SB Nation - Will Conroy

Joey Dorsey Assigned to Rio Grande Valley

Tom Martin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:39:22 -0000

Joey Dorsey has been assigned to the D-League. (AP Photo/Bob Levey)

Rockets have assigned Joey Dorsey to D-League Vipers

It's a disappointing, but not surprising move. Dorsey was rotting on the bench - at least now he'll see the floor. You have to wonder, though, exactly how much longer the Rockets are willing to wait on a guy not so different from two other young players already on the roster.

Haven't heard anything about who will be replacing him on the roster. Perhaps Will Conroy? Guess we'll have to wait a little while to find out.

In the meantime, check out Sactown Royalty in anticipation of tonight's surprisingly decent matchup with the pesky Kings.

Turnover at the Top

Jon L — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:44 -0000

Chris Hunter is one of only a few of last season's D-League leaders coming back to the league.

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I've made a few oblique references this offseason to all of the D-League three-point shooters who will be playing overseas this year, and it's true that there will be some unfamiliar faces jacking up perimeter shots next month. But it's actually even more remarkable than I thought. Heres is the list of last year's D-League award winners:

MVP - Courtney Sims
Defensive POY - Brent Petway
Impact POY - Eddie Gill
Rookie of the Year - Othyus Jeffers
Coach of the Year - Quin Snyder
Sportsmanship Award - Will Conroy

Notice anything? With the exception of perhaps Sims, all of the players listed above are playing overseas (and RU's Coach of the Year pick, Bryan Gates, is in the NBA now). True, one of them could come back midseason (and be in the running for the Impact award), but those are still some relatively big names missing. It gets even more drastic than that. Here are the All D-League teams:

First: Blake Ahearn, Will Conroy, Erik Daniels, Courtney Sims, Marcus Williams

I expect Williams to join back up with the Toros, and we're still waiting to see what Sims will do, but Ahearn, Conroy and Daniels are all overseas now.

Second: Derrick Byars, Josh Davis, Chris Hunter, Trey Johnson, James White

Hunter's back in Fort Wayne, but Byars - gone; Davis - gone; Johnson - gone; White - gone.

Third: Lance Allred, Ronald Dupree, Eddie Gill, Dontell Jefferson, Cartier Martin

Jefferson is back with Utah but I would expect a call-up for him at some point this season (the defense is too good). Otherwise, they're all in Europe and elsewhere. And while I won't bother listing all of the honorable mentions, by my count less than half of them are with the D-League again this year.

So what's the point of this? Change, and lots of it. Sure it will be disappointing not to see these talented players, but I prefer to see it as a crisi-tunity. With training camps underway and the regular season starting in just two weeks, a lot of players will have a chance to make their mark on the D-League. Some of them we can probably guess - expect Marcus Williams to tear it up again until he gets called up, Garrett Siler should be one of the best big men in the league and Carlos Powell and Anthony Tolliver should both fill up the box scores. But just as likely is that we can't predict right now who's going to make those 2009-2010 All-D-League teams. It could be someone like Amara Sy, who started his career off promisingly in Europe; or Reggie Williams, who was a smart, crafty scorer in college; heck, it could even be Yaroslav Korolev (it probably won't be Yaroslav Korolev).

All this turnover at the top of the league, talent-wise, is both likely a little daunting for the league and a pretty exciting development for D-League watchers. Teams are busy right now sorting out who can play and who can't, then it will be our turn.

Ridiculous Transactions 10/26-11/1

Jon L — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:29 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

So long, Will Conroy! (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Things returned to relative quiet this week, as NBA teams finished waiving whomever was to be waived, and those players are now deciding what to do with themselves.

October 26: Red Star (Serbia) - waived Dwayne Jones

Huh? That was quick. Jones had only been with the team about five days before getting the boot. My guess is that he might've asked out of his contract to come back to the D-League and the Toros, but perhaps there was some other issue involved (anyone know if he was injured? Sham?). According to this the team cited a "personal problem," which is pretty vague and hopefully not too serious.

October 27: Shaun Pruitt - signed with Peristeri (Greece)

Pruitt was waived by the Golden State Warriors last week, and while coach Don Nelson said that Pruitt had impressed him, who knows what that means anymore. He's relied mainly on his size (about 6'9" with a 7'1" wingspan, 240 pounds) up to this point in his career, though he has been working with Tim Grover and others on his shot, among other things. Pruitt spent last season playing in the Czech Republic, Latvia and China, so he's used to the overseas grind. He's a pretty good rebounder, although he needs to work on his foul shooting and being more efficient overall. He'll give you 15 points on six shots one night and seven points on five shots the next. So I guess that's really more of a consistency issue. He seems to be on NBA radars, and would likely do well in the D-League, but as I keep saying, this is the year of not blaming anyone for playing overseas.

October 29: Orlando Magic - waived Linton Johnson; Dontaye Draper - signed with Prima Veroli (Italy)

I didn't expect Johnson to last long on the roster, as he was mainly there because of Adonal Foyle's injury, and the rehab is apparently going well. It will be interesting to see what Johnson does from here, as he has enough NBA time under his belt where the D-League would be something of a step down, but he's never been much more than a 14th or 15th man anyway. He'll likely either head overseas or join the pool of unsigned NBA players hoping to become a midseason injury replacement. Draper played in France and Belgium last year, where he was a pretty good three-point shooter (save for his 10 games in France, where he shot less than 28 percent). Six and a half or seven assists per 36 minutes is okay for a point guard, but that was his high point. He turned his scoring up for his Belgian team in the EuroChallenge, averaging around 21 points a game. He's 25 now, and is likely a career overseas guy, but he's a pretty good one.

October 31: Will Conroy - signed with DongGuan New Century Leopards

Happy Halloween, Will Conroy. This was a little surprising to me, as the Rockets had Conroy on both their Summer League and preseason rosters and gave him a fair amount of playing time (at least in Summer League), so I thought there might've been a chance they tried to keep him around on the Vipers. I guess not, according to what we're hearing. Assuming he doesn't come back at some point mid-season, the D-League will certainly miss his sportsmanship this year. Conroy turns 27 in December, and may be reaching the point where he thinks his chances won't get much better than the one Houston gave him. Conroy should do well in China, even though three-pointers aren't a huge part of his game, but he should still score at a pretty good clip and rack up the assists kicking the ball out to shooters.

Waive Goodbye, Part 3

Jon L — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:15:16 -0000

by Chris Young - AP

Pops! (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

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We wrap up our look at which players got waived last week and which made their respective teams with the Divisions Atlantic and Southwest. Really, I promise those are the correct divisions. I know some of these cuts happened a while ago, but I think that seeing them all as a group helps give a broader perspective as to which teams around the league are filling out the end of their benches with cheap talent (and it is talent). Here's part 1, and here's part 2 (and ignore the whole "Derrick Byars made the Bulls" thing. It happened, then it didn't happen.) Part 3 is here:

Boston Celtics

Who got cut: Mike Sweetney

Who got kept: No one.

Well, not no one, but their third-string guards are going to be recent draft picks Lester Hudson and the J.R. Giddens Rebounding Machine. Mike Sweetney is trying, he really is, and he's mostly fine on the offensive end. His conditioning is awful, though, which means he gets hurt and that he's several steps too slow on defense when he makes it onto the court. There's been some suggestion that he could try working his way back into shape in the D-League, and it will be interesting to see what he does from here. J.R. Giddens will likely see some D-League action himself, as his shooting is still really bad. I'm guessing Lester Hudson will as well. After all, the Celtics have a team in their own backyard, and they can't make Danny's son look bad by withholding their NBA talent.

Dallas Mavericks

Who got cut: Jake Voskuhl

Who got kept: No one.

What, you want me to talk about Jake Voskuhl? The Mavericks also rid themselves of Nate Jawai, who hadn't been there all that long, but I suspect that was more of a cap move than anything. D-League-wise, ESPN's Marc Stein things that rookie Rodrigue Beaubois could see some time in Alberquerque, as minutes could be hard to come by for him in Dallas. Beaubois is definitely talented, and he had an intriguing Summer League, so he could be fun to watch for the Thunderbirds.

Houston Rockets

Who got cut: Will Conroy, Romel Beck, Garrett Temple

Who got kept: Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The Rockets had to waive Brent Barry in order to keep Pops, so that's something. It's a shame Conroy couldn't stick around, as he played very well in Summer League and decently when he got preseason minutes, but the (ridiculous?) upside is that he hopefully showed other teams around the league that he can run an offense and is ready to play in the NBA. It's great that Mensah-Bonsu made the team, obviously, but it shouldn't really be that much of a surprise. A power forward/center somewhere between 6'6" and 6'9" who rebounds the hell out of the ball? Sounds like the Rockets to me. Add to that the fact that the team doesn't really know what it's going to get from new center David Andersen either, and you can see why they might want some extra frontcourt help behind Scola, Hayes and Landry. Mensah-Bonsu's offense will be up and down, but as Rockets fans are finding out, that's going to be true for a lot of their players. I'd definitely expect to see Jermaine Taylor and hopefully (for his and the team's sake) Chase Budinger in Rio Grande Valley at some point later this season.

Memphis Grizzlies

Who got cut: Mike Taylor, Thomas Gardner, Leon Rodgers

Who got kept: No one.

Again, it's not really "no one," as Trey Gilder is still around after signing a partially-guaranteed contract back in August. Mike Taylor has proven that he can play in the NBA, provided he can keep his turnovers to a minimum. It will be interesting to see what he does, as other players with less NBA experience have already said they're fed up with trying to make it out of the D-League and are heading to Europe. Taylor probably could lead the Euroleague in scoring, but he'd also be perhaps the number one call-up candidate should come back to the D-League, based on his NBA experience and ability.

New Jersey Nets

Who got cut: Bennet Davis, Will Blalock, Brian Hamilton

Who got kept: No one.

I didn't really expect any of these guys to stick around. Blalock and Hamilton are headed back overseas, I suspect, while Davis would do well to go back to the D-League and either develop an offensive game or become a top-notch post defender to go with his elite shot-blocking ability.

New Orleans Hornets

Who got cut: Earl Barron, Larry Owens

Who got kept: No one.

The Hornets are one of those teams that clearly don't care about the D-League, so I'm not really sure what to write here. Pass? Incomplete? Not qualified? Earl Barron has a D-League pedigree, sure, but even given his time with the Miami Heat this was pretty clearly not going to work out for him unless Hilton Armstrong went down with an injury. I'm guessing Barron goes the overseas route, but seeing him in the D-League would be a pleasant surprise.

New York Knicks

Who got cut: Warren Carter, Sun Yue, Ron Howard, Gabe Pruitt

Who got kept: Marcus Landry

Plus, don't forget the team also cut partially-guaranteed guys Chris Hunter and Joe Crawford. This team is all about winning on the cheap, right? And yet they cut several good, cheap players. But hey, have fun with that whole Jared Jeffries thing. Carter is probably going back to Europe, though I think coming to the D-League might be worth his time, because as I've noted several times before he has a David Lee-ish game. Ron Howard may come back to the D-League, though I'm less certain about Sun or Hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if Sun entered the draft, as he's become a semi-prominent example of a Chinese basketball product aiming for the NBA, and to give up on that while he's so young could be somewhat embarrassing. It also would give the D-League someone to market with so many players headed overseas this year. If he does enter the draft, it will be interesting to see both where he ends up and in what round, as the league considers him somewhat of a star, and while NBA stars can play pretty much anywhere, I'm not sure the same is true for the D-League. A crazy thought popped just into my head: would the Spurs/Toros be interested in giving him the Marcus Williams Treatment? Sun's offense isn't nearly at the level that Williams's is and was, but the Toros essentially created an NBA point guard where there wasn't one, which is what Sun Yue is. Or isn't.

Philadelphia 76ers

Who got cut: Stromile Swift, Sean Singletary, Rashad Jones-Jennings, Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas

Who got kept: No one.

So the 76ers apparently were comfortable with their roster as it stood. How's that working out? Yeah, yeah, they already had a lot of guaranteed contracts, and it's not like Sean Singletary is the bee's knees, but this is yet another team that doesn't really care about the D-League, or where their end-of-bench guys come from. Singletary could benefit from some D-League time, but a lot of European teams don't really care whether their point guards can distribute the ball as long as they can score, so that's likely where he's headed. Christmas could stay in the U.S., if for no other reason than to be on hand if the 76ers decide they want to sign him to a 10-day and then not play him.

San Antonio Spurs

Who got cut: Marcus Williams, Curtis Jerrells, Dwayne Jones, Jack McClinton

Who got kept: Malik Hairston

San Antonio went with Keith Bogans over Marcus Williams, even though Bogans played pretty poorly in the preseason while Williams barely played. I say that Williams was waived instead of Bogans and not Malik Hairston because Hairston played so well in both Summer League and the preseason that I would've beeen pretty shocked to see him gone. McClinton, Jones and Jerrells have already signed overseas, and Williams is another guy who it will be interesting to watch, because he'd be at the front of the call-up list should be come back to the D-League. He'd probably also be a first-round D-League draft pick and maybe the first player taken overall. As much as we praise him here at RU, Williams does still have some work to do as a point guard, mainly getting his turnovers down. And, if he tries to hang around the Spurs universe he'll have to become a better-than-passable defender. But the fact that he's gone from a gunning wing to a high-scoring, (mostly efficient), high-assist point guard in the span of less than a year is a testament to Williams's talent and how hard he's willing to work to improve his chances, which speaks well to his basketball future.

Toronto Raptors

Who got cut: No one.

Who got kept: No one.

Okay, this is who should get the pass/incomplete/not qualified. They didn't sign any waiver fodder, so they didn't have to cut any waiver fodder. All is not lost, however, as Sonny Weems seems to have landed solidly in Toronto after being traded twice this offseason. He's begun the season on the inactive list, where I suspect he'll see a fair amount of time, but still.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: Houston Rockets guard Will Conroy, center, is drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Solomon Jones (44) and guard T.J. Ford during the third quarter of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Indiana won 119-104. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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I know this isn't every game from last night, but not every team has former D-Leaguers on their roster (at least not anymore - thanks a lot, Knicks), and there were some teams that have just one guy who didn't play well. While I'm perfectly willing to call guys out who struggle (as you'll see below), I just don't see the point of making that the only thing I talk about with a particular game.

Indiana Pacers 119, Houston Rockets 104

Will Conroy and Romel Beck finally got in the game for Houston after spending the last few games on the bench. Conroy didn't have the best shooting night, 2-8 overall and 2-3 on three-pointers (which is good, but 0-5 on two-pointers is not), but he made eight of his 10 free throws, picked up nine assists and five rebounds in 26 and a half minutes, and best of all he had only one assist. Fantastic all-around game (aside from the missed two-pointers). Beck didn't shoot the ball particularly well either, with nine points on seven shots, but with Beck you don't get much in the non-scoring categories. Two offensive rebounds and, well, that's it, in 16 and a half minutes. Pops Mensah-Bonsu followed up his fantastic game on Thursday with nine rebounds (six offensive) and four blocks in 20 and a half minutes. But remember when I said he had a problem with scoring efficiency? Yeah, he needed eight shots to get four points. I'm guessing a lot of those offensive rebounds were off his own misses.

San Antonio Spurs 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 98

Rob Kurz hasn't played much this preseason and hasn't shown much when he has, but he played well last night, scoring 10 points on 4-6 shooting and three rebounds. Oh, he also fouled out in a little over 15 minutes. Well there goes that. Ian Mahinmi ran into some foul trouble of his own, picking up five in 11 and a half minutes. Coby Karl shot the ball pretty terribly, 1-7 overall and missing all six of his three-pointers. He's versatile enough to contribute in other areas when his shot isn't falling, but he didn't really do that either, collecting a pair of assists and one rebound. Russell Robinson shot the ball well, 3-5 from the field and 4-4 from the line, but he also paired his three assists with two turnovers. Malik Hairston did a good job of getting to the free throw line, where he made all five of his shots and was able to finish with 11 points on six shots

Chicago Bulls 94, Minnesota Timberwolves 90

Derrick Byars got a fair amount of playing time in this one, 19 and a half minutes, but he needed five shots to get five points, and while he had three rebounds and a steal, he also had three fouls and a turnover. I'd really like to see Byars make this team, but his performance hasn't been as eye-popping as it probably needs to be.

The Dream Shake's 2009-2010 Houston Rockets Preview

Tom Martin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:00:25 -0000

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Last year's record: 53-29
Playoffs: Beat Portland 4-2. Lost to Los Angeles Lakers (epically, at that) 4-3.
Key losses: Yao Ming (injury), Ron Artest, Von Wafer, Brent Barry, James White
Key additions: Trevor Ariza, David Andersen, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Pops Mensah-Bonsu

From Lee Grammier:

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Yao Ming's injury status in the offseason was not a "move" made by the Rockets but it clearly qualifies as season altering information. The original prognosis was that he'd be out until training camp, with the revised prognosis being that he will be out for the entire season. In the long run this could turn out to be best for Yao's health. He has a signed NBA contract for his services that the Chinese National government agreed to and based on some of their decision making he has rarely been able to fulfill that contract. In no way do I begrudge Yao for wanting to play in the Olympics for his country, but the other games simply have to stop.

The Trevor Ariza signing was the most significant roster move of the off-season. While I've been on record saying that Trevor Ariza wasn't someone I was interested in, that was prior to the Rockets gaining a second mid level exception. Daryl Morey has not been wrong a single time as general manager of the Houston Rockets, so while this may not be signing Joe Johnson, it was a heck of a pickup. Swapping Artest for Ariza made much more sense given the season the Rockets are going to have to endure, the generally low price tag and Ariza's age.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

From a position perspective the team's biggest strength is the power forward slot. Few, if any teams in the NBA can boast a 3 deep rotation of starter quality players at any position. The Rockets have Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. Each brings something different to the table with Scola being the most complete player. He is likely to be the Rockets biggest star this season. My prediction is that he will earn a spot on the All Star team this year, but won't actually get in. I also predict that he will be listed as the number one snub by every respectable writer around. If Carl Landry can continue to add some shooting touch from beyond 12 feet he will take a huge step forward in his career. At 26 years old, this is the season where he will define who he is as a player.

From a team perspective defense will keep the Rockets in games that their scoring will say they have no business being in. The carryover from the JVG years that has been the Rockets calling card could be as good as it's ever been this year. While there is no Yao Ming holding down the middle, the rest of the defense should be even better making it a wash. Every player on the team can play defense (contrary to popular belief, Scola is a solid defender) and just about everyone has speed, strength and athleticism. The key question on defense is how with David Andersen plays his part.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

The Rockets weakest position going into the season is clearly center. Losing the second best center in the league (and the best if health isn't factored in) will do that to a team. Given the Rockets inability to sign a viable back-up in the last two seasons not named Dikembe Mutombo, this was inevitable. Not, mind you, that I blame Daryl Morey, there simply are not many centers out there, and when you have the best, you just have to hope he can stay on the court. The Rockets have not been very lucky in that department. David Andersen and Chuck Hayes will likely vie for the starting position with Landry and Scola getting spot minutes and Joey Dorsey getting left-overs. Regardless, Hayes will play, but not always at center. If Andersen can put something together the Rockets can make the playoffs. Luckily for the Rockets and us as fans, the NBA simply does not have a lot of viable, true centers, so if you are going to have either a weakness or a strength, center is a great place for it.

As a team, Houston is going to struggle scoring. Morey drafted two players explicitly because of their ability to score in Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor. They believe Trevor Ariza can step it up, though I am more than a little skeptical about that scenario. The sooner Tracy McGrady comes back from injury, the better. Simply put, the Rockets are desperate for scoring.

In the meantime, Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks will most likely lead the team in scoring. Scola will average 18-20 points a game this season - it's a stone cold lock. He's extremely capable on the offensive end and needs to make sure he doesn't gamble as much on the defensive end. Brooks, like so many other Rockets, has to step his game up as he did at times in the playoffs last year. His size makes him somewhat of a liability on the defensive end, so he needs to use his speed to play the passing lane and create fast break points. The Rockets biggest hope for scoring is the same that will allow them to continue to be great on the defensive end; speed and athleticism. This team will run the fast break like they are the early 90s UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Defense will have to lead to offense - it's as simple as that.

4. What are the goals for this team? What will make this a successful season?

The goals for this team are very straightforward: Develop the young players, play hard every single night, and to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs. The team is not bad en ough to do any worse than the back of the lottery, so with the added revenue of a playoff team, it is a no brainer to take a shot at the playoffs. Night in and night out they will play hard, focused defense. If at any point in the season they are not hustling they will get run off the court. There is not enough scoring on this team to play anything but all out, all the time.

There are two ways to look at the Rockets series versus the Lakers in last year's playoffs:

1. The Rockets are a very good team and are capable of beating anyone on a given night, even without Yao.

2. The Rockets got lucky playing against a lackadaisical Lakers team.

Neither of them is right in full. It was really a combination of the two.

The Rockets are a very well put together team, thanks to Daryl Morey. Not one player, on down to the last guy on the bench, is a quitter. They all work hard during the game, in practice and in the weight room. Every player has at least one extreme strength and, with the exception of Chuck Hayes' offensive game, is capable of every facet of NBA level basketball. And that's not a knock on Hayes, as his defensive skills more than make up for his lack of offense. For anyone thinking this team is a 50 game winner as it stands today, I just don't have that leap of faith ability in me. They will be a good team and no one will want a game against them at any point in time this season. However, they will struggle to score and it will be very ugly at times when they do win. Typically going into a season like this most would think there wasn't a lot to look forward to, but with the Rockets that's not the case. Every game should have someone new step up - that's the great thing about having a true 12 man team.

Three underrated players/stories on this team

1. Luis Scola. He's a one improved season away from becoming one of the top power forwards in this league. It's not just about the box score with Luis - he hustles more than any player I've ever seen.

2. Rick Adelman. It's no accident that our offense often looks smoother without our stars. While it may not work as well in the late game situations, the Rockets always keep themselves in games when undermanned. This is in large part due to Adelman's ability to adapt.

3. Trevor Ariza is an upgrade over Ron Artest...for this team. Yes, we lose a terrific defender in Ron-Ron, but as far as that category goes, Ariza is not too much of a downgrade, and most importantly, his usage rates are far lower. I don't know about you, but I got tired of seeing Artest chunk up horrible shots in the playoffs and waste possessions. The Rockets should be much more efficient with Ariza in the lineup.

Predicted Record: 41-41. It could be lower, but in all honesty, could be higher as well. A good chunk of it depends on Mr. McGrady.

Tom's individual player previews after the jump...

Individual Player Links from 2008-09

From Tom Martin:

Tracy McGrady - SG #3

Strengths: It's obvious: Tracy McGrady is one hell of a basketball player when healthy. While he has lost speed and somewhat regressed athletically over the last few years, he can still drive to the rim effectively, can hit the open jumper (as difficult as he makes it look), and has a knack for hitting clutch shots, assuming he's marginally open. Tracy's most undervalued quality is his ability to pass; when he decides to play unselfishly, he can make looks that few others can. It's always been unclear as to what kind of leader Tracy is. His teammates insist that they like him, and yet, you can sense a lack of team chemistry whenever McGrady struggles. But make no mistake: a healthy McGrady is absolutely an asset.

Weaknesses: He's a nutcase and of little worth when he tries to play through nagging injuries. We saw how it affected the Rockets last year in embarrassing losses to Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto, among others. Tracy would skip the second game of each back to back, which completely threw everyone out of sync. McGrady finally elected to have surgery, and whaddayaknow - we went on a second half tear to make the playoffs quite easily. The sad part is that it's not Tracy's fault that he's constantly injured. He's been in the league for a long time now, and his body has taken a beating. His athleticism has decreased over time, and his presence on the court, at least whenever he's fighting through another injury, has proved to be a handicap.

What to expect in 2009-10: A possible return to form, or something close to it. Reports out of McGrady's rehab camp have been startlingly good. Not to say that we all thought T-Mac was finished, but apparently, his progress has been revolutionary. Nick Freidell of ESPN caught up with Tim Grover and David Reavy, who have been working with Tracy in Chicago. Needless to say, this is some excellent news:

"His whole body was imbalanced from basically his shoulder blades down to his feet," Reavy says. "He was developing a lot of back problems ... He was developing strength in an imbalanced fashion. And what I see in Tracy, in general, he had no core strength, he couldn't hold a plank."

So Reavy and Grover devised a rehab plan that would help bring it all back -- the work is already paying dividends.

"[Tracy] took a hard fall seven years ago in 2002 and he said he was never able to dunk off his left leg [since]. We got him dunking off his left leg four and a half months post micro-fracture, which is basically unheard of," Reavy says. "The results that we get here are basically unprecedented because we take the force off the injured area, we make the body absorb the force equally, so that it can heal properly and faster without the loading that it's constantly getting before."

Anyone else excited? Some media folks have been whispering that McGrady could be back in game-shape by the start of the season. While that would be great, the team doesn't want him to rush it; he won't be playing until the end of November.

Luis Scola - PF #4

Strengths: The Argentinian Slayer caught the public's eye last year with his consistently solid play, earning his hilarious, yet fitting nickname from Superman himself, Dwight Howard. In just a single season, Scola transformed from a hustle/layup machine to an imposing scorer and team MVP. His defense also improved, as evidenced by his fantastic performance against LaMarcus Aldridge in the playoff series against Portland. Scola has developed a mini-arsenal of confusing post moves and bank shots that make you scratch your head for a while. Then you notice how effective they are, and in turn become awed by the Slayer's greatness. He had an extremely productive showing at the FIBA championships for Argentina this summer, leading many to suspect that 2009-10 could be a career-best year for Luis.

Weaknesses: Scola is going to have to adjust to playing without Yao Ming in the lineup. He's going to see more double teams in the post, and when he gets beat on defense, he won't have The Great Wall to protect him. Yes, Scola has had a great offseason and is looking improve his statistics this year, but it may be difficult with all of the attention that he is going to receive from opposing defenses.

What to expect in 2009-10: Something near 18/10. Perhaps even 20/10. If the Rockets manage to shock everyone and remain in the playoff hunt, Scola's name will become even more respected. It would be well-deserved.

Trevor Ariza - G/F #1

Strengths: Air Ariza can fly like few others can. If he's got a path to the rim, look out, because his feet may clip you in the face. Not only can Trevor dunk, but he's got a nifty three-point shot too. He should thrive in the loose, up-tempo offense that the Rockets will run without Yao Ming. His defense is stellar as well, thus making the loss of Ron Artest much more bearable. And by the way, The Dream Shake is currently open to any suggestions for possible nicknames of the new Ariza/Battier defensive duo. It's not going to have the star-power that "White Pills" had, but it should be formidable nonetheless. As far as I know, Ariza's old nickname was "Cobra." I like it. Somebody make it work.

Weaknesses: Can he create his own scoring? Can he be a legitimate threat offensively without a star like Kobe Bryant commanding double-teams? Can he continue to improve like he has in past years? I'm...Ron...Burgundy?

What to expect in 2009: An increase in his offensive statistics, but only because of his surroundings. Ariza is a great fit in Houston, but he's not the explosive wing scorer that the Rockets have been lacking with Tracy McGrady's absence. Fortunately, with an offensive mastermind in Rick Adelman running the show, he shouldn't have to. What should excite Houstonians most about Ariza is that he turned down the chance to play third or fourth fiddle to LeBron in Cleveland in order to make a greater impact on a team. He's a proven winner, but in signing with the Rockets, Ariza challenged himself to become a team leader, as opposed to being just another swingman. That kind of motivation makes me giddy.

Shane Battier - G/F #31

Strengths: A vocal leader, smart defender, and effective three-point shooter, Shane gets it done on a nightly basis without making much of a scene. Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer summed up Shane's defense nicely when he named him the second best defender of the past decade:

If you watch this guy, on any given possession, you'll understand. Just take your eye off the ball and watch Battier work - the guy acts as if he's in his own reality show, as if the cameras were on him for the entire 24-second turn, even if his man never gets the ball, while appearing deathly allergic to letting people down. Battier just does everything right. It may not mean he'll get the rebound, block or steal - and his guy might still nail the shot - but I've never seen someone pitch as many perfect games defensively.

Battier causes the game's most talented players to falter. His talent does not lie in his physicality, quickness, or quick hands, but instead in his ability to force bad shots. And they aren't just guesses - they are statistically proven to be bad shots. Shane is also a man's man, a true professional. When the team is down, he doesn't panic, at least not to the public. Unlike our old nemesis Rafer Alston.

Unfortunately, Michael Lewis had to go and expose the Battman to the world, so he's no longer our little secret. But he's still really, really, ridiculously good at what he does.

Weaknesses: While his defense is always appreciated, Shane sometimes disappears offensively. It would be nice to see some better offensive production from someone who is on the floor for 35 minutes per game.

What to expect in 2009-10: A return to effective three point shooting. If it wasn't emphasized before, it will be now; Shane has got to make his threes. He did just that over the second half of last season, shooting 40% after opening the year around 36%. In a season in which the Rockets are expected to be shooting even more three pointers than in years past, Shane will be counted on to make his. It's a role that is really his primary purpose on offense, so there's no reason he shouldn't thrive.

Aaron Brooks - PG #0

Strengths: Brooks shocks you with his ability to drive, especially given how midget-ish he is. He's practically addicted to the paint, which in turn makes his three-point shot all the more lethal. If defenders start respecting his outside stroke, Brooks will have no problem throwing up a shot fake en route to becoming a dribble-driving Pinball Wizard.

While Aaron doesn't have a huge assist numbers, he is a reasonably good passer. This bodes well for newly acquired David Andersen, who will be working the pick-and-roll with Brooks whenever possible. Whether it gives Brooks more space to drive, or the Aussie more space to shoot, it's one hell of a pick and pop combination. Aaron's also quite the underrated defender. He shut down Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul last season, holding them well below their averages. And to top it all off, Brooks is able to run that funky in-bounds alley-oop play. It's an automatic 2 points in less than a second.

Weaknesses: Aaron often has trouble finishing against taller defenders. He'll work his magic every once in a while and make a crazy bank shot, but more often than not, he'll have his shot swatted away. This means that Brooks must work on improving his paint vision. Once on the drive, he'll need to be looking for open options either in the corner or on the opposite block.

Brooks also has yet to be a consistent scorer. Some outings will yield 20-30 points, and others will result in single digits. This was especially apparent in the playoffs. Brooks averaged 26.3 points per game in 3 wins against the Lakers, and averaged 11.8 points per game in four losses. Not only does Brooks' production help his own cause, but it plays a significant role in deciding the outcome of the game.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased scoring production, which will likely lead to a higher turnover rate as well. The presumed other point guard to sport the number zero may have a better 2009-10 than the original Agent himself. In considering Brooks' potential outburst in 2009-10, I can't help but think back to that scene in Spiderman when Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker that, "With great power comes great responsibility." It's the same deal for our lovable Midget.

An explosive playoff campaign put Brooks into the national spotlight, and assured him the starting point guard spot entering this season. Now, with no T-Mac or Yao for presumably the first half of the season, Brooks will be our perimeter threat. Not Trevor Ariza. Not Shane Battier. Brooks is going to have to step up and prove that he can carry the bulk of the scoring. If not, he'll have to show that he can distribute the ball to everyone else instead. My money is on the first option.

Kyle Lowry - PG #7

Strengths: The Bulldog is your prototypical Daryl Morey point guard. Lowry is efficient, loves to get to the free throw line, and can draw a foul at will. He's also a tenacious defender who can body up the bigger point guards that often cause trouble for Aaron Brooks. His finishing ability around the rim, while not automatic, is solid, thus turning many of those fouls into three point plays. While he doesn't shoot the ball particularly well, Lowry still managed to put up a 47.5 FG% last year; in other words, he limits his shot attempts to layups or wide-open looks. If the Rockets intend to run more in 2009-10, like they say they do, Lowry will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Weaknesses: Yeah, Lowry knows how to limit his shot selection, but it would be nice if he could extend his range beyond the three-point line, where he has struggled mightily. Against the Los Angeles Lakers in last year's playoffs, Rick Adelman chose to leave Lowry in with Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier. When Brooks or Battier would drive to Lowry's side of the court, the defense would instantly collapse, knowing that Kyle was not a threat to catch and shoot from deep. Our offense sputtered during these periods, since the three point shot was, quite frankly, our only hope against the healthy Lakers at times. Lowry also has a knack for overloading and getting out of control. It's nice to see him draw fouls, but sometimes it's better to work the ball around the perimeter, rather than to drive like there's no tomorrow...again and again and again.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased assists per game. Now that Lowry has had a full off-season to work with Coach Adelman, he should become more comfortable and assertive on the offensive end. Don't be too quick to confuse "assertive" with "drive-every-single-play-and-try-to-get-fouled." That's not what Adelman wants.

Rather than merely moving the ball to Ron Artest or Von Wafer, Lowry will have a chance to drive and dish in the half court and on the break, thus creating more kick-out assist opportunities, a staple of an Adelman team when in even flow. The Bulldog may not make a name for himself just yet, but he and Brooks should be one of the more competent 1-2 backcourt punches in the entire league.

Carl Landry - PF #14

Strengths: Cuddly Carl becomes a monster of a man upon entering games. His tenacity around the rim, as well as his hunger for lose balls has helped him build up a reputation of being "a guy you want to have on your team." Landry has been able to put up excellent per-minute statistics, and his ability to dunk over, around, and through defenders is well-documented. He's developed a reliable jump shot, and for the most part, he is incredibly consistent. Most impressively, Carl has never complained about his role as a bench player. Though he has been accepting of his place on the team, he'd better not get too comfortable as a mere seventh option. Not with Yao Ming on the sidelines.

Weaknesses: Up to this point in his short career, Carl has been the under-appreciated fan favorite who loves to hustle and get scrappy points. While that's fantastic and all, it's time for Carl becomes a more polished scorer. The most encouraging sign we've seen so far is his relatively new jump shot; as long as he keeps knocking those babies down, he'll be helping himself out immensely. It should draw defenders out towards him more, thus allowing him to shot fake and drive to the rim.

But is Carl consistent on the block? We don't know yet. It remains to be seen if we can toss him the ball, give him space to work, and expect production. He, like in all other areas of his game, sweats beads of potential as a low-post scorer, potential that won't be realized until he consistently performs at a high level.

What to expect in 2009-10: Increased minutes, hopefully increased statistics. There is not a shred of fairness in raising the expectations of Landry. It's nit-picky to demand improvement from a virtually unknown second-round pick who has not only struggled to find significant minutes when he wholeheartedly deserved them, but has also had to deal with the physical and mental effects of a gunshot wound stemming from an early morning incident last season. You'd think a Jazz fan would feel bad for him (well, maybe not). Despite all this, the bar has been raised for 2009-10.

It's Landry's own fault that his leash is getting shorter. If he had not been so impressive during his first two NBA seasons, we would not be having this discussion. But whenever Carl sees action, he makes an impression. Rarely will you find such a reliable big man with youth, explosiveness, and a reasonable price tag. Unfortunately, we never get to see Landry on the floor for more than five or ten minutes at a time. That should change very, very soon.

It's a case of cause and effect. Cause? Yao Ming is out for the year. Effect? Chaos ensues at the center position. While it would be nice for David Andersen to be the de facto starter, we haven't seen him against NBA competition yet, and word on the street is that he doesn't play much defense. This should mean increased minutes for both Landry and Chuck Hayes.

On top of playing an undersized center, Landry will still be called upon to spell Luis Scola at the power forward position. While Landry won't be starting, his minutes should shoot up one way or another. And let's face it: with the Rockets looking for scorers this season, Landry should be comfortably above the Chuckwagon on the depth chart.

The only major question is whether higher usage will translate to lower efficiency. Landry's PER has been among the highest in the NBA over the last two seasons, but if he suddenly sees 25 minutes per game, will he lose that efficiency? I don't think the drop off will be drastic by any means.

Chuck Hayes - PF #44

Strengths: The Chuckwagon is a wall of a defender, and it's really the only reason that he has a contract. Because of this, Hayes puts all of his practice and dedication into his defense. It's what drives him, and it's the kind of mindset that a team welcomes with open arms.

Weaknesses: All elements of offense, aside from reverse layups. I've seen the man make ten straight threes in warmups, but for some reason, his offensive brilliance does not translate well to game speed. Yet, somehow, Chuck will always end up with the ball with three seconds left on the shot clock. It shocks him as much as it shocks you and me. And we won't mention those free throws.

What to expect in 2009-10: More of the same. I can't think of anything Chuck will do differently. Maybe he'll try out one of those three pointers. Hopefully not.

David Andersen - C #13 (Rookie)

Strengths/Weaknesses: I have yet to see Big Dave play basketball, so I'll leave it to Gersson Rosas, who interviewed with Adam Wexler of Sports Radio 610 back when Andersen's rights were acquired.

"Longtime target....one of most accomplished Aussies...impressive background...won championships in Spain and Italy...wins everywhere...special talent...skilled 7 footer, can shoot, moves well, good face up game, good fit for Adelman's offense...could have been a good compliment to Yao, but now can feature him...offenisvely, no question it will be a strong translation...defensively: size, which helps, and can play in our scheme...hasn't been involved in the NBA for a long time becausehe was well-paid in Europe and really had no reason to leave...leaving money on the table to play in the NBA...time was right for him contractually and career-wise...mirrors Pau Gasol's versatily on the high post, in terms of shooting and dribbling...skilled passer on the high post...can play pick-and-pop and space the floor as a 7 footer...a little bit like Bargnani, but not quite as athletic...similar in the type of game and style...not great defensively, but Chuck's presence will help that...smart player...good team defender...physicality is an issue...studied him for past 3-4 years...big credit to Les Alexander for providing resources for the upcoming season..."

In case you didn't feel like reading that, here's my summation. Big Dave...

Can shoot well from anywhere.
Can pass and move, something Rick Adelman values in his big men.
Is a smart player and is a winner.
Is relatively cheap.
Can play team defense and help effectively.

And his cons are that he...

Isn't very physical.
Will struggle with individual post defense.
Doesn't rebound well.
Has yet to face proven NBA competition.

What to expect in 2009-10: Smooth transition to offense, struggles on defense. Just based off of Rosas' analysis, Andersen will have a tough time adjusting to the physicality of the NBA. However, the good news for the Rockets is that Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry are available to step in for defensive purposes in case Andersen falters. Eventually, it would be nice if Andersen could stay on the floor and at least become a competent defender. And even if Big Dave doesn't have a standout year, he'll always have next year, where his expectations will be lowered upon becoming Yao Ming's backup. For now, though, he'll have to amount to much, much more. In Andersen's favor is Rick Adelman, who will find ways to emphasize the stronger elements of Andersen's game.

Jermaine Taylor - SG #5 (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

I liked what I saw from Jermaine Taylor the minute he touched the ball in his first game. He possesses the ball with strength, and he attacks the basket with the determination of a scorer. From what I've heard, Taylor can shoot it well from deep. He may not have lit the nets up this week, but you can see why the Rockets spent a couple million to get him. He's got plenty of tools to succeed on both the offensive and defensive end. Unfortunately, they didn't translate to points this week, so I'll give him a B. But don't let that discourage you about the talent that Taylor has. He's got just as good of a chance to make the team as anyone else on the summer squad.

What to expect in 2009-10: Not a whole lot...yet. Now that Rashad McCants and Will Conroy have been brought in to scare the living hell out of any over-confident rookies, Taylor will have to work to make the team. Assuming he does, he'll provide good scoring off the bench in the same way that Von Wafer did last season, though with predictably lower outputs. Defensively, he still needs work, but there's no denying that he can put points on the board. His minutes will be low, so he'll have to be money when he does see the floor, but there's a lot to like about Taylor. He's one of the most NBA-ready rookies out there.

Chase Budinger - SG #10 (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

What was the most impressive aspect of Chase Budinger's Summer League performance? He improved from each game to the next. As his role on the squad became clearer, Chase adjusted swiftly and without any problems. You could tell that Bud Light was much more comfortable with the offense in Game 5 than he was in any other contest. His catch-and-shoot plays were much smoother, and he began to attack the basket with more grit than he had shown earlier in the week (if you didn't see a couple of his dunks, they were really nice).

Chase does need to work on his defense, especially against the drive, but with his athleticism and quickness, it should only be a matter of motivation and committment. That's good news for us, as Budinger, once projected to be a lottery pick, is already playing with a chip on his shoulder. If he can prove to Daryl Morey and the Rockets that he is capable of being a reliable, but not necessarily imposing defender, Budinger should have no problem finding a spot on the active roster.

What to expect in 2009-10: Plenty of jump shots. Chase is a perfect "system" player. He's big, athletic, and can shoot the ball well. If you send him through screens and get him open, he'll knock down the jumper. But Bud Light isn't quite as good on the isolation, as he has a tendency to be a bit soft on the drive. Luckily, Budinger won't be asked to do such things. He'll be fighting to see any minutes, but he picked the right year to be a Rocket - any scoring will be welcome. If he can find a niche on the team, he'll play.

Joey Dorsey - PF #15

Summer League Recap Notes:

It was the perfect week for the Kraken. The brunt of my praise doesn't pertain to the fact that he lead the Summer League in rebounds, blocked shots at will, and showed off his passing touch. Instead, I was overly impressed by how committed Dorsey was to his role on the floor. He didn't try to score against weaker competition; only when he was clearly lined up for a post move did he utilize the spin or the power dribble. Every time Dorsey caught the ball, he would hand it back off to a guard, and immediately find position down low for a rebound or entry pass. He played very maturely and very efficiently, and did what was asked of him: to rebound and play defense. The passing skills were an added bonus. Joey's performance should guarantee him a spot on the opening day roster.

What to expect in 2009-10: It's unclear how much Dorsey will play, and this is assuming he even makes the roster, something I considered to be automatic a month ago. While we'd all love to hear more of his ruminations from the bench, this is the first time that Joey has been healthy, and it would make sense for him to see the floor whenever defense, rebounding, and ferocious gorilla dunks are in high demand. However, the signing of Pops Mensah-Bonsu complicates Dorsey's situation a bit. It's unclear at this point whether or not Pops is a better fit for the Rockets than Dorsey. The former Memphis Tiger brings a tough, physical presence that the Rockets need in the paint, but Pops' athleticism may be too much to ignore. It's going to be an interesting camp battle.

Brian Cook - PF #43

Strengths: Cook's 6'10 frame has absolutely nothing to do with his strengths. He is a shooter - you might as well consider him a guard with extremely delayed reactions. Cook is also an effective contract negotiator and clusterf**k extraordinaire. He exercised his 3.5 million dollar option in the offseason, thus, for lack of a better word, screwing us.

Weaknesses: If you're lucky enough to spot Cook inside the three point line, you won't see him doing much. He'll grab a rebound if it comes to him. He'll block a shot if the ball is hanging in front of his face. Otherwise, Cook is probably one of the more useless big men in the paint.

What to expect in 2009-10: Morey should be feverishly trying to trade Cook throughout the season (consider the following Tweet to be a head start: "Cook: in good shape & shooting well"). If Brian somehow manages to stay in Houston, he'll be sitting on the bench.

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Pops Mensah-Bonsu - PF

From Adam of RaptorsHQ, SB Nation's Toronto Raptors Blog:

Pops was one of the lone bright spots for the team last year. Similar to Jamario Moon the season before, Pops quickly became a fan favourite as a player who came out of no where and provided the team with a lift where it needed it most (on the glass in this case.)

Simply put Mensah-Bonsu is an athlete. He's extremely raw still offensively (although his shot and low-post game have come a ways since his days at George Washington) but he can make plays that many other players in the league can't because of his strength and athletic ability. He's a terrific rebounder, solid shot-blocker, and great addition defensively in help situations. Individually on defense he gets a bit over-anxious at times and tends to foul, but in limited minutes off the bench that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I really wanted the Raps to hold onto Pops. He's still very young and could turn into a nice 8th or 9th man off the bench for a club. And best of all, unlike many other players in the league, Pops just simply knew his role. When he was out there, you didn't have to worry about him trying to go one-on-one or fire up jump shots unless the clock was winding down. He stuck to his rebounding and defense role, and did an excellent job in limited minutes.

What to expect in 2009-10: A fight for playing time. From what I've read and heard about Pops thus far, he sounds like a perfect fit in Houston. We like athletic guys who "know their role." Unfortunately for Pops, there are two of them who are sitting comfortably on the current depth chart in Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry. Joey Dorsey is also in the running for playing time. While Pops comes off as a fantastic addition, he may have to act like a running back and act fast when something opens up.

Romel Beck - SG

From Wayne Vore of Pounding the Rock, SB Nation's San Antonio Spurs blog:

He's a rail-thin scorer. He has good range on his shot. But he didn't strike me as a spot up shooter so much as a scorer. Meaning I got the impression that he just knows how to get the ball in the hole in a variety of ways. His shot selection was really pretty bad. Even games when he got on fire he would end up 7-15 because he would force a few really bad shots.

I don't think he can play much defense. He's very thin and didn't strike me as extremely quick. A decent handle but definitely not a point guard.

What to expect in 2009-10: After that glowing review, I'm not sure what to think of Beck. Unless Morey is desperate (and I mean really, really desperate) for scoring, I don't see Beck fitting in on our roster. I'd much rather have a big body in Pops as opposed to a scoring guard in Beck. Unless something catastrophic happens during camp, like if Taylor or Budinger were to be cast off despite holding guaranteed contracts, Beck will be playing D-League ball in 2009.

Will Conroy - PG

Summer League Recap Notes:

Will Conroy, aside from piling up a bunch of three point plays, didn't dazzle anyone in Las Vegas. To begin with, there wasn't much hype surrounding Conroy, and for good reason. He, much like our own Kyle Lowry, is hardly noticeable in the boxscore and even on the court at times. But he doesn't do anything wrong. In total, Conroy turned the ball over only six times - Jonny Flynn had seven turnovers in his first game! Conroy ran the offense well and jumped at every chance to drive at the bucket. I don't remember anyone easily beating him off the dribble, and his toughness and dedication to hard-nosed basketball surely impressed the Rockets' front office. I thought he did just enough to earn consideration for a roster spot, and while he may not find any room initially, there is a chance he could receive a call-up or two during the regular season.

What to expect in 2009-10: A call-up later this season. Conroy is certainly worth his non-guaranteed contract, but his likely position on the depth chart (third point guard) isn't going to help his case over shooting guards such as Taylor and Budinger, both of whom received guaranteed contracts. However, at some point, depending on who falls victim to injury, Conroy could see a brief call-up and get some minutes. He's done all that he can at the D-league level.

Garrett Temple - PG (Rookie)

Summer League Recap Notes:

There wasn't a whole lot to expect from Temple in the first place, but with a 6'6 point guard on the market, the Rockets decided to stick him on the SL roster. He's very athletic, very long, and can get to the basket against smaller guards. But Temple didn't look comfortable as a point guard. He only had two assists in the 62 minutes that he played this week, to go along with nine turnovers. He won't be playing for the Rockets this season - his game, at least at the point guard position, isn't ready yet. Yet, I do think he will eventually find a way into The Association. Just not sure when that's going to be.

What to expect in 2009-10: A long season in the D-League.

And there you have it. Go Rockets!!

(photographs courtesy of Yahoo! Sports, NBA.com, and Google.com)

White traded to Denver; Conroy, Temple sign

Tom Martin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:36:20 -0000

From Jonathan Feigen:

The Rockets reworked their collection of guards to compete for roster spots, sending James White to the Denver Nuggets and signing Will Conroy and Garrett Temple.

With White facing long odds to make the team, the Rockets traded White for the draft rights to Axel Hervelle, a 6-9 power forward from Belgium. Hervelle will likely remain with Real Madrid, where he is a teammate with guard Sergio Llull, a Rockets' second-round acquisition in June. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game last season, and 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19 Euroleague games.

From Jon L of Ridiculous Upside:

You should know Conroy from the season he had with Albuquerque last year. In case you've forgotten, he led the D-League in scoring last year (unless you count Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who played in only eight games) while also averaging about eight and a half assists per 48 minutes. He also averaged four and a half turnovers pe4 48, which isn't great, but it's as good or better than several other point guards in the league, and Conroy also had the ball in his hands a lot.

Temple went undrafted out of LSU a few months ago, and he's a combo guard with decent size and athleticism and an aptitude for defense. Bringing the two of these guys is an interesting offense-defense combination, and while I'm a little skeptical that either of these guys will make the team given how many players the Rockets already have under contract, they each have something to offer the team if Houston's willing to give them an honest chance.

And there you have it. The James White Experiment has come to an end, and rightfully so. Aside from his dunk-tastic athleticism, I was skeptical that White could be of any significance to a team, given his, for lack of a better word, awkwardness when handling or shooting the ball.

If you look back to July's Summer League Recap post, I've been high on Conroy for quite some time now. He is a quick, athletic point guard with a knack for getting to the rim a-la Kyle Lowry. Given what he has accomplished throughout his D-League career, he certainly deserves a chance to compete for a roster spot. And while Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger seem to be obvious choices to make the team, you can never be too sure with rookies. Somehow, at some point, Conroy could become a Houston Rocket.

Looking back at that same recap, I wasn't quite as thrilled about Garrett Temple:

Temple didn't look comfortable as a point guard. He only had two assists in the 62 minutes that he played this week, to go along with nine turnovers. He won't be playing for the Rockets this season - his game, at least at the point guard position, isn't ready yet. However, I do think he will eventually find a way into The Association. Just not sure when that's going to be.

For defensive purposes, Temple is worth a look. The only problem with that is that our current point guards are quite good at defending as well. Again, I don't see a place for Temple, at least not on this roster.

I don't know anything about Axel Harvelle, though he does have a badass first name. Apparently Daryl Morey likes Real Madrid, because we've now got the rights to two of their players in Sergio Llull and Harvelle.

If anything, Morey has given the Rockets more options in the backcourt, which can't be comforting to Taylor or Budinger. They'll have to work to prove to the Rockets that their talent can carry over to the NBA.

Rockets Making Moves - Conroy Signed, White Traded

Jon L — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:00:32 -0000

Will Conroy signed with Houston yesterday. But that's not all the Rockets were up to.

View full size photo »

I know, I know, I have a specific transactions post that I do every week. But the Houston Rockets made some roster moves yesterday involving guys who have spent time in the D-League. First, they traded James White to the Denver Nuggets for the rights of Axel Hervelle. The team then signed two players who had been in workouts for them, Will Conroy and Garrett Temple. These are both pretty significant moves in RU-world, so let's talk about it in terms of what this means for each player, and for the teams involved.

What it means for Houston

It had been looking increasingly unlikely that White would make the Houston roster. He didn't have a guaranteed contract, and the Rockets signed and drafted several players who play basically the same position as White does in Trevor Ariza, Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger. While Ariza is a likely starter and both Budinger and Taylor those players are likely to see time in the D-League this year, and so White wouldn't really be competing with any of them for playing time as a backup, those are still roster spots. Combine that with the fact that Houston's frontcourt was already pretty crowded, and you can see how White was getting pushed out.

Hervelle, on the other hand, will be staying in Spain for at least another year, playing alongside Houston's other 2009 draftee Sergio Llull (though his team, Real Madrid, recently signed former Toronto Raptor Jorge Garbajosa ostensibly to take his job). Hervelle's actually Belgian, and he was the first (and remains the only) Belgian player drafted by an NBA team when Denver picked him in 2005. He's a combo forward who DraftExpress has compared to Reggie Evans and Eduardo Najera, so we're not talking overly skilled, here. But doesn't that sound just like the kind of forward the Rockets like? He's already 26 years old, so there's not a whole lot more developing for Hervelle to do, but the beauty of fungible frontcourt talent is that it's, well, fungible. If the Rockets decide to cycle out Brian Cook or Carl Landry and bring Hervelle in they can do so likely without a whole lot of dropoff.

Now we come to Temple and Conroy. As stacked as Houston's frontcourt is, their backcourt is about as thin. They have talented players, to be sure, it's just that in Tracy McGrady's absence there aren't a lot of them. How does Aaron Brooks/Kyle Lowry/Brent Barry/Jermaine Taylor strike you? In reality you can probably add either Ariza or Shane Battier to that rotation, since they'll be on the court together, but as I mentioned earlier, I expect Taylor to spend large chunks of the year with Rio Grande Valley, and how old is Brent Barry now, 50? (actual age: 38) So signing another pair of guards to take a shot at making the roster makes a lot more sense than bringing in, I don't know, Stromile Swift.

You should know Conroy from the season he had with Albuquerque last year. In case you've forgotten, he led the D-League in scoring last year (unless you count Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who played in only eight games) while also averaging about eight and a half assists per 48 minutes. He also averaged four and a half turnovers pe4 48, which isn't great, but it's as good or better than several other point guards in the league, and Conroy also had the ball in his hands a lot. Temple went undrafted out of LSU a few months ago, and he's a combo guard with decent size and athleticism and an aptitude for defense. Bringing the two of these guys is an interesting offense-defense combination, and while I'm a little skeptical that either of these guys will make the team given how many players the Rockets already have under contract, they each have something to offer the team if Houston's willing to give them an honest chance.

What it means for Denver

Other than Renaldo Balkman, the Nuggets didn't really have a backup for Carmelo Anthony. Anthony's going to log a lot of minutes (at least Denver hope he will), but a rest here and there is always good. There's also the matter of the team not really knowing what's going to happen with J.R. Smith. They're waiting on Flip Murray, but acquiring White ensures (assuming they pick up his contract, which I think they will because they currently have less than the minimum 13 contracts on the books, at least by my count) that they'll have some bench scoring at the swing position so that they're not just running guys like Balkman and Malik Allen out there. The team also has a growing track record of being receptive to the D-League and former D-League players

I'll take a look at what these moves mean for the individual players involved after the jump.

What it means for James White

I'm a lot more confident of White making the Nuggets roster than I was with him in Houston, for the simple fact that I mentioned above that Denver doesn't have a whole lot of guys under contract at the moment. It's possible that this is White's last, best chance to show an NBA team that there's more to his game than his "Flight" nickname and reputation as a dunker. White's contract with the Rockets was reported as a "multi-year deal" at the time, apparently Houston changed course along the way and started stockpiling swingmen and small forwards. I also seem to recall a Daryl Morey quote about how the team was committed to helping White round out his game, but I can't find it now, so maybe I just imagined it (that tends to happen with me). White really has been working on developing his shot, and he made 54.9 percent of his field goals last year with Anaheim while shooting 36.8 percent on his threes. He also improved his free-throw shooting and cut down his turnovers. Denver needs some additional bench scoring with J.R. Smith's status uncertain and their lack of better in-house options, so it's entirely possible that White will make Denver's roster and succeed. And yes, I'm consciously ignoring the fact that the Rockets apparently decided they'd rather have Brian Cook.

What it means for Axel Hervelle

Status quo, I guess. Denver didn't have the best history of bringing players to the NBA from overseas (other than Nene) even though they've drafted their fair share of them, whereas Houston pays little more attention to that kind of thing. The fact that most of Houston's forwards are fairly young doesn't help Hervelle, certainly, but he could find himself filling the "polished European player who helps a playoff team for cheap" role a year or two down the line.

What it means for Will Conroy

I think Conroy might have a tough time since Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry are both point guards, plus Brent Barry can handle the ball a little bit, but there are positive signs as well. Conroy played for Houston's Summer League team, and he did a solid job running the point for them. He then also reportedly impressed the team in the recent workouts, and so it's clear both that the Rockets have had an eye on him for awhile and that they've been liked what they've seen. I know the team played Brooks and Lowry together at times last season, and Conroy would make a good third point guard in that rotation.

What it means for Garrett Temple

I don't know a whole lot about Temple, but he has the size, athleticism and ability to be a good defensive player. He wasn't much of a scorer at LSU, but his main job was facilitating things for Marcus Thornton and a few other players and his ability to handle the ball a little bit means he also might be able to play well alongside Barry or Lowry. While Houston has a lot of players on its roster at the moment (have I mentioned that at all?) and so it'll be tough for Temple numbers-wise, but given the other players they have he'd be an interesting get for them, and from Temple's perspective (because that's what this paragraph is supposed to be) there aren't a ton of teams out there who always consider themselves in the market for a player with Temple's skill-set. If Houston doesn't work out I'd recommend giving the D-League a shot (surprise, surprise), where he could work on his shot and become a lockdown defender in the Dontell Jefferson mode in order to get some NBA attention down the line.

A Look Back at Vegas Summer League: Part 2

Jon L — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:15:07 -0000

Jawad Williams, shown here playing for the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, played well for Cleveland at Vegas Summer League.

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In the wake of Vegas Summer League being over, and as I did with the Orlando Summer League, I've been taking a look at some noteworthy performances from "non-NBA" players. Part 1 dealt with guys who have been playing in Europe or who otherwise aren't currently under contract anywhere. Today examines the players from the D-League who were in Vegas, either on the D-League Select team or on an NBA squad's roster. Again, I'm only concerned with players who played three or more games, in order to get some semblance of sustained (such as it is) success (this means no Othyus Jeffers or Trey Johnson, who each played very well in two games for the D-League squad). I wanted to limit it to ten guys, but I cheated a bit and threw in an honorable mention category (which makes even less sense since the 10 guys aren't ranked in any way), which we'll look at first.

Honorable Mention: Brent Petway, Romel Beck, Mouhamed Sene, Will Conroy

Petway complemented Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan fairly well, and while his scoring wasn't very consistent, he showed off his elite shot-blocking ability and averaged 3.6 blocks per 48 minutes, slightly more than he did last season with the Stampede. Beck made 43 percent of his three-pointers and 52.8 percent of his field goals overall, though he didn't contribute much other than scoring. Sene got a ton of blocks compared to his playing time, eight in 35 minutes, but while I didn't expect to see many points from him he didn't get many rebounds, either. Conroy was a solid point guard either starting or coming off the bench, and he made 52.2 percent of his field goals, but his assists were down a little bit from what they were in the D-League on a per-minute basis.

The rest of the players are after the jump.

Richard Hendrix (6'9" F, Denver Nuggets) - Hendrix had perhaps the best overall Summer League out of anyone, playing very well with the Orlando Magic team before repeating that performance in Vegas. He appeared in four games for Denver and started three, though he played the second-fewest minutes on the team. He still managed to shoot 63.2 percent from the field, average 13.4 rebounds per 48 minutes, and most impressively, turn the ball over only once in those four games.

Coleman Collins (6'9" F, D-League Select) - Collins was very solid for the D-League team, and I've said this before but it bears repeating: I don't understand why he didn't play more last season. Collins was one of the leading rebounders on the team and averaged 24 points per 48 minutes, all while picking up only six fouls in five games. He made 51.4 percent of his shots, too.

CJ Giles (6'11" F/C, Denver Nuggets) - Giles rebounded the ball very well for the Nuggets, averaging 15 rebounds per 48 minutes, and he made half of his field goals. He also averaged just over five blocks on a per-minute basis, though he also committed the most fouls on the team.

Kurt Looby (6'10" C, D-League Select) - RU binky Kurt Looby did what he does best, which is block shots and rebound. Looby grabbed as many rebounds as Collins did but in about 40 fewer minutes, and finished averaging 17 rebounds on a per-minute basis. He also blocked nine shots in five games. I keep repeating this, but while the offense isn't there right now, Looby will be ready to take on the NBA very soon.

Coby Karl (6'5" G, Denver Nuggets) - Yeah, yeah, he should've been listed with the "Europe" players rather than the D-Leaguers, but what are you gonna do? Coby Karl had a somewhat shaky Orlando Summer League, but he did very well in Vegas, making 61.5 percent of his field goals and half of his threes, as well as picking up rebounds and assists at decent rates for his position.

David Monds (6'8" F, Los Angeles Lakers) - Monds was a very solid player for the Lakers, though he didn't start any of the games. He led the team in per-minute scoring, shot 60.4 percent from the field and averaged 13.3 rebounds per 48 minutes, and only turned the ball over twice in five games. His free throws could use some work, as he shot 54.5 percent from the line.

Ronald Dupree (6'7" F, Denver Nuggets) - Yes, that Nuggets team was pretty stacked. Dupree was the team's second-leading scorer on a per-minute basis (and came in only .2 points behind Ty Lawson), and he also rebounded the ball fairly well, though he didn't do much beyond those two things.

Malik Hairston (6'6" G, San Antonio Spurs) - Hairston did a good job shooting the ball, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and averaging 21.4 points per 48 minutes. He didn't offer the kind of rebounding that he usually does, though that my be because he was sharing the court with two monster rebounders in DeJuan Blair and Ian Mahinmi.

Jawad Williams (6'9" F, Cleveland Cavaliers) - Williams showed off his scoring and rebounding in Vegas, making half of his three pointers and averaging 28.2 points and 10 rebounds per 48 minutes (that scoring average was best on the team). He's generally a solid defender as well, though Summer League isn't really the place for that.

DeMarcus Nelson (6'4" G, Chicago Bulls) This is also cheating a little bit since the Bulls called Nelson up before the end of last season, but he showed himself to be a pretty good all-around guard in Vegas. He had some off nights, but ended up shooting 48.1 percent from the field and tied for the second-most assists on the team. He finished averaging seven rebounds and 5.5 assists per 48 minutes, though he could stand to cut down on the turnovers a little bit.

ATS Summer League Microscope - Jerryd Bayless - Portland Trail Blazers

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:36:04 -0000

By popular demand, Jerryd Bayless got placed under the ATS microscope. This is an evaluation of his performance on Wednesday against the Rockets. I will work in some other observations from the Blazers beat down of the Spurs from Saturday as well.

The main question surrounding Bayless, "Is he a point guard?" The answer, "No." Well, that's my answer.

The ATS View of Bayless

Bayless didn't have the toughest of match ups in the Rockets game. He was alternately going against Mike Green, Will Conroy, and Garrett Temple. None of these guys have been rotation players in the NBA. I don't any of them will be shortly.

In the game against the Rockets, I think two things speak to my "No" answer. One, Bayless ended the first half with 11 points, 5 turnovers, and 0 assists (He had 7 more turnovers vs the Spurs and his game low for the summer league is 6). Two, in crunch time, the Blazers went to Pooh Jeter in the fourth quarter as the point guard and play maker, and Bayless played the shooting guard. Pooh had 15 points, 6 assists, and only 1 turnover in 21 minutes. Bayless went 1-5 from the field in the second half in his role off the ball.

The thing that jumped out at me regarding Bayless is that he is very effective creating his own shot, largely because of his strength. At 6' 3" and 200 pounds, he's a very solid guard and he likes contact. On several occasions he used his good first step and strength to create space for his shots. I'm not sure how effective he can be scoring against the bigger point guards like Billups, Fisher, Williams, and shooting guards if they match him in the strength category or are much longer than he is.

In addition, his points came exclusively on isolation plays from the top of the key, or in transition, and almost always early in the shot clock without running an offensive set. He was not effective in the pick and roll at all as the extra pressure from the help defender forced him to back up. On a couple occasions he picked up his dribble for no reason well outside the 3-point arc and this stalled the offense.

In general, his ball handling seemed a bit sloppy and his decision making fairly poor. He forced several passes and others were not accurate. If he wasn't getting his offense early, then the Blazers offense really struggled.

So, if Bayless isn't a point guard who can distribute the ball and create shots for his teammates, the next question is whether or not he can be effective playing off the ball?

Other observations

Dante Cunningham has been very impressive. Mainly, knocking down mid-range jumpers like he is LaMarcus Aldridge. I would like to know, though, why he rides an exercise bike when he's on the bench? Back? Legs?

Jeff Pendergraph has been solid and seems to be an effective big man at 6' 10". He's doesn't shy away from the rough stuff although I think he wasn't quite prepared for Joey Dorsey.

Pooh Jeter has been really good in the two games I have seen him.