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Why the Artest trade is even better than you think

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by HowsMyDriving, Jul 29, 2008.

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  1. HowsMyDriving

    HowsMyDriving Member

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    1) the rockets gave up their 2009 #1 in the deal, which sucks right? well, actually no, because morey got that Memphis 2009 2nd rounder for free on draft night as a part of the Donte Greene maneuvering. This is important because Memphis is virtually guaranteed to suck, so even though we'll have no 1st (that likely would have been in the very late 20s), we still have what should be a very early 30s 2nd. The pick we kept could actually be more the more valuable of the two, as 2nd round picks do not get guaranteed deals. This means more payroll flexibility for a similar caliber player as our 1st would have brought in.

    2) artest's contract is a bargain for the talent he brings. this is key because obviously the rockets are luxury tax constrained and it was a huge obstacle to get a player into the rotation that would improve the overall talent level without having to give away a piece of your core in combination with BJ's expiring. A player of artest's caliber is usually $10M+ per year, which would have required a significant addition to the deal, but because artest is an insane value as long as he is committed to the cause, it allowed Morey to add talent without impacting the talent core that's expected to contribute in 2008-2009. Incredibly, I can't think of another player that Morey could have gotten (that was actually available) that would add more talent at less cost from both a cap and outgoing players perspective than Artest.

    3) artest's current contract does not interfere with any plans Morey might have at massive restructuring in 2010. It seems to be important for Morey to keep the payroll flexible as we approach the 2010 FA class and all the insanity it is likely to create around the NBA. By not taking back significant salary other than Artest (i.e. no Kenny Thomas or similar in the deal) the rockets have not had to give away chunks of their 2010 cap space in order to add talent in the present. In most deals of this nature, the Kings would have asked the Rockets to take back a bad contract in order to grease the wheels. Thankfully it did not happen that way, and our future is still wide open.

    4) by acquiring artest, no other contender in the West got him. pretty self-explanatory, but i think many people underestimated Artest because he was essentially a redundant part on a mediocre Kings team that had a talent overload at the swing position. our gain is magnified by the fact that he did not go to the Lakers, Suns, or Mavs, who I believe were all interested in his services. TMac seems to really dislike being guarded by Artest, so seeing one of our major rivals get him could have been disaster in a seven game series.

    5) Ron Artest has the potential to do this year what Paul Pierce did last year. After enduring so much crap for so long, and being the center of trade rumors and speculation, now he can settle in with a new team and focus on winning. I think the Ron Artest we see this year will be even better than the ron artest that sleepwalked his way through a nothing year with the Kings, who were obviously rebuilding. I think Ron and Paul are similar in attitude as well, as they both bring a certain strength and toughness to their respective teams. On a team with KG and Ray (who are both a little fragile similar to Tracy and Yao) Paul Pierce brought the confidence and competitive fire under pressure. I think Artest could do the same for the Rockets.

    6) contract year.

    7-10) see 6.
     
    #1 HowsMyDriving, Jul 29, 2008
  2. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    Hell, just consider how Houston lines up next season: In clutch time, they can play McGrady at the point, Artest and another ace defender, Shane Battier, on the wings, with Yao getting help from toughs like Luis Scola and Carl Landry. Rafer Alston starts at the point, they just signed Brent Barry, Dikembe Mutombo returns as the backup center. And then way down there at the end of the bench there’s Luther Head and Joey Dorsey and Steve Francis.

    That’s a pretty “wow’’ collection of talent.
    http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=530
     
    #2 Tfor3, Jul 29, 2008
  3. CharlieMurphy

    CharlieMurphy Member

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    Great post.
     
    #3 CharlieMurphy, Jul 29, 2008
  4. QdoubleA

    QdoubleA Member

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    Great post. I just watched the video of Stein from ESPN explaining that Artest didnt opt out so he can make more than the midlevel, and he must perform like a star this year if he wants star money. This is awesome.
     
    #4 QdoubleA, Jul 29, 2008
  5. kops630

    kops630 Rookie

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    we are wating for AI and Landry.

    Yao+T-mac+Arte+Scolar+Ai+Landry+F3+Novark+... ...

    Is it looks like the Bulls' 98?
     
    #5 kops630, Jul 29, 2008
  6. DrNuegebauer

    DrNuegebauer Member

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    Sweet - trading for Artest means we get 7 players on the court at clutch time now :eek:


    (don't worry - I know whatcha mean!!)

    FWIW: I don't like the McGrady at PG lineups...
     
    #6 DrNuegebauer, Jul 29, 2008
  7. theREALDEALkid

    theREALDEALkid Member

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    and hes only 28, its not like he's old and washed up...theres still gas in the tank
     
    #7 theREALDEALkid, Jul 29, 2008
  8. mycmyc2003

    mycmyc2003 Member

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    lack of healthy body
     
    #8 mycmyc2003, Jul 29, 2008
  9. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    I don't know about your drivin', but excellent post!
     
    #9 Deckard, Jul 29, 2008
  10. KeepKenny

    KeepKenny Member

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    His presence will relieve so much pressure for Yao and Tmac, both offensively and defensively. He can score in the post when Yao sits. He can get to the line and attack the rack. he'll help us get more points in transition (2.3 steals per game last year). Surprisingly, to me at least, he shot 38% from 3 last year. He'll be able to drain wide open 3's all year long with Yao in the paint.

    To score on us, a player would have to 1) beat artest off the dribble 2) avoid scola who's trying to take the charge, and 3) not get blocked by Yao or Deke.
    and when they get tired, we can bring in Battier and Hayes. Craziness.

    We should be an incredibly balanced scoring team next year. It wouldn't surprise me if no one even averaged over 20 ppg. We'll be blowing out so many teams that Yao can go back to 30 mpg, and tmac could probably go down to 35 mpg.
     
    #10 KeepKenny, Jul 29, 2008
  11. Knight

    Knight Member

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    Actually, I don't think there is any way the Rockets trade for Artest without having spoken to his agent or Artest himself first, discussing the very thing that Artest wants - his contract extension.

    Wasn't that why he decided not to opt-out of his current deal - because he is expecting an extension to be signed?

    So I fully expect that as soon as the trade is finalised, the Rockets will announce a contract extension for Artest, which may very well put the Rockets out of the running for any 2010 free agent signings - depending on the contract value of the extension.

    I see this as very similar to the McGrady trade where Tracy got a multiyear extension just after the trade was completed.
     
    #11 Knight, Jul 29, 2008
  12. mrfirefly7

    mrfirefly7 Member

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    I agree with most of your post. However, one thing that scares me is Artest's character/ off court issue. Can he play well with two other stars on the same team?
    If he starts games instead of Battier, our 3pt shooting will suffer and we won't be able to spread the floor to clear some space for post players.
     
    #12 mrfirefly7, Jul 29, 2008
  13. OddsOn

    OddsOn Member

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    [​IMG]

    HOLY CRAP! :eek:
     
    #13 OddsOn, Jul 29, 2008
  14. battousai

    battousai Member

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    Yao and tracy are both passive players when it comes to clutch time. Tracy is a bit better than Yao, but with artest, we are clutching in baby!!!
     
    #14 battousai, Jul 29, 2008
  15. engr chris

    engr chris Member

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    Artest shot 38% from the 3pt line last year. Thats better than Battier.
     
    #15 engr chris, Jul 29, 2008
  16. Dave_78

    Dave_78 Member

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    Don't forget his presence should take away a few of Tmac's "heat checks" (you know, the ones McGrady takes when he is 3/14 but has made 2 shots in a row) each game.
     
    #16 Dave_78, Jul 29, 2008
  17. moonnumack

    moonnumack Member

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    Great post. In response to some of your points:

    1) Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The difference in picks will probably be 6-8 picks, which is no big deal. Giving up 2 low 1st rounders is similar to what LA gave to get Gasol and Dallas gave up mto get Kidd, I believe.

    4) I think this is a big deal. Most national people assumed that Artest would be going to the Lakers in exchange for Odom, which would have made them pretty unstoppable. Not only did we get better, but we kept the other contenders from getting him, also.

    6-10) Yup, the contract year should decrease the chance of him doing anything stupid this year, which is the main risk to this trade. I think he'll play harder than ever with the Adelman reunion and potential payday factoring in.
     
    #17 moonnumack, Jul 29, 2008
  18. saleem

    saleem Member

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    Correct,if Artest takes good shots and plays smart he could become a successful starter. Otherwise we will suffer.
     
    #18 saleem, Jul 29, 2008
  19. RedGlare07

    RedGlare07 Member

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    #2 and #3, I think, are especially important, although #4 I never really thought about until you brought it up, and it's a very good point.

    I'm hoping 5 proves to be true and feel that #6 is a given.
     
    #19 RedGlare07, Jul 29, 2008
  20. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    just quoting an article :p

    i gave a link too.
     
    #20 Tfor3, Jul 29, 2008
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