Sergio Rodriguez Traded to Knicks

Note: Daryl Morey just traded Sergio and McGrady to New York for everything they own.  Nice job, Morey, and best of luck to Rodriguez at his new home.  Feel privileged that you almost got to be a Rocket for a few hours!

via NBA.com

The dark horse in the K-Mart deal, Rodriguez should get some playing time with Kyle Lowry still down and out.  He's a 23-year old point guard from Spain, a real playmaker type who can run the floor and shoot a little.  If the deal goes down as stated, he likely becomes the best passer on the Rockets.  Let's see what NBADraft.net has to say:

Rob Salvador and Aran Smith - 10/18/2004

For Sergio Rodriquez, the nickname "Spanish Magician" wasn't given, it was earned ... His imaginitive, charismatic, off the wall playing style combined with innate leadership abilities, has earned him not only respect, but the interest of many NBA scouts ... Owns a variety of offense weapons, but is at his best when breaking down defenders with his lethal crossover, or feeding a teammate for an easy basket ... Incredible quickness and ball handling ability make taking any defender 1-1 appear effortless ... Most impressive is his ability to find the open teammate in traffic ... He has the uncanny ability to see passing lanes before they open up, thus enabling him to nearly always make the right decision with the ball. While not incredibly gifted athletically, Sergio always finds a way to get the shot up, or draw the foul when around the basket ... Hits open shots, especially in the clutch, and shoots the three ball well enough to keep any defender honest ... Absolutely loves to run the fast break, using his extreme quickness and good finishing ability to convert most of the time ... Quickness and anticipation make him a capable ball hawk, as well as a solid off the ball defender ... His nickname (The Spanish Magician) fits him well, sometimes it appears the moves he makes, and the passes he fires, aren't real ... This kid has a world of talent, and just must continue to develop.

Weaknesses: Not really a physical marvel (6'3, 170 lbs.) ... Not very strong and can still be pushed around by the bigger guards ... Still prone to being careless with the ball, and can get carried away trying to entertain, making impossible passes, or trying to force a three when a smart play is needed ... Often goes for the flashy play instead of the simple, smart, play Also could use some work on defense, mostly staying fundamental and exerting the same intensity and effort ... Outside jump shot also needs some fine tuning, it is very formidable now, but shot selection and shooting percentage both need improvement.

Notes: Many Spanish scouts compare him to Jason Williams because of his flare for crowd pleasing plays. However, unlike Williams, Sergio has leadership abilities that can allow him to be a better pro. Needs more experience, but has already had a two breakout games with 18 and 14 points.

Could be the next out-of-nowhere Morey find who turns into a near All-Star.  Statistically, Rodriguez is averaging over three assists and six points in only 12 minutes per game.  Per 36 minutes, this is his stat line:

.468 FG%, .357 3P%, 3.5 TRB, 8.4 AST, 16.3 PTS

Sergio has had some good games displaying his potential:

Sergio Rodriguez vs Denver - Best Game. (via joshlairhill)

Sergio Rodriguez vs LA Clippers (via joshlairhill)

Sergio Rodriguez vs Atlanta (via joshlairhill)