Alright, I'm never actually wordless, but that doesn't mean those words make sense. What is going on? Nothing, that's what. The Rockets aren't doing anything in front of the scenes, and other than, I'm sure, a few phone calls I don't know of anything they are doing behind the scenes either. This is the most dead time we've ever had since starting this blog and it's getting a little like watching 4 year old tee ball: You want everyone to do well, but really you just want the game to be over so you can go get some ice cream.
I'm almost to the point that I want to start making "Yao for Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis" trade scenarios. And that's bad for me. I'm usually the one that doesn't even like to think trade unless it's a bit part. This off season and the Yao news has even forced my hand into wanting to trade Shane Battier. The same Battier that I told Dave during Game 6 that I was going to finally buy his jersey since he was going to be here for the rest of his career. Stupid injuries, stupid off season, stupid nature of fandom
I've posted a few things asking everyone what they had on their minds and there has always been a pretty good discussion, but I don't even think that's possible right now. Last year about 8 seconds into thinking some similar things about off season boredom Daryl Morey shocked the world and traded for Ron Artest for basically a bag of chips and they weren't even Bob's Texas Style jalapeno chips. So maybe he has something up his sleeve this year too, I just can't even imagine what it is. At least with Artest a lot of people were clamoring for that deal for a long while. This time I'm just wondering how he can pull something off, and frankly IF he wants to pull something off. One thing that I am absolutely clear about is that Morey will not make a move with a core player that isn't 1. An immediate impact player or 2. A guy that he feels is absolutely can't miss for the future of the team. The problem is that there aren't a lot of those guys available, and there are even less available to a GM that everyone knows gets the best from his trades and general transactions. One more big deal and he'll be to Jerry West "You don't make a deal with him because you are guaranteed to lose it" territory.
One thing I keep seeing coming up over and over is "Morey could trade for Chris Paul" and that isn't coming from delusional fans. I've seen it 3 to 4 times by the media, with Bill Simmons being the biggest culprit. I will tell you this; if Daryl Morey ever trades for Chris Paul (even 15 years from now) I will personally build the man a statue and bring it to every game and buy it a seat. And I'm not talking the $12 seats, I'm going to go all out and get the $20 ones. That's right folks, statue Morey would be rolling high class.
Today though, nothing is happening. Is that the calm before the storm? Is it really the calm before the whimper? I wish I knew the answer, it sure would make the days go by faster. Instead I scour the internet for rumors that aren't completely stupid (any trade involving the Jazz or Battier getting traded for projects) and information that might lead me to believe something other than the Rockets are a late lottery team that is going to be fundamentally sound, but not very rewarding to watch. In no way does that mean I've given up on the season, just that I can properly prepare myself and I hope others are as well. As it stands this season will be about development of Brooks/Landry/Dorsey/Taylor/Budinger, getting Ariza to step his game up to be a go to guy and letting Luis Scola have at trying to make the All Star game. It could be a lot worse, we could have to watch whatever happened to the Kings or whatever Chris Wallace "puts together" in Memphis.