Where Do We Go From Here?

So this is how it all ends.  This is what the past 6 years were all building up to.  The ball has finally dropped on Tracy McGrady's career as a Houston Rocket, and it has done so with a resounding thud.  And if we are all truthful with ourselves this is really the only way that it  was ever going to end.  The signs were all over the place.  From the injuries, to the retirement plans, to the playoff failures, and finally to the declaration to have season ending (career threatening) microfracture surgery.  Not all of the Rockets shortcomings were his fault.  He had to overcome a flawed roster built around him and Yao, which sorely lacked in the areas of youth and athleticism, as well as others with adequate playmaking abilities.  Also the injuries suffered by Yao on those occasions where Tracy was reasonably healthy certainly did not help the situation, leaving Tracy to attempt to carry a flawed team on his back and into the playoffs for long stretches of the season.  But there was always something about Tracy that just didn't sit right with the fans in Houston.  Although he arrived in Houston as the NBA's 2-time scoring champion, and one of the most gifted players in the game, he joined this team insisting that 3rd year player Yao Ming was going to get him his championship, and we were going to do something special. And although he possesed all of the talent, skills, and physical attributes to dominate the game in ways that few players could ever dream of, it seemed that more often then not, we have always been left asking ourselves, wondering if, or demanding that he do more.  That he try harder.  The 13 points in 45 seconds showed us that he did in fact possess that ability.  Yet in the biggest moment, he said he was tired and felt like he could hardly move (Playoffs, Utah, Game 7) even though he had rested for the first 5 minutes of the 4th qtr, and entered the game with a 5 point leave and the Jazz over the foul limit.  And even though he fancies himself as the leader of the team and its closer.  Never the less, this is how it ends, and I am honestly not shocked.  Good luck Tmac.  Now maybe we will never have to hear the phrase, "we just didn't match their intensity" ever again.  It has to be the biggest spit in the face to ticket buying fans ever, and it's something that I had never heard prior to Tracy's arrival in town.

But on to what's important.  Where do we go from here?  First and foremost we have to take a really hard look at our current roster.  We know a few things.  We know that we have very good power forwards in Scola and Landry, and that Chuck Hayes is an outstanding defensive player.  So we are set there, assuming we lock up Scola this summer.  We also know that we have a good young point guard in Aaron Brooks and a versatile swing man in Trevor Ariza.  Brooks, Landry, and Ariza are all still young players who are good now, but has room to improve significantly.  So we are set at PG, SF, and PF.  We need to make some tough decisions on Kyle Lowry, Chuck Hayes and Shane Battier.  Do we resign Lowry and Hayes this offseason, and at what cost.  Also we know that we have a team that competes hard everyday, and plays together, and are genuinely good guys.  We also know that Battier is credited with a lot of that.  At what point do you decide that these guys are ready and experienced and mature enough to do it on their own, without relying on Battiers leadership in the locker room and on the defensive side of the ball, and use Battier's contract to secure the type of SG or quality backup C that this team sorely needs.  Personally I would love to see all these guys stay together, but if it came down to it, I'd be willing to part with Lowry and either Hayes or Battier (One of them stays no matter what and I lean towards Hayes) if it meant securing the type of SG who could replace what Tmac brought to this team, while doing it within the framework of coach Adelman's system.  Battiere has the kind of contract that can help get a deal like that done.

Here's what we don't need.  We don't need another power forward.  ScoLandry gives us everything we need at that position and its not costing us our retirement savings to have them.  So please quite suggesting rediculous trades for Antawn Jamison, Carlos Boozer, Andre Kirilenko (he's so 5 years ago), and Chris Bosh.  Last I checked none of those guys can man the C position in the event of a Yao Ming injury, so why not just keep Scola and Landry.  Landry averages almost 17 pts, 6 rebs, and 62% shooting on 25 mpg.  Thats production people.  Ariza is proving that he is not a superstar caliber player so far, but what he is is a darn good swing man, capable of knocking down the 3 pt shot (he showed that last year with the Lakers) running the court when the PG pushes it and being very disruptive/opportunistic defensively.  He is well worth mid level money, so we don't have a huge need for a SF either, especially when you consider that we stole Chase Budinger in the draft.  Brooks is young, confident, and lightning fast.  Each night he gains more experience, and after another run in the playoffs this year he'll have a full year running the team under his belt, and 2 playoff appearances as the full time PG.  He is a definite keeper unless you're talking CP3, D. Williams, or Derrick Rose.  Maybe even John Wall, but that would be starting over the learning curve and we need to maximize the rest of Yao's window. 

So here is what I think the Rockets should do.  Seek a trade with Sacramento centered around Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni for Tmac.  There is a glut at the 2 guard position on that team, and I think Tyreke Evans is gonna win out.  Also Nocioni has some years left on his deal, but he plays hard, spaces the floor, and would really fit in our system.  If that fails look for the best packages of expiring contracts, young prospects, and draft picks we can find, then go after Joe Johnson hard in free agency.  Sell him on the fact that Houston is a big city, there is a ready made team, and that there is no state tax.  If it takes a sign in trade offer Battier (expiring contract next year) first, then Lowry or Budinger added in if need be.  If the Hawks wont bite on that offer Scola in a sign and trade, we'll resign Hayes and still be ok at the position.  Another long shot that could really help would be if the Rockets can get pass Yao's handlers long enough to convince him to opt out of his contract and resign with the team at a lesser annual amount under the current CBA to allow the team to have more money to pursue a big dollar free agent, and still keep the key pieces of this team together.  A friend of mine has predicted that he ultimately thinks the Rockets trade for Marcus Camby.  He may be on to something.  This would allow the rockets to maintain their cap flexibility this summer, and provide them with a C this year, which would give them a fighting chance come playoff time.  I don't neccisarily like this idea, because Camby would likely just be a 4 month rental, then resign with a contender in the offseason.  Out of all the things to do with Tmac, I think allowing his contract to simply expire or trade him for other expiring short term pieces is the least desirable, only because we still have so many decisions to make regarding other key pieces of our team.  Thus, not really having that much money to sign a marquee free agent.  However, if we were able to get Eric Gordon in a Camby deal, then going this route is a no brainer.