will weaken our depth. In the short term, this is true; however, who cares about the short term. I say we need to look toward making a championship run in three years. As a result, get a young starting five that has played together for a 2-3 years, sign a vetern after Hakeem retires and Rudy and Carrol should make some other good draft choices like a Cuttino or Thomas and a I think we will have a deep team ready to make a run in three years. However, in the mean time, it will be exciting.