The Dream Shake - A Houston Rockets blog

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Could Ariza Pull a Hedo?

Nate Jones of Jones on the NBA brings up an interesting question on his Twitter:

"You think Port would try to undermine Houston now and reach out to Ariza?"

Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge says that Portland could have offered Ariza up to 45 million dollars. All we have so far are verbal commitments. Let's hope that the unthinkable doesn't happen.

about 2 hours ago Tom Martin comment 7 comments 0 recs

Source: Yao being recommended season-ending procedure

by Tom Martin on Jul 3, 2009 6:00 PM CDT in Blogging stuff Comment 6 comments

Reports yesterday indicated that the Rockets would have to wait another week to find out whether or not Yao Ming will need surgery.

However, a source close to the situation has told me that Yao has been recommended a procedure that would likely cause him to miss the entire upcoming season. This procedure would involve the use of a bone stimulator that would not require tampering with Yao's foot, ultimately allowing Yao to return at a higher playing level. It would also aid in lengthening his career.

The other option would be surgical, in an effort to remove the screws currently in place and re-position the bone. While this could allow Yao to return next season, they would in no way guarantee long-term health.

But again, we'll know what the entire situation is in a week's time.

6 comments | 1 recs |

Why overpaying for Trevor Ariza makes sense in the long-term

by Tom Martin on Jul 3, 2009 5:44 PM CDT in Random Commentary Comment 13 comments

Los Angeles Lakers' Trevor Ariza pauses during an interview in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, June 16, 2009. Ariza said he would love to return to the Lakers next season. The fifth-year forward is a free agent, along with teammate Lamar Odom. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

17 days ago: Los Angeles Lakers' Trevor Ariza pauses during an interview in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, June 16, 2009. Ariza said he would love to return to the Lakers next season. The fifth-year forward is a free agent, along with teammate Lamar Odom. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

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Here is what we know.

The Rockets have signed Trevor Ariza to a deal worth $33.5 million over 5 years, assuming the 2009-2010 mid-level exception is set at $5.8 million.

We know that Ariza is going to start immediately. You don't pay $33.5 million dollars to "developing prospects." This is Ariza's chance to finally blossom into more than just a freaky athlete.

We know that Daryl Morey does more calculating than any one of us here. He didn't sign Ariza to respond to the Lakers. He didn't sign Ariza to appease the fans. He signed him because he thinks it is what's best for our team and for our future. With Daryl, you know that winning is the ultimate goal. He's not one of those "gut" GM's. Only after carefully looking at each and every possible scenario will Daryl pull the trigger. If this move backfires, it won't be because we wasted money or overpaid the guy. No blame will be placed on management. It will be because Ariza didn't fulfill his potential, potential that Morey deems to be worth 33 million dollars.

We know that we overpaid Ariza for his talents. He has done absolutely nothing in his five year career to merit such a huge contract. But we also know that we could afford to overpay Ariza, with the long-term in mind. Though we pay Ariza 5.8 million dollars per year, we only have a few other players locked up over the next couple of seasons. Aside from Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming (potentially), Luis Scola comes off the books in 2010. So do Brian Cook and Brent Barry. The next season, Shane Battier, Carl Landry, and James White will become free agents, with Joey Dorsey, Aaron Brooks, and Chuck Hayes receiving team options. In other words, we will have money to spend if we choose to do so.

We know that Ariza has plenty of room to grow, at least on the offensive end. For now, he can catch and shoot effectively, and when he gets to the rim, he can finish with the best of them. My main criticism of this deal is that we've never seen Ariza as the go-to guy on a team before. He has never had to create for himself, and he has never been the primary focus of an opposing defense. While that may be a logical criticism of Ariza, it is only because it has never been asked of him before. Maybe, when finally given his shot, he will produce like his three previous teams thought he could. We know he's up for the challenge. That's why he's here, and not in Cleveland.

To use an analogy, Von Wafer played on not three, but four teams before coming to Houston. He could never score more than 2.4 points per game for any of them. But once he was given a realistic shot at contributing, he practically kept our season alive in the midst of McGrady's troubles by scoring 10 points per game in limited minutes. Take all of that improvement-through-chance, and apply it to Trevor Ariza. As an important role player for the Lakers, Ariza scored 11.3 points per game in the playoffs. If he can score 11 points per game as a role player in Los Angeles, what will he be able to do in Houston? Will he have the same success, in terms of overall improvement, that Wafer had this season? It's a tough analogy to make, given what I wrote about all of that "creating offense" and "primary focus" hoopla earlier, but it's not a far-fetched idea. And just for the record, Ariza's entrance probably marks Wafer's exit.

We know that Ariza will only be asked to be a primary scorer for a single season. Come next season, he may be reduced to our third or fourth scorer, which would be a great role for him. This further leads to the idea that the Rockets are thinking down the line, and not just about next season.

We also know that we're going into a significant reloading mode. Not re-building, but re-loading. There is a difference, and it can be found after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

13 comments | 1 recs |

I'm going to miss you, Crazy Pills

by grungedave on Jul 3, 2009 12:12 PM CDT in Discussions about Badasses Comment 21 comments

Dear RonRon,

I'm gonna miss you. I admit, I'm a little weepy right now. You were everything we asked for when we traded Donte Greene and a draft pick to get you last summer. We always knew it might be a short-term relationship given that you were in a contract year. We didn't care. Nor do I feel cheated today. It was worth the risk. And I fully believe that risk paid off in spades.

You helped get the Rockets to the second round this year. Which for Yao Ming and others had to seem like a myth until they actually got there. (Tracy McGrady... still a non-believer.) You brought an aggressiveness and a mindset to Houston that had been lacking for more than a decade. No one bullies the Rockets anymore.

So, thank you, Ron Artest. I truly mean it.

I do not begrudge you in your decision to join Kobe and the Lakers. It makes perfect sense. Yao and T-Mac probably won't be suiting up in 2010. The Rockets are rebuilding, whether they want to admit it publicly or not. I'm okay with all of this. Which is why I understand that you had to do what is best for you, Ron. I absolutely do understand. And I wish you nothing but the best in Los Angeles.

Though, this does make this picture seem a little weird now:

Happy trails to you, Crazy Pills. And good luck. You're going to need it.

(I can't wait to see what motivational book(s) Phil Jackson gives to Artest... )

21 comments | 0 recs |

Rockets Fans: What would you trade Shane Battier to the Portland Trailblazers for?

by UofTOrange on Jul 3, 2009 12:00 AM CDT in Player Analysis Comment 56 comments

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

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I have a full analysis of what I want the Rockets to do on deck for early next week (hopefully Monday). However, I want a little help. Dave from Blazer's Edge and I have been tossing around an idea. What would you want from the Trail Blazers for Shane Battier. Now, believe me this is all a hypothetical, but, what if the Rockets were going into rebuilding mode? You have to sell high on Battier, right? And he fits into Portland epically well.

Here's my opening salvo:

Battier_trade_medium

Rudy Fernandez and Travis Outlaw for Shane Battier.

Let me get this out of the way. I know 95% of you would never "want to trade" Battier. I'm in that boat too. That said, I know that, so let's try and be productive. If you had to, what would you accept? And let's keep it within reason, Brandon Roy nor LaMarcus Aldridge is coming over.

Blazer's Edge is running a similiar question

56 comments | 0 recs |

Ron Artest signs with Los Angeles Lakers; Trevor Ariza verbally commits to Houston Rockets

by Tom Martin on Jul 2, 2009 8:57 PM CDT in Random Commentary Comment 69 comments

More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP

"Please, Kobe, you know I don't mean it. I want to play in Los Angeles next year anyway. Please like me."

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Looks like the Rockets are going to start free agency with a couple of whiffs. First, Marcin Gortat signs with a team in our own division, and then we fail to re-sign Ron Artest, who has chosen to stay in the Western Conference. While neither move was going to be a shoe-in, it would have been nice to see us nail down one of the players. Now we'll have to look elsewhere. Who wants to start up the Birdman-to-Houston e-mail address?

However, to be honest, I'm not so sure that letting Artest go was a bad thing. If Yao Ming were to miss much of next season (which is a distinct possibility), it would be the Ron-Ron Show, starring Ball-Hoginess, Bad Shot Selection, and Angry Postgame Tweets. I wouldn't be a fan. Why put up with Artest for another year when the chances of winning a championship would be slim to none? Why pay him when we can save the money for later?

That's how devastating Yao's injury is. It not only cost us our best remaining wing player; it made the loss of Ron Artest somewhat necessary.

Now that Artest is gone, our chances of winning 40 games, much less 50 games, are looking dim. We'll be without our two remaining stars for at least the first twenty games of the season, and that's the best case scenario, pending a miracle recovery from Yao. At worst, we lose Yao for the season, and McGrady doesn't come back for 30-35 games, leaving, as of today, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola as our go-to scorers.

As everyone in the West is improving, the Rockets are getting worse.

So what's the plan? Do we accept a bad season in 2009-2010 in order to draft high and spend freely next summer? What's it going to be?

Update: Trevor Ariza has verbally committed to the Houston Rockets. Check it out here. In Morey...we...trust?

Update 2: Marc Spears of the Boston Globe is reporting that Ariza will sign a 5-year, 33 million dollar deal. Yikes.

69 comments | 0 recs |

Are there any other tall players the Rockets can pursue now?

by grungedave on Jul 2, 2009 5:43 PM CDT in Random Commentary Comment 12 comments

It looks like Marcin Gortat has rejected the over-the-top wooing efforts of Daryl Morey. Translation? It appears that the only legit center on the free agent market has spurned the Rockets' advances to sign with the Dallas Mavericks. Yes, Mark Cuban somehow out-bid Daryl Morey. Damn him.

So, uhhhh, are there any tall or even tall-ish players available that the Rockets can sign? Let's face facts - Yao Ming ain't walking through that door until at the earliest March of 2010, so we need someone to man the center position. There isn't a Dikembe option this year. Of the remaining options......... Brian Cook refuses to step inside the three-point line. Scola and Hayes will battle you, but they simply are not true centers and are undersized at the "4" position to begin with. Joey Dorsey would probably do anything (other than giving up strippers cold turkey) to get on the court, but he's not an NBA center.

That doesn't provide the Rockets with much good news. Shit.

Damn you, Mark Cuban!!

That pony you bought to impress Gortat better be within the salary cap restrictions!!!!!

To all those people who have been demanding the Rockets "trade Yao!" for the last five years... I guarantee that you will miss him a whole hell of a lot more once next season begins and you see how lucky we've been to have him.

(oh, and in other bad news... it looks like Ron Artest is not coming back either. LeBron is putting on the moves to get Crazy Pills legalized in Cleveland. Though a locker room with RonRon and the Fat Ass practically defines the word "volatile". Poor LeBron. He has no idea what he's getting himself into.)

12 comments | 0 recs |