Ball or Nuthin' » Rockets

Yao Ming – A Modern Day Ralph Sampson

T Lamont — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:04:52 +0000

Horrible news broke out of the first day of camp for the Houston Rockets.

Center Yao Ming twisted his ankle.

I said horrible, but definitely not surprising – especially if you are among the Houston Rocket faithful.

Prior to him being drafted, Ming was regarded as the next great center in the NBA. He was touted as a giant, with a strong base and gentle hands. Scouting reports also harped on Ming’s shooting touch - characterizing it as extraordinary for a player on his size and stature. And each of these assessments was dead on.

Ming has career averages of 19 points and 9 rebounds, which is nothing to scowl at. Those represent very respectable numbers that very few can even think of posting.

But all respectability aside, Ming, literally, has to be the biggest disappointment in the NBA. He’s 7’6″, and yet, somehow he fails to dominate the flow of the game. To see the effect that we would expect from a player of his stature, one would have to look no further than the Rockets’ first preseason game of 2010. The Rockets were hosting an exhibition in their home state against the Orlando Magic and that other perennial All-Star center, “Mr. Superman” himself – Dwight Howard.

Ming played an extremely short stint in this game, so there was not much to analyze. But what he did give us to examine was the same old thing that we’ve become accustomed to witnessing from the Chinese import. But matching up with Howard, Yao only scored 3 points (on 3 free throws). Now aside from his recurring injury issues, Yao’s most pressing weakness is his lack of mobility – and it was clearly exposed by the Magic superstar.

Ming and McGrady never lived up to the hype of their co-existence on the Rockets.

Howard’s quickness, paired with his athleticism and lightning-fast leaping ability, negated any height and size advantage that Ming had. Offensively, Howard could easily blow by Ming. On one possession, Howard executed a fake in one direction, drove the other direction and converted a reverse layup. Throughout the play, Ming’s feet remained in practically the same spot.

Offense impact withholding, Ming’s lack of mobility really hurts on the defensive side of the ball. Any player in the seven-foot range typically shuts down the painted area with a shot-blocking presence that deters the opposition from driving toward the bucket. Being seven-and-a-half feet tall and not being able to block shots is kinda like having wings and not being able to fly. Simply stated, it doesn’t make any sense.

The excitement around Ming’s arrival on the Rockets was met with great enthusiasm. It rekindles memories of another former Rocket of whom big things were expected – Ralph Sampson. We all know Sampson’s story. He, along with Hakeem Olajuwon, lifted the Rockets to a surprising 1984 NBA Finals appearance. That would be the pinnacle of Sampson’s NBA career, as injuries and trades derailed the remainder of his professional basketball existence.

Before entertaining any criticism regarding this comparison, consider this: Sampson took the Rockets to the Finals…a venue that Ming has yet to see.

Will Ming ever be able to say the same?

Bosh Met With the Houston Rockets?

T Lamont — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:40:49 +0000

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For at least the next week, we’ll be hearing stories about how 10 different teams are signing the same player.

On the opening day of free agency, forward Chris Bosh met with the Houston Rockets. Earlier today, Rockets GM Daryl Morey tweeted the following:

“Just finished meeting with @chrisbosh – great player & person. He is about winning so I focused on how w/Houston he can win a championship.”

So, inquiring minds would want to know…Daryl, just what did you say? From looking at your situation, I’d be led to believe that you hit him with the following points which would need to happen for the words ”Rockets” and “NBA title” to be mentioned in the same sentence:

Bosh is not the missing piece to a Houston run at the championship.

- Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard will all retire because their teams are clearly better than the Rockets

- Yao Ming will have his natural legs amputated and replaced with the legs of the Bionic Man to prevent any further games lost due to injury

- We will strongly encourage LeBron and Dwayne to accept separate offers from cellar-dwelling teams like the Clippers and the Nets

- We will tell Kevin Martin that players on real teams (not Sacramento) are required to at least try to stop their opponent from scoring

I’m sure that Bosh was comforted by Morey’s truthfulness. But if Bosh is moved by anything other than money, don’t expect to see him in a Rockets uniform.

McGrady Going to the Big Apple

T Lamont — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:09:28 +0000

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With the trade deadline looming, the New York Knicks made their highly anticipated move to bring 7-time All-Star Tracy McGrady to the Big Apple.

The move was made hours after an agreement was reached by the Houston Rockets to send McGrady, along with forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey, to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for high-scoring shooting guard Kevin Martin, guard Sergio Rodriguez, forward Kenny Thomas and center Hilton Armstrong.

The Knicks then pounced to grab T-Mac and expand this swap into a three-team deal. Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill have been named as Knicks who are now headed to Houston, guard Larry Hughes is Sacramento-bound, and New York will also be surrendering two draft picks (2011, 2012).

What will be the outcomes when the smoke clears?

Like McGrady, Kevin Martin has battled health issues over the past few years.

That’s a very intriguing question. The team hurt the most in this trade may end up being the Rockets – but not for obvious reasons. The Rockets had learned to play without McGrady long ago, but the loss of Carl Landry is huge for them. Houston is basically a team by committee. They’ve played undermanned all season (with Yao Ming out as well), and the area where they were particularly thin was in the big man department. On top of being a candidate for the Most Improved Player Award, Landry was their work horse. His explosiveness and strength enabled him to excel against taller players – to the tune of 16.1 points per game. His power will be sorely missed by a team that is extremely short-handed. Jeffries basically does what Trevor Ariza does – so his acquisition didn’t address a particular need. Jordan Hill has done absolutely nothing to grab anybody’s attention this season. I couldn’t even remember who New York drafted after they were crushed by not being able to nab Stephen Curry.

Kevin Martin (when he’s healthy) and Aaron Brooks make a good backcourt, but with no frontcourt presence they’ll work extra hard for each and every shot. When Ming returns, Martin’s shooting will then make a difference (assuming he’ll still be around).

The Knicks have put the youth movement to a screeching halt. Tracy McGrady’s not old – and it remains to be seen as to what level he will perform at – but he likes to have the ball in his hands as much as possible. And that means less ball movement – and more isolation basketball. Maybe McGrady and David Lee will run a little two-man game. But the wide-open, run-and-gun style that D’Antoni likes to employ is not a fit for the pace at which McGrady excels.

Further evidence that suggests New York is ready to change gears is the potential trading of Sprite Slam Dunk Competition winner Nate Robinson. Robinson has been a vital sparkplug during his tenure with the Knicks, and is in the midst of being dealt to the Boston Celtics for reserve guard Eddie House. Not too much of a surprise with this trade. Boston is craving someone to ignite them off the bench, and once again it is New York that is attempting to be the supplier (last year, former Knick Stephon Marbury was terrible as a Celtic). The Knicks’ removal of Robinson seems to keep pace with the arrival of McGrady, as the veteran House is a knock-down shooter from anywhere on the court.

There’s not much going on in this deal for the Kings. Landry will be a force and should get a chance to have more consistent playing time. He knows how to finish around the rim and should therefore help foster the development of Rookie of the Year probable, Tyreke Evans. There were rumblings that Evans and Martin were not exactly complementary to one another (on the court, that is), so more than anything the move simply hands the keys over to the Memphis product who has been a solid 20-5-5 guy – as a rookie.

Who Needs A “T-Mac Attack”?

T Lamont — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:19:36 +0000

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NBA icon Tracy McGrady’s career has been a somewhat tragic one.

Blessed with tremendous size, skill and talent, he was destined for stardom when he left Mt. Zion Christian Academy for the riches of the NBA in 1997. After spending a couple of years playing second fiddle to his slam-dunk champion cousin Vince Carter in Toronto, he bolted for the sunny skies of Orlando – - expecting to play alongside megastar Grant Hill. But a funny thing happened – Hill was injured then and never fully recover, thrusting T-Mac into the “go-to-guy” role for the Magic. And immediately, he became noted as one of the best players in the league.

McGrady developed into an All-Star during his tenure in Orlando.

During McGrady’s Orlando days, I frequently recall defending the fact that I believed Tracy was the best player in the league. And from a performance perspective, how could that have been debated? During a time when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’ Neal were bitterly winning championships, T-Mac was doing it all by himself – putting up ridiculous figures and compiling an unbelievable set of highlight reel material.

Upon coming to Houston, much was expected of McGrady. Playing alongside 7’6″ Chinese import Yao Ming, T-Mac should have been able to lead the Rockets deep into the playoffs. He was unable to do so. And the even bigger part of T-Mac’s troubles have been his injuries. McGrady has seemingly missed as many games as he has played during his tenure with Houston.

So, a career that was certainly destined for the Hall of Fame has become derailed – can it get back on track?

Possibly, but it’s clear that the Rockets have had enough and are ready to turn the page.

Right before the weekend, the Houston Rockets announced that they would not be playing the NBA All-Star in their upcoming contests.

That wasn’t much of a surprise given how upset the organization was at how T-Mac decided to have his season-ending surgery last year. The Rockets have moved on – and it’s a shame because the McGrady-Ming dynasty never fulfilled any of the potential greatness that many analysts felt they had in store.

So, with the organization’s recent decisions surrounding T-Mac, it’s a given that the Florida native will be dealt in the very near future.

But what teams are still in need of a T-Mac attack? And where could McGrady rebuild his reputation as a do-it-all superstar performer? Let’s take a look at some mutually beneficial destinations for the routinely injured guard-forward:

New Orleans: Chris Paul is the smallest workhorse I have ever seen. He controls the rock during every possession, and makes all of the plays for this team. If the Hornets were able to nab a versatile playmaker like T-Mac, their franchise player might get harassed a little less. McGrady would be a great addition for an organization and a community which has perservered through so much during recent years.

Charlotte swingman Gerald Wallace could use help from a superstar caliber player like T-Mac.

Charlotte: Since it’s inception, the Bobcats franchise has not had a superstar player on its roster. Also, it’s no secret that they have struggled to score with any degree of consistency. T-Mac could help Charlotte on both accounts. It would be interesting to see how McGrady and Bobcats head coach Larry Brown would mesh. Regardless, a healthy McGrady would allow guys like Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton and Boris Diaw to be the role players that they should be.

Toronto: With Chris Bosh already in tow, McGrady would combine with him to provide the Raptors with three versatile players (including Hedo Turkoglu). There wouldn’t be any unbearable pressure on T-Mac, since the Raptors have been underachieving for the past couple of years now. But adding him to the roster could easily solidify Toronto’s chances at grabbing a top 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago: The Bulls haven’t had a true All-Star caliber player since Michael and Scottie left town, and perhaps the stars shy away from the city due to the inevitable comparisons. However, McGrady needs to excel in the worst way – and the Windy City would be a great fit for him. Depending on what resources Chicago would have to give up in the deal, T-Mac would still have a great deal of complimentary parts remaining to exhibit his playmaking ability. With the Bulls faltering after last year’s compelling playoff series against the Boston Celtics, they are desperate for someone or something that can make a difference for them. A healed superstar like McGrady would be just the addition that could bring consistency to their team.

More importantly for McGrady, these three spots should give him the opportunity to start making a (good) name for himself again. He’s the highest paid player in the league this season and he has garnered over 500,000 votes in this year’s All-Star ballots – both of which he is undeserving of based on his current performance. And the fact that his name isn’t even mentioned among the great players any more is a travesty of its own.

But if Tracy can (a) latch onto one of the teams above and (b) stay healthy for an extended period of time, he has a chance to unleash a T-Mac Attack on the rest of the league.

Ming Dynasty Falling??

T Lamont — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:02:34 +0000

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It’s mere days after the NBA Draft – the spectacle were teams get the opportunity to make a big splash and get someone who can help them either immediately or after a few seasons of experience.

The above average and elite teams of the league have to settle for the low-ceiling talent in the draft…and rightfully so…assuming they just completed a fairly successful season and expect to be competitive for the foreseeable future.

In this category would land the Houston Rockets. While they only made it to the second round of the playoffs, they certainly can stake a claim on being the second best team in the NBA. After pushing the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals, things looked promising for the Rockets.

We've seen this a lot...

But we all remember Houston center Yao Ming getting injured toward the middle of the series. The remaining Rockets battled valiantly – but to no avail. No Yao Ming, no chance at being a championship caliber team. And there’s the rub. As good a team as Houston is when they have all of their pieces, the one piece they can ill-afford to lose for any extended length of time would be the oft-injured Ming.

That’s exactly why the Rockets are now facing a grim situation. They have found out that Yao Ming will probably miss the entire 2009-2010 NBA season, and quite possibly some of the following season as well.

This is a direction-altering discovery. Now you have to change the course of your decision-making with regard to Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and Shane Battier. Key players in a successful team, they would guarantee only perhaps a playoff berth – but not much else.

I’m really hoping that Yao Ming, the Rockets, and the NBA, all get better news.