Artest Signing an Act of Inadvertent Genius

A year from now, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey might be hailed as a genius, a risk-taker, a man who wasn't afraid to make a bold move when circumstance demanded it. Let's hope that, by then, The Chronicle has expunged the following passage:

Morey will make this trade knowing the risks, knowing it could blow up in his face. Yet he decided that doing something was better than doing nothing. Swing for the fences, baby.

Artest wasn't his first choice. Morey flew to Southern California hoping for a face-to-face meeting with Corey Maggette. He inquired about Mike Miller, Josh Childress, Mickael Pietrus, Carlos Delfino and Ramonas Siskauskas.

So he swung for the fences because he had no other choices? That's still noble, I guess, but hardly smacks of decisive action and all the visionary brilliance that bringing Artest on board seems to imply. Also, that other list of names is hardly a rundown of Artest-caliber players, or even guys who bring similar things to the table. Maggette is an athletic scorer. Miller's a shooter. Childress could've bolstered the Rockets in a meaningful way, but he overlaps even more with Shane Battier, and hardly brings that same toughness that's got media falling over themselves to praise the trade.

Then you've got Pietrus, like Artest before he found his calling, but with more athleticism and less fire; Delfino, inconsistent without any good excuse, and someone I've never heard of. Morey may see now what a perfect fit Ron Ron is, but this passage sure makes it seem like he figured this out only because he had to.

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