[Realgm.com] Countdown To Take-Off

lock if posted already, but this is a season preview of the rockets on realgm.com

http://rockets.realgm.com/articles/92/20080930/countdown_to_take-off/

"Tip-off for the 20008-09 season is just around the corner and once again the Houston Rockets are one of the favorites to win the Western Conference.

Over the last few seasons, the Rockets have opened new seasons with skyscraper expectations, only to disappoint over and over again year in and year out. Can this season have a different ending or will this be another year plagued by injuries and turmoil?

This past off-season Houston added a tough defensive stopper with a bad history and a long rap sheet in Ron Artest. Can Artest keep his emotions in check while being the third and sometimes even fourth option on offense? Adding a tough and gritty Artest to an already solid lineup that won over twenty games in a row as a result of outstanding team defense and hustle last season doesn’t seem like a bad idea, but there are a few concerns about his acquisition.

Where will Artest play? The starting lineup has three locks already, Rafer Alston running the point, Tracy McGrady scoring from the two, and Yao Ming holding down the middle at the center position. That leaves two starting spots for Artest to battle for, the small forward, his most natural position on the court, and the power forward, which he has the power to play, but maybe not the size.

Last year's squad showcased veteran Shane Battier as the starting small forward. Battier is an outstanding defensive player who is a consummate professional and team player; he is the Rockets “glue-guy”. Artest can offer a superior offensive repertoire to the lineup than Battier can, but with McGrady hoisting most of the shots and Ming getting the leftovers, Artest’s offensive abilities might be better appreciated coming off the bench.

Battier does possess a skill that Artest often struggles with, which is a consistent and deadly outside jumpshot. Battier’s sweet outside jumper makes him more of an asset when on the floor with 7’6” Ming on the block. Artest’s inconsistencies from long range could hurt the offensive flow for the Rockets when he’s on the court with Ming; defenders may be more likely to double team and even deny post entry passes utilizing a player both in front and behind Ming in the post.

Both Battier and Artest are excellent defenders, but they each matchup better against particular types of opponents. Battier is better suited guarding a wing player who is primarily a perimeter player, like Ray Allen or Kevin Durant. Battier is also better suited against a quick, aggressive player like Kobe Bryant. Bryant can use his quickness against Artest to frustrate Ron and get him into quick foul trouble.

Artest, however, is a better defender than Battier at handling physical, post oriented guards and forwards like Paul Pierce or Michael Beasley. Battier can hold his own against these stronger opponents but is not as efficient as Artest at guarding these relentless bulldozing type of scorers. Regardless of whom the starter is Battier or Artest will guard the opposing team’s best wing player so that McGrady can conserve more energy for the offensive end of the floor.

Because Battier could a better fit with the superstar starters on the team on the offensive end of the floor, he could possibly edge out Artest as the starting small forward. Artest is the better all-around player though, so either guy could fill the position adequately, but in the end Artest will likely be named the starter because of his advanced skills.

The other open position in the starting lineup is at the power forward position, which was occupied by the energy fueled Argentinean Luis Scola during the 2007-08 campaign. Scola is a hard worker that gives opposing forwards fits with hustle and high-octane energy. Artest, however, is built like a power player; he just doesn’t have the height needed to contain Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Carlos Boozer, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Jefferson and the rest of the gigantic power forwards in the west. Because of the height difference alone it might make more sense not to start Artest at the power forward.

If Artest assumes the role of the sixth man it could unleash that questionable character that he has introduced to the NBA in the past, but it could ultimately be the best position for both him and the team to succeed. If Artest plays off of the bench he would give Houston a reliable scoring presence on the second unit, which is a luxury Houston hasn’t had during the McGrady era; he could be what Bonzi Wells and Steve Francis were supposed to have been over the last one or two years.

Even if Artest starts over Battier, the Rockets will still have the best bench that they have had in years. Aaron Brooks showed some promise late last season and has likely improved his game over the summer and should be a serviceable back up point guard. They still have Steve Francis on the roster as well, who will never again be a dangerous scoring threat, but it’s possible that he could give the Rockets valuable minutes off the bench, assuming he has permanently buried his super-ego six feet underground.

The bench will also feature two vets who are well past their prime but are wily enough to continue to contribute for a contender. Those players are Brent Barry, who can step in and play three positions on the wing; Barry is probably the best pure shooter on the roster as well. The other vet is ancient Dikembe Mutumbo, the seven footer who has the ability to turn back the clock seemingly every season, even though he’s well into his forties (he’s listed at 42, but does anyone truly know how old he is?). Mutumbo was instrumental in the Rockets success last season as he anchored the defense and shut down opposing big men, inspiring his teammates that were half his age to hike up their shorts and stop guys from scoring.

One looming concern for the Rockets is the health of their team. Will this be the year that the Rockets avoid the injury bug and play an entire season with both of their superstars healthy? This one is a long shot, because every year since the Rockets acquired McGrady in a trade with the Orlando Magic for Steve Francis one of the All Stars, McGrady or Ming, has been injured. Some years both of these players have sustained crucial injuries, which is an impossible obstacle to overcome.

In his four seasons with the Rockets, McGrady has missed an average of 16 games per season. Not once in his career has he played all 82 regular season games, he as also never played in more than 78 regular season games, so as he enters his twelfth NBA season you can expect McGrady to miss at least five to 10 games this year.

Yao has also missed his fair share of regular season games as well. Over the last three years he has missed a total of 86 games, more than an entire season, which averages to 29 missed games per season.

Together, McGrady and Yao miss 45 games a year, which is an impossible deficit to overcome. It’s unreasonable to expect the Rockets to be championship contenders when they’re top two players miss so many games every year.

McGrady’s effectiveness has slowly declined over the last few years due to the injuries he has sustained during his career. He is still, however, one of the elite players in the NBA, but how long will his body allow him to score and play at a high level the way he does?

McGrady is seeing the prime of his career slowly drift away in the rearview mirror, and Ming is probably playing at the highest level he will see in his career. This could be one of the last chances that this Rocket squad has to fight for a championship, but first they have to get out of the first round of the playoffs.

Not once in his career has McGrady advanced past the first round of the playoffs. He has certainly had his opportunity, most notably in his Houston tenure was two years ago when his team was playing a game 7 at home against a young, inexperienced Utah Jazz team only to collapse in the final minutes and bow out early in the playoffs again.

The West is still the strongest conference with the Lakers having gone to the NBA finals, many young teams like the Jazz, Hornets, and Blazers getting better every year, and the aging Spurs still clawing for a shot at one more ring before Tim Duncan retires, it is inevitably going to be another battle for the Rockets to get out of the first round again, because even a high playoff seed won’t guarantee anything, just ask the 2006-07 Dallas Mavericks.

This will, however, be the deepest team the Rockets have had since McGrady and Ming became teammates and it may be their last chance to realistically compete for a championship. If the team’s stars stay healthy and Artest can keep his emotions under control, then the sky is the limit and the Rockets could land on the moon and win the elusive NBA championship."

 

ha ya it's true.

all the articles that aren't written by the guys that actually know the rockets well are pretty generic stuff that any clutchfan can tell you. but i figured i'd post anyway .