Houston Rockets Season Preview
Welcome to the Heartbreak Hotel.
We continue previewing the Southwest Division with the Houston Rockets. You can read past previews here.
Last chance.
It is easily one of the most overused expressions in the English language. We hear it so often–from parents, employers, friends, lovers, and just about anyone with whom we regularly interact in our 
lives–and yet it has such little meaning. When do those people really ever follow through with their threat?
A writer once famously claimed that there are no second acts in American lives. F. Scott Fitzgerald, brilliant scribe that he was, didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. Life is all about second, third, and fourth chances. Especially in the NBA. Each new season season offers players and teams ample opportunity to reinvent and redeem themselves.
As for the Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming partnership, this could truly end up being their final chance to prove that they can make it work. Should they fail to advance their squad in the postseason, there might not be any second and third acts. Daryl Morey will be left with little choice but to seriously consider breaking them up and return to the drawing board.
On paper, the Houston Rockets have a mouth-wateringly good team. There is of course the aforementioned McGrady and his partner in crime Ming; a very good coach; Shane Battier and his indefatigable dedication to solid defense; a wildly charismatic and bruising rookie; and a supporting cast that plays their role to a T.
Oh yeah, there’s also that one wild card they picked up over the summer. Certainly can’t forget about him.
Given their respective ages, Yao, Artest, Battier, and McGrady should be entering that stage of their professional lives where they put it all together–they’re each , theoretically, in their primes. This means we’ll likely never see them perform at such a high level again. They’d be wise to take advantage of this and make something special happen.
Of course, it will not be easy. In fact, it will be insanely difficult; impossible perhaps. I have higher hopes of winning the Powerball jackpot than for McGrady and Yao to play an entire season’s worth of games. Can we really count on Ron Artest, who’s angling for a huge contract next summer, to behave when he has to share shots and the spotlight with two other All-Stars? That’s almost like asking Palin to break down the theory of relativity.
The optimist in me sees Adelman getting everyone to buy into his system, the win total being a shade north of 55, a couple of guys repping the team at the midseason classic in Phoenix, and Houston finally breaking through that First Round wall only to succumb to the Lakers in the Conference Finals.
The realist, however, sees the Houston Rockets for who they really are: that stunningly beautiful, emotionally fragile, and downright crazy girl you can’t help but fall in love with, knowing full well that she’ll break your heart in the end. Being the helplessly foolish romantic that you are, though, you will nonetheless sign up and go along for the turbulent ride.
This story is filed under: Blogs, Mutoni's Spot, NBA
- Beno Udrih Has Accepted His Fate
- Meet the Nuggets’ New Three-Point ‘Specialist’
- Here Comes Eddy
- Hassan Adams’s Extra-Short Career as a Clipper
- Thunder Get Chucky Atkins
- Candace Parker Expecting Her First Child
- Heat Trade Livingston to Grizzlies
- J.R. Smith Isn’t Going to Jail
- Odom and His Knee
- More of the Wire »
This is a contract year. Artest has never made more than $7 million a year. He needs a big payday in the worse way. I think he’ll make a business decision like most cats in the NBA. The thing with the beer was a perfectly acceptable, in my mind, reaction to extreme stress. It’s highly unlikely that something like that happens again.
Artest is playing for his money and that’s the biggest motivator in the league.
That was November 12th, 2004. A week later, he was gone.
Come on, that’s unfair.
I disagree with RV’s argument that just because a players says good stuff that means he’s going to behave. However, I think everybody is underestimating Artest’s desire to get paid. Let’s be serious, if Artest plays up to his potential this season, he gets a deal at about $10 million to $12 million per year. He knows that and he needs the money. The whole thing with the rap career was about money. Artest has felt underpaid his whole career; he wants his money.
Aside from the Palace debacle, most of Artest’s other off court problems have been nothing major. They’ve just been viewed through the prism of the brawl. So, I’m fairly confident that Artest will avoid the minor BS, will beast out alongside Yao and McGrady and then will take his game to another level once one of them gets hurt as they almost certainly will.
Artest is finally going to get paid, and then I think he’ll have another three to four years of superb play and good behavior. That’s what I’m hoping for at least.
No mention of Rafer Alston. He averaged over 13 points and 5 dimes last year
________________________________________________
Sure, but not nearly enough assists to get this team past the 2nd round of the playoffs. I can’t believe how lengthy and well Rafer’s career has been in the NBA. I for one was a critic and I STILL dont see them getting to the finals. Consider this point. If you can be DOMINANT for a great stretch of games without “key” players as was the case when they went for that amazing 22 game W streak then you have to look at your roster as a whole and see if the “on paper” version, the FULL LINE UP is actually as good as the sum of it’s parts. Essentially the role players on this team are better at their jobs than the super stars are at theirs…AND THAT MAKES A PROBLEM.
PS- Teddy, dont be trying to steal that off of me now will you?
I would pin it on luck and the bounce of the ball too…..not being a great team, certainly not headed to the finals.
CONSIDER: The year after Jordan retired, Scottie Pippen dragged the Bulls kicking and screaming to a 50+ win season, that had lost ONLY TWO GAMES LESS than with Michael the year before…the difference THE CHAMPIONSHIP obviously. What I want to establish is the concept that the Houston Rockets LOOK like they are built around Yao and TMAC but the output proves otherwise (whereas Jordan WITH Scottie and Rodman completed the teams needs), they do not lift this team to that next level of dominance at the playoff level and thats where they will come unstuck again. The only way out as I see it is if ROnROn becomes a leader for this team and Skip to my Lou gets on some “top 3-type pg salsa”….and get healthy!
just my thoughts…
Comments