Dwight Howard won yet another Defensive Player of the Year award today. Congrats to him. Watching the press conference, I heard him thank former Rocket Dikembe Mutumbo for starting him off on the path of improving his defensive tenacity and presence.

Continue reading this post »

i read on espn.com that eddy curry has suffered a right calf injury and is likely to miss the season. So I got to wondering... do you think it would have been a better idea to go with eddy curry in the rockets three way trade instead of jared jeffries?

Ok so now that you have all finished chuckling and claiming me a heretic, let me explain the benefits of having Eddy Curry in that trade.

1. He is always hurt.

He continues to miss most seasons with various injuries. Therefore if we had him, we may have gotten his contract paid by insurance. 80% percent of it is supposed to be paid by the insurance company if a player is deemed unfit to play from injury (at least to my knowledge).

2. Roster spot.

So if the insurance pays that contract, the nba gives us an exemption to sign another player. Remember, we were able to sign Trevor Ariza with Yao Ming's injury exemption. Imagine what Darryl Morey could do with choosing the player he wants vs being stuck with Jeffries whom you already know what he can do for your team (not much).

Of course, i dunno if this also means that we can sign a 16th player. Someone please fill in the knowledge gap for me.

3. Punchline.

Eddy Curry is very easy to make fun of. Old ladies would be able to tell eddy curry jokes at the Bingo parlor and get laughs. Just imagine what Only A Lad, grungedave, and Xiane et al. could come up with.

4. Miracle.

Imagine if Eddy Curry randomly realized he is at the end of his deal and if he could stay in shape, he would make a reasonable facsimile of a Yao Ming backup. The likes of which a Hilton Armstrong will never figure out. So Curry gets in shape over the summer and plays 60 games and the playoffs with the rockets in 2010-2011 and the rockets drop him anyway rather than resign him. Do you believe that 60 games of healthy Eddy Curry backing yao is better than 82 games of a fourth string Jeffries backing Scola,hayes,jordan hill? Two of which are some of the most healthy players we have?

Your thoughts please. Cause im shaking my head at the notion as i write this anyway...

Theory 1: Trevor Ariza is going to come off the bench the rest of the year, but not because thats our best starting line up. In fact, the only reason shane starts is so that he appears to be an important piece to the squad for trading purposes this summer. If he loses his starting spot, his trade value suffers. Plus having the summer to move his family and get things coordinated is the Rockets hope for a peaceful parting.

Theory 2: Yao does not come back with the team if he gets hurt for any significant time next year. Yao will not exercise his option since he missed the whole year and becoming a free agent will cost him money short term. I think Mr. Alexander will plug up the middle with other assets like young rebounders with our upcoming draft picks. They will be alternating between D-League and practice players while we see what few minutes we can use Yao where he is still effective but not overused

Theory 3: Adelman has a lot of say with the team. Sleepy dreams of a team in the mold of his old kings teams. Playing fast, cutting, and winning the game on the offensive end. Which is why i believe in theory 1. He likes Chase cause he's athletic and can shoot from distance. So can all of our guards. Trevor is similar to what Doug Christie used to bring. Ditto Scola in the Webber mold. Lowry = Bobby Jackson energy/pace pusher off the bench. Our Vlade is better if he doesn't get hurt. That Kings team was number 1 in free throw shooting and look how our freethrow shooting has come up.

Theory 4: DM likes Chris bosh, but he wont want to give up Scola for him because he loves the fact that he got over on the Spurs and doesn't want to then trade him.

Also a sidenote: Was Clutch born when the rockets won their last championship? Thats why he's 15? Hmmm... i kinda like the bear now

No worries everyone. Cook can still be traded (what a horrible last game he had even though we scored so many points as a whole). Just give DM some time. Also, did anyone notice how our roster doesnt really allow for player options? Everything is team options or qualifying offers which means the Rockets have more control over where their players go. Kinda like how they are currently running the Rio Grande Vipers. Is that good or Draconian?

via blog.nola.com

Im going to go ahead and say it since no one else has really put it out there, but Brandon Roy is not going to play in the all star game. David Stern should be adding a replacement guard soon and he has few other options. I believe that Aaron Brooks is the best of the bunch that have not made it. As someone has mentioned before, the Rockets have no representation on All Star weekend. They are the only team with a winning record that is lacking representation. I believe that Aaron Brooks making the all star team also doubles as one of the most unlikeliest things that anyone wouldve predicted just a few years ago. We are talking about a late first rounder whom nobody was really looking to draft. Just a year or two after the rules changes, DM was able to recognize how his speed and shooting would be a big help to the Rockets offense. His numbers have grown dramatically since being placed as a starter and his growth is what allows the Rockets to stay competitive in the West. Lets hope David Stern gets it right with his replacement and Chris Rock Aaron Brooks gets an invite to the Dallas party.

I read an article on the four letter network that described in some more detail the contract dispute between the NBA and the referees. You can view the article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4482584

I just had a question and I didn't know if anyone could clarify. Since the severance package dispute only applies to new referees and ones with less than ten years of service, that means others who may retire in the next two years can still get the lump sum right? So since this new labor pact will be for only two years, why doesnt the referees just accept the NBA's demands and renogotiate in a fairer economic climate one year or two years from now? Or maybe I just dont know much about labor agreements and what you concede now, you can't redeem in future negotiations...

Also sidebar: Does anyone think that having inexperienced referees to start the season will lead to erratic gameplay (ie too slow cause of poor calls or too fast cause they are too afraid to blow the whistle)? How will this affect the Rockets' game play, which may rely heavily on ball pressure?

via economics.gmu.edu

I love the NBA! Even in slow, non-Olympic summers I still try to find different ways to get the latest news. From big things like the HOF induction to little things like Rocket's draft pick Sergio Llull's boxscore against Turkey in the Eurochampionship tourney. Basically, with no NBA on, there is very little that keeps my interest on television. With that being said, I wanted to lay out who I would pick as my starting five as the most watchable players in the NBA today and yesterday.

Point Guard - Chris Paul: Its impossible not to watch that guy on the court. Tell me how he can pick an entire defense apart without taking a shot. Probably the only person in the NBA that can do that all game. I love Steve Nash by the way

Shooting Guard - Dwyane Wade: My favorite player. Unless it conflicts with Rockets games and my general quality of life, I watch all 82 games, no questions. His stretch of games from December to March last year can't even be put into words. Just youtube it. Arguably the greatest performance in NBA Finals history. Im rambling...

Small Forward - Lebron James: Dude can pull up a foot inside the half court line and shoot it with ease. Unselfish. Obviously enjoys the game and haves fun. Also too competitive  to shake hands with a best friend if he loses. You could only ask for players to care that much when they make that much money (you tell me if you enjoy a 20 million dollar player mailing it in and then being so happy for his competition directly after the game with hugs and handpounds). Note: Kevin Durant may be in this spot if he is not a shooting guard. That guy will be a killer. Trust me.

Power Forward - Anthony Randolph (slightly over Tim Duncan): No this is not a stretch either. Watch him in Nellie's offense. A 6' 11" left hander who brings the ball up the court can calls his on plays? There's never been a player to do that in any league ever. Crazy athleticism and oozing passion. I always know when he is on the court.

Center - Yao Ming: No this is not a homer pick. I just like big men with a full array of post moves. Yao Ming has all of them including unguardable left and right hooks. 16 foot range with accuracy. An extremely diligent work ethic. And the coup de grace: He takes the technical foul shots for the Houston Rockets! There will NEVER be another center that was the team's best free throw shooter for 5 straight years. And yes, I want Yao shooting free throws over any Rocket past or present (except Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy, and Sam Cassell)

Old School ( no longer in the League)

Point Guard - Oscar Robertson: He must've been fun to watch every night. Imagine a Lebron full time at point guard

Shooting Guard - Michael Jordan: I'd say he had a few good moments in the League wouldn't you?

Small Forward - Bernard King: Former Knick. If you never heard of him, you are missing out. A more lethal Carmelo if you will. You can put Larry Bird here too though

Power Forward - Elvin Hayes: This guy was amazing. 28 points per game? As a rookie??? 16 seasons, nine missed games so you almost never missed watching him. His overall career including college is why I have him just over Charles Barkley

Center - Hakeem Olajuwon: Now I love Hakeem, but I know I never watched Wilt Chamberlain play and that had to be incredible based on statistics alone. Yet Hakeem is the player Dwight Howard should aspire to be. That footwork may never have an equal in the NBA again.

So is this the best list or what? Remember, its just the most WATCHable players. Not the best players.

The Hall of Fame is inducting again this year with Michael Jordan being the most notable addition and the rest of the class being elite. I believe it takes 5 years after retirement for a player or something like 25 years as a coach to get in. So I began to think to myself, who will be in the HOF class 5 years from now? Only one player I can think that just might fit the bill. Dikembe Mutumbo!!!

But wait, won't there be some detractors that say that he shouldn't get in because he never won a ring? Even though he is a 4 time Defensive Player of the Year and the second all time in finger wags? What do you think? Does he get in? Also, would the Rockets be able to help his chances by retiring his jersey in a ceremony? What say you...