I got to give props to GM Daryl Morey, he really pulled off a great trade for the Rockets.  We essentially gained one star and three solid players for only Carl Landry.  Don't get me wrong, Landry will be missed especially the season he is having this year.  I would much rather see Scola go than Landry but you have to lose some to gain some.  Getting Kevin Martin was a great addition.  At just 27, Martin is a proven 20 plus scorer and should fit right into the Rockets' system.  He is similar to T-Mac in that he needs the ball to score, but he is a much better shooter.  Martin also played with a solid play maker in Tryeke Evans and that experience should help him adjust to playing alongside Aaron Brooks.  In addition to Martin, the Rockets also get Jordan Hill , Hilton Armstrong, and Jared Jeffries.  Jeffries is mostly likely going to take Landry's spot in the rotation.  He is no Carl Landry by any means, but he is a solid contributor and at 6'11 gives the Rockets some size that they desperately need.  Jordan Hill is unproven in the NBA, but he is young and talented and could potentially develop into a solid forward for the Rockets if they intend to keep him.  Hilton Armstrong is just the throw in to make the deal work.  However by getting Jeffries, Jordan, and Armstrong, the Rockets now actually have some size, which was another weakness of the team since Yao Ming's injury.  Overall this was a great trade.  This allows either Battier or Ariza to come off the bench and should take pressure of Ariza to be a scorer that he really is not.  Also, if Yao Ming can come back healthy next year and with maybe one or two off season additions, the Rockets could be right back to TITLE contention.  Brooks, Martin, and Yao should form a respectful scoring trio, maybe add another scorer off the bench the Rockets should be a very good team in 2011.

I know somebody probably already post something about the departure of Tracy McGrady, but I have to say its still sad to see him go.  Sure the Rockets are better off now adding Martin, but be realistic Kevin Martin is good but he is never going to be Tracy McGrady.   You can argue all you want but when he was in Houston, Tracy McGrady is a top ten Rockets of ALL TIME.  Go ahead and find me ten Rockets ahead of Mac.  I will give you my list for you to debate on

1.  Hakeem Olajuwon - enough said

2.  Calvin  Murphy - one of the great point guard of his time old school look him up if you don't know

3.  Clyde Drexler - again enough said

4.  Tracy McGrady

5.  Ralph Sampson

6.  Moses Malone

7.  Yao MIng

8.  Rudy Tomjanovich

9.  Otis Thrope

10. Steve Francis - Don't hate he was good when he was here
In the end, Tracy McGrady gave the Rockets fans plenty to cheer about, his 13 points in 25 seconds, leading the team to 22 straight wins, his all-star game performance in Houston.  Yes he will always be known as a great Rocket that can't get his team through the first round of the playoffs.  But you can't put all the blame on him.  A new era has started for the Rockets and Tracy McGrady will be missed.

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Trevor Ariza is finding out the hard way that playing basketball without Kobe and Pau isn't easy.  Last year he was a key contributor to the Lakers Title run because he can defend and hit open jump shots.  Keyword OPEN jump shots.  He had Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, Bynum, Odom, and even Fisher who always hits big shots for them.  No one in their right mind is going to guard Trevor Ariza and leave those guys open.  Thus, he thrived and landed with the Rockets this year.  Well he was suppose to have Yao and T-mac, but we all know thats history now.  The Rockets tried to make him into a scorer running offenses for him, but THEY are finding out too that Ariza is NOT going to be a star like Tracy McGrady or even Ron Artest, or even Cuttino Mobley.  Ariza is a great COMPLIMENTARY player.  He is an athlete who can defend and finish above the rim, but thats all he is.  He is not a player that can carry a team, he would be a great third or fourth or even fifth option.  Basketball isn't easy when you don't have Kobe and Pau, who created so much openings for everyone playing with them.  Same can be said about Yao and T-mac when they were healthy.  Every NBA player can hit open shots, but it becomes a lot harder when they are actually guarding you now.  Ariza is finding it out the hard way, now teams are actually defending him.  I'm not bashing the Ariza signing, I'm just stating the fact that he is not going to develop into an all-star.  He is not going to replace Tracy McGrady, he is just another complimentary piece that fits well in the system.  Don't expect his awful shooting percentage to go up until the Rockets have another duo like Yao and Tracy again. 

First of all I just had to get this off my chest.  I don't know what the NBA is doing with its players lately.  The players build the league thats why fans watch not for the dumb executives.  The way they treated Allen Iverson in memphis was ridiculous.  They are basically saying that memphis is in rebuilding mode and thats why Allen Iverson will be coming off the bench and playing a supporting role. Are you kidding me??  Look at their rosters, OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Z- Randolph, Marc Gasol, Conley, and you are telling me they are in rebuilding mode these are legit players.  And with Iverson they could easily make a good playoff push like they are doing now.  What they did was basically telling Iverson they dont need him, then why the fuck you sign him in the first place.  To have a future hall of famer backup Mike Conley.  You are telling me even at this point of their careers that Mike Conley is better than AI.  Enough SAID. 

Next with T-mac.  I been a Houston Rockets fan because of T-mac.  And i'm pretty sure theres still a bunch of t-mac fans out there.  He sells tickets, he brings fans to the stands, he sell out jerseys, just look at the all-star voting this year.  He almost made it as a starter without hardly playing at all.  With that being said, Rick DUMBASS Aldeman wont let him play.  Just explain that to me.  You are paying him anyways, why not just play him.  Sure the rockets are playing better than expected, but they got good players.  Aaron Brooks is coming to his own, Luis Scola has always been solid, Shane Battier, Landry, Ariza.  I mean thats a solid core of COMPLIMENTARY PLAYERS.  They have to bust their butts and play solid defense to win games.  And as you can see now thats all they are going to be a above average team without a legit star.  So Rick Aldeman you are telling me that THIS Team is better without T-Mac.  As I recall just two years ago this same team with the complimentary players plus t-mac won 22 straight regular season games.  OH yeah now you remember.  As you remember its not t-mac's fault that this team can't get out the first round until last year because the team didnt have ANYONE that could create off the dribble and make plays for others besides t-mac.  And it wasn't t-mac's fault that Yao Ming is slow and cant guard anybody that can move.  So lets pay t-mac who still put fans in the stands and can still play (his last game this year he score 10 points in just 8 minutes of play)  , and let him walk or get traded to another team.  Yeah Rick Aldeman I'm pretty sure you didn't tell Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Peja, or Divac that you old Kings team was better without them.  Yes Rick is a good coach, i mean he is leading a team of COMPLIMENTARY players to a above 500 record, but NO your team is not better without MAC.  I mean you are talking about a guy when healthy is in the same class as Kobe, Lebron, Carmelo, and D-Wade.  People are talking about Leborn putting up 30, 7, 7, guess who did that T-mac.  And he is still only 30 years old he is still got a good 5 or 6 years left.  

yes the rockets won last year without mac and almost beat the lakers in the playoffs, but they actually addressed what t-mac needed in all those years that he lost in the first round. 1

1. He needed a guy who can create off the dribble and make plays - answer Aaron Brooks by trading away Alston and let Brooks start gave rockets that option. 

2. He needed another option on the perimeter that can defend and score - answer Ron Artest

If T-mac was healthy last year, you are not looking at Kobe celebrating his fourth ring, you will be looking at Rockets as defending champions this year with mac as the finals MVP. 

I wish T-mac would held on and start on the all star team this year along with AI.  It would show the league and the executives that the players make the league and that the fans want to see these players.  And both of them CAN still play and play at an all-star level .