With Houston Rockets basketball there are a few guarantees in life. One, Tracy McGrady will hurt his back at least once a season. Two, Yao Ming will get dunked on by a player under 6 feet tall every other game. Finally, and most assuredly, the Rockets will get knocked out of the first round.

Ever since the Houston Rockets made their most recent exit out of the first round I have been screaming that it was time for Houston general manager Daryl Morey to make a move. I was begging for T-Mac to take a flight to Detroit if we could get Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace.  Now, it looks like the Rockets have done even better, and the best part of it is they didn’t have to give T-Mac. But looks can be deceiving.

It looks like they decided to add some nuts (both mentally and the macho term) by grabbing Ron Artest. Ron Artest is the basketball version of Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde. When he is on the court there is no question that he is a top 20 player, a guy who averages 20 points a game, can lock down players like Kobe, and has a huge heart. But unfortunately the guy is as crazy as Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction.

Still, there is no doubt that this vaults the Rockets into a legitimate discussion of title contention. They were already the 4th best defense in the league, now they grabbed an All-Defense player who can relieve T-Mac of defensive duties against the best player on the opposing team. More importantly, however, is the fact that Houston now has a third option on offense. Look me in the face and tell me that anyone is trembling over Shane Battier, Rafer Alston, or Luis Scola? Exactly.

Artest also gives toughness and isn’t afraid to try and be the man at the end of a game. I can’t say the same of T-Mac, but maybe, just maybe this will allow McGrady to be rested enough to make a shot or two in the 4th quarter, something he is notorious for failing to do. As long as he doesn’t exercise that toughness in the stands we are okay. Maybe Rick Adelman can put a leash on him like mothers do with 4 year olds.

And yet I am still a bit queasy about this deal. Any fan of the Rockets since the early 90s can tell you they’ve been down this road before. They blew up their championship team and mortgaged the future by taking a downgraded version of Charles Barkley for Sam Cassell , Robert Horry, and a few other players who did as well in the NBA as J.J. Redick. Not satisfied with that disappointment, they then grabbed a declining Scottie Pippen. Gladys Knight and the Pips was more than happy to prove that Jordan carried him during the Bulls title runs. Now the Rockets give up potential star Donte Greene and a 1st round pick in 2009, and giving up backup point guard Bobby Jackson means the Rockets better be pretty sure of 2nd year man Aaron Brooks. Plus, Artest is a free agent after this season. Morey is basically saying that the future is now.

The reason I will take a chance with this deal, as a Rockets fan, is one simple reason. Uncertainty. We have no idea, especially after Yao Ming’s micro-fracture knee surgery, how much more time there is for this talented team to make a run. This is a team that shocked the NBA world by winning 22 games in a row and making the playoffs. Having said that, I don’t think anybody took the Rockets seriously. Now everyone will. Let’s all pray that this doesn’t end up with a bunny boiling in a pot of water at Tracy McGrady’s house.


Photos Courtesy of sidelineshow.com and cnn.com, respectively

Submit Your Comments About This Article