The Rockets had a 2-2 record last week with what should have been a 4-0 week. The backcourt duo of Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks has flourished even the rookie Jordan Hill got the playing time that we had lobbied for—especially in the game against Detroit. He put together some solid numbers as he accumulated 12 points and 9 rebounds in just 22 minutes of playing time. Now if he can continue to play like that things should look bright next season.

As far as the weekly forecast goes, the Rockets again have an easy schedule. They only play two games and both games are against two of the worst teams in the Association. If the Rockets have any intentions of trying to reach the playoffs, they cannot afford to lose either of these games this week.  With Tony Parker out for the season, and the Grizzlies struggling, the Rockets have a chance to seize a playoff spot.

March 9th @ Washington Wizards (21-39)

The Washington Wizards are a mess. They traded Caron Butler, Brendan Heywood, and Antawn Jamison. They did pick up some decent players in Al Thorton and Josh Howard, but this season is a loss for the Wizards. Even still, they are a quality team and are able to beat good teams as they demonstrated yesterday as they just about took down the Celtics in Boston.  Andray Blatche and Al Thornton had big games yesterday and along with Randy Foye these bunch figures to be the new ‘Big Three’ for the Wizards as they look to rebuild.  With a young, athletic frontcourt of JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche, this game appears perfect for some extended minutes for Jordan Hill.  His continued development is not only critical for the future of this team but presumably so for the playoffs should the Rockets be able to climb the ladder.

March 13th vs New Jersey Nets (7-55)

Need I say a more? I mean it’s the Nets. Their record speaks for itself. How can NBA teams get this bad in a matter of two years?  When you trade away your best three players in Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter for ‘prospects and picks,’ it’s easy to fall victim to that slippery slope of mediocrity in the NBA.  The Nets have clearly been motivated by money and nothing else as these moves have all been cost-cutting.  As the Nets prepare to move to Brooklyn, they will be under new ownership and hope to have a fresh start.  The Rockets should win this game going away but don’t overlook this team too much.  They have a bona fide one-two punch in Harris and Lopez.  Furthermore, when you add in developing youth Yi Jianlian, Terrence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, plus two max-players from this summer, a filthy rich new owner, and quite possibly John Wall, the Rockets should take this win and appreciate it because the Nets are going to be a force to be reckoned with next year and for many thereafter.

Prediction: 2-0

If the Rockets can’t take care of business on the road and at home against two very bad teams then it’s time to call it a season.  Pack the bags, look forward to next season and see what you have and what your needs are. This will be the week that could make this season a wrap for the Rockets. Let’s hope it isn’t.

Related posts:

1. Rockets Forecast: March 1
2. Rockets Forecast: February 22
3. Spurs Forecast: March 1

Jordan Hill, the next Amar’e Stoudamire? A lot of people have said that Jordan Hill has the potential to become as good, if not better than Amar’e. How can potential be put to use when you are sitting at the end of the bench at the end of the night? It seems like his potential is being wasted by being on this Rockets team where minutes are limited and thus far playing time has been minimized to mop-up minutes at the tale-end of blow out wins.

Hill may need room to grow as a player and the only way it can happen is if he gets the minutes. He may be better suited being sent down to the D-League were he would definitely get his minutes and he can maximize his playing time. Don’t get me wrong, the D-League is far from the equivalency that Triple A is to Major League Baseball.  Nevertheless, Jordan Hill was drafted on upside and that upside will likely go unachieved, or at best, underachieved if he doesn’t get the PT to allow him to develop his skills.

Playing time is very important. It’s one of the crucial necessities to becoming a solid role player or even a star in this players’ league called the NBA.  Moreover perhaps Hill, more than the average player, needs so desperately to play because of his raw talent that is still very much unpolished.

The Rockets are loaded at the power forward spot so minutes are very hard to come by for most rookies trying to crack into Rick Adelman’s rotation, but that’s still no excuse. Even Chase Budinger is getting minutes which are allowing him to grow and develop into a decent NBA rotation player.

The Rockets have played small ball all year long and to their credit, it worked at the beginning of the year when things were looking promising. As the season has rolled along, the Rockets have struggled. They struggled through January, February, and are continuing to look like they will struggle for the rest of the season. They will most likely continue to flirt with being a .500 team for the remainder of the regular season.

So why not start giving players like Jordan Hill or Hilton Armstrong minutes? Why not allow them to develop more so that way next season when Yao Ming comes back, you will be able to put the best team possible on the floor next to him?  Your guess is as good as mine.  It’s judgment day and if we are going to be contenders than we need to pick it up, otherwise, this team and its prospects would be best served getting the minutes so they may develop and reach their great potential.

Related posts:

1. Grant Hill wins NBA Sportsmanship award
2. Sixers fire Eddie Jordan
3. Sources say Sixers coach Jordan is on his way out

The Rockets are in for a tough week and are going to need newly-acquired guard Kevin Martin to come up big for them this week. With the backcourt line-up of Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks, the new-look Rockets are going to have to get big time production from them in their hopes of making a playoff push.

February 24, 2010 vs Orlando Magic (38-19)

Facing one of the Eastern Conference contenders is never easy. This game will be a tough one for the Rockets.  They are going to need Chuck Hayes to play big against a very tough assignment in Dwight Howard. Now sitting as the 10th seed in a very tough Western Conference, the Rockets need every win and a win against a very good team like the Magic would be huge. It seems as if all these Eastern Conference contenders are stacked these days which could be a big disadvantage in the long-term.  Big name players need their touches and this can disrupt ball movement and shorten the competitive gap when playing a team of inferior talent such as the Rockets.  While they don’t have the most talent, as they’ve demonstrated time and time again this season, they play hard and as a team and that has worked terrifically for them.   

February 26, 2010 vs San Antonio Spurs (31-22)

This will be another tough home game for the Rockets. Things aren’t going to get any easier here either. The Spurs failed to make any big moves at the trade deadline and still pretty much have the same team. Playing against an older team the Rockets will take advantage of this aging Spurs team, Tony Parker will likely not be playing in this game due to a hip injury. It’s always good to see two Southwest Division rivals play against each other. The Spurs had a really rough week last week and just seem uninspired as of late.  They went 1-2 losing to both Detroit and Philadelphia last week (two the league’s worst teams).  I realize the Spurs are historically a good team, but they have been less-than-impressive this year and I think this will be a victory for the Rockets.

February 27, 2010 @ Utah Jazz (35-19)

As of late the Jazz are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Jazz however did trade away a solid player in Ronnie Brewer which could prove to be a huge setback for them. The Rockets will have some tough match-ups in the back court as well as in the frontcourt. Deron Williams is always a handful and is arguably one of the best point guards in the game today. Aaron Brooks will be at a disadvantage being a smaller guard so look for Kyle Lowry to get more minutes strictly because he is better at the defensive end of the court and is a more logical match-up pound-for-pound.  With Jordan Hill and Hilton Armstrong joining the big man ranks of the Rockets, I look for the Rockets to be more competitive in the frontcourt than past contests between these two clubs. 

Weekly Prediction: 1-2

The Rockets are still trying to get things figured out and are on the outside looking in for the playoffs. With new players come new roles for people. It seems likely that this will be a long week for the Rockets as they continue to try and work out the kinks and acclimate their new personnel.  The question is no longer are they good enough but rather, will they get it together in time to make a legitimate run?…only time will tell.

Related posts:

1. Rockets Forecast: February 15
2. Rockets Forecast: February 1
3. Rockets Forecast: February 8

Mavericks/Wizards Trade

This was a simple case of a buyer buying and a seller selling.  The Mavericks were in search of another big man to pair with Erick Dampier in hopes of making a stretch run.  The last the Mavericks had a decent tandem in Dampier and DeSagana Diop, they went to the NBA Finals.  Caron Butler and Josh Howard were both in a desperate need of change and this trade provided that new scenery for both of them.  Clearly this was a move influenced by saving money for the Wizards.  While they were looking only to deal Butler, Haywood was soon demanded from the Mavericks in order to justify absorbing Stevenson’s inflated contract.  Wizards save money and the Mavericks, talent-wise, get into the conversation with the Lakers.  Win-win.

Blazers/Clippers Trade

You can’t help but feel for the Blazers.  All season long they have been ravaged with injury after injury.  Heck, even their head coach had to miss time.  With Greg Oden out for the season and Mr. Vanilla Gorilla himself Joel Przybilla, the Blazers have been lacking a true center.  They knew that in order to be competitive they would need to have a true center for the second half of the season and Marcus Camby will provide just that.  For the Blazers, Outlaw and Blake have become expendable as Martell Webster, Nicolas Batum, and Jerryd Bayless have continued their maturation processes this season.  For the Clippers this trade was an opportunity to get back two role players for one.  Further, Camby’s older and redundant with the pieces they have.  With Blake Griffin coming back next season and Kaman’s All-Star season, you can’t blame the Clippers for getting what they could for Camby.  Win-win.

Timberwolves/Knicks Trade

I’m going to be perfectly honest.  This one was a bit of a head-scratcher for me.  It’s conceivable that Brian Cardinal will never see game action in a Knicks uniform.  The more interesting side of this is that Darko stated quite clearly earlier this season that he has absolutely no intentions of staying in the NBA when his contract expires this summer and that he fully intends on going back to Europe to play.  So with all the glitz and glamour of the United States, for all the millions of reasons that people want to come or stay in America, answer me this, “what in the world does Minnesota have to offer?”—Mall of America—correct for 200 points.  Good luck with that sales pitch Kevin McHale.

Wizards/Cavaliers/Clippers Trade

The Cavs got their man on Thursday when they were able to acquire Antawn Jamison formerly of the Washington Wizards.  For the Wizards, this trade more-or-less completed their ‘blowing-up’ of the roster.  In return for Jamison and the recently-acquired Drew Gooden, the Wiz got a 2010 pick as well as the promising SF/PF Al Thornton from the Clippers.  The Clippers, to a lesser degree, had a bit of a firesale themselves as they shipped off Thornton and Camby and only got expiring contracts in return.  It is believed that the Wizards have no intentions of keeping Ilgauskas and will soon buy him out and he will then boomerang back to Cleveland after a grace period “no shorter than 30 days” per the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.  There’s a chance that Gooden too will boomerang back to the Mavericks if he is bought out by the Clippers.

Sixers/Bucks Trade

Basically this deal was consummated as a result of the Sixers’ admiration of Jodie Meeks.  The Sixers were hopeful to snag him in the second round but before they were able to, the Bucks beat them to the punch.  Everyone else in this deal has small, expiring contracts.  The second round pick compensates the Bucks for giving the Sixers their 2009-10 second round pick Jodie Meeks.

Bulls/Bobcats Trade

This was another questionable trade in my honest opinion.  It was no secret that the Thomas had soured his welcome in Chicago with the coaching staff and moving him out of town was a priority.  Nevertheless, I have to think they could’ve gotten a little more than they did for him.  Acie Law may have the potential to be a Nate Robinson type player on down the line and Flip Murray has the ability to be a solid role player but the Bulls already have too many guards and their presence just seems to further complicate and already-present logjam.  With Bulls unable to move either Jannero Pargo or Kirk Hinrich, they currently have seven players that play either SG or SF.  The one redeeming quality of this trade for Chicago is that they acquired a future first round pick.  With the pick being protected, frankly I think the Bulls settled in this trade—especially when you consider that they essentially gave away Thomas to a team within their conference.  Bobcats get a huge thumbs up; Bulls—not so much.

Bulls/Bucks Trade

Unlike their other trade, the Bulls made out well on this deal.  Salmons filled a nice role last year for them in replacing the injured Luol Deng.  With Deng being back and playing well, Salmons has struggled this season to find any sort of consistent playing time.  Alexander and Warrick bring great youth and potential to this Bulls team that now has a solid crop of young forwards between these two and their two draft choices Taj Gibson and James Johnson.  Furthermore, they secured the option of swapping first-rounder this summer and it’s always nice to have more options moving forward.  The Bucks get a solid contributor to put alongside Brandon Jennings and Carlos Delfino—both of which have had their moments of brilliance and disappointment this season.  With another solid SG/SF in Salmons, the Bucks won’t be forced to play small with Ridnour and Jennings out there at the same time but they still have the option to utilize that as a tool.  Going from ‘able to’ rather than ‘have to’ is important here.  Win-win for both squads.

Spurs/Bobcats Trade

This was simply a money move for the Spurs.  Ratliff wasn’t playing much and with them being over the tax threshold, they saved close to $1.3 million.  The Bobcats probably won’t use Ratliff all that much but he does give them another big and another notch in the favor bank to the San Antonio Spurs should these two teams deal in the future.

Jazz/Grizzlies Trade

Again, this was another money move for the Jazz.  The Jazz made this move to save money by not having to pay as much in taxes this year and could be under the tax threshold next season if their financial position stands.  Nevertheless it’s got to be difficult for Jazz fans to watch a bona fide starter walk for a future draft choice that may or may not pan out.  Times are tough financially and it’s this part of the NBA, the business side that makes it tough to be a fan of a small-market team.  This was a home run for the Grizzlies and an unfortunate reality for the Jazz.

Kings/Wizards Trade

The Wizards decided to part with the sparsely used McGuire in a deadline cost-cutting move.  The Kings got themselves a solid glue guy with a decent amount of upside.  Last season McGuire played upwards of 26 minutes per game in his second season.  He averaged nearly a block and a steal per game.  He was very efficient and well-rounded in his ability to grab boards, dish out dimes, and score the rock.  The Kings look at this as virtually a no-risk potentially high reward move.

Celtics/Knicks Trade

This was yet another silly deal by the Knicks.  Whether he was locker room cancer or not, you have to figure the Knicks could have either gotten more for Robinson, or if they were set on shipping him away for free, they least they could do is ship him to the Western Conference.  In return, the Knicks got three expiring contracts and a conditional second round pick that is likely to never materialize to anything.  So when it boils down to it, the Knicks knowingly gave away Nate Robinson to a Conference foe for essentially nothing.  There’s such a thing as enhancing the favor-bank between GMs and there’s also being stupid.  This deal in my opinion, would have to fall in the latter category—Celtics by a landslide in this one.

Knicks/Rockets/Kings Trade

This was a good move for all teams in one facet or another.  For the Kings, they were able to rid themselves of an injury-prone SG who has become expendable due to the blossoming of rookie Tyreke Evans.  Likewise, Rodriguez didn’t figure into their future plans so getting something rather than nothing for him was a goal heading into the trade deadline as well.  Although they did get something, it wasn’t much of a something.  They were fortunate to get Carl Landry who could fit nicely as a off-the-bench energy player.  If Martin continues to have the bad injury luck in the future, this move will look more and more brilliant for the Kings, if he bounces back, this could similar to a Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown deal.

If this were a poker game, the Knicks would surely be standing up because they are, for all intents and purposes, all-in at this point.  The Knicks really paid a lot here in order to shed Jared Jeffries’ contract.  Jeffries and Eddy Curry are the two larger contracts that extend beyond this summer for the Knicks.  That being said, the Knicks were desperate to move one of them in order to have more flexibility in trying to lure to big name free agents this summer.  If they do well in free agency, those two future picks will be relatively worthless and the only asset they really lost would be Jordan Hill.  If they don’t do well, they pretty much just sealed their mediocrity for the next half-decade.

The Rockets appear to have made out the best of the three teams.  Jordan Hill and Hilton Armstrong will help to fill the glaring hole that has been present all season down low with Yao Ming being out.  Also they should provide a little bit of an insurance policy should Yao not be able to ever play in the NBA again.  As stated above, those picks from the Knicks could be gold or also could be essentially equivalent to when the Lakers sent to first-rounders to the Grizzlies in the Gasol deal (worthless).  Lastly, although he has an injury-prone past, assuming that Martin can bounce back and stay healthy, he will provide them with a much-needed explosive scorer from the 2-guard spot.  Perhaps the most underrated part of this deal for the Rockets is how Martin’s presence will help Trevor Ariza.  Ariza has never been a go-to guy and that has been glaringly obvious this season as he currently has the worst field goal percentage in the league (of the players that qualify in terms of shot attempts).  Having a like Martin will allow Ariza to play that second fiddle role that he thrives so well in.

Kings—decent move.  Rockets—good, maybe great move.  Knicks—only time will tell.

As we hit the home stretch heading into the post-season teams have made their moves solidifying them as either contenders or teams preparing for this summer’s free agent frenzy.  Stay tuned ladies and gentlemen, this ought to be fun to watch…

Related posts:

1. Camby, Haywood, Iguodala closer to being shipped
2. Wizards not through dealing?
3. Bulls trade Thomas to Bobcats

The Knicks will acquire McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez from Sacramento, sources said. The Rockets get Kevin Martin, Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from New York and will have the right to swap first-round picks with New York in 2011 as well as take on New York’s 2012 first-round pick. Sacramento obtains Houston’s Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey and New York’s Larry Hughes.

Related posts:

1. Rockets and Knicks closer to T-Mac deal
2. Knicks still going after McGrady
3. Rockets, Knicks, and Wizards discussing a deal

The Knicks and Rockets have designed the framework of a deal that would unload New York’s Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes for McGrady, Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook.

As talks stood on Monday, the price of dumping the burdensome contract of Jeffries – who is owed $6.9 million next season – comes with the Knicks and Rockets exchanging 2011 first-round picks and the Knicks’ 2012 first-round choice going to Houston. New York also might include a 2010 second-round pick.

The Utah Jazz own the Knicks’ first-round pick in 2010.

The discussion on potential draft picks changing hands remains fluid.

The completion of the deal isn’t imminent, but sources involved in the discussions are increasingly confident that after months of back and forth, which intensified over All-Star weekend, an agreement is within reach. TNT’s David Aldridge first reported that talks between the teams had picked up.

One of the hang-ups in the deal, sources said, could be the Knicks’ inclusion of either Harrington or Hughes. There are slight variations of the trade that would change depending on which of the two veteran Knicks’ expiring contracts are included. With Harrington over Hughes in the deal, the Rockets wouldn’t need to include Cook.

For the Knicks, the trade would accomplish two important things: First, it would get Jeffries’ salary cleared out, something general manager Donnie Walsh has tried to do since taking the job. This would give the Knicks even more flexibility to be a major player in this summer’s free-agent market. Also, the Knicks want to take a good look at McGrady and let him play as much of a role as he can handle the rest of the season. They may consider re-signing him for next season, based on his performance.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey would get Hill, the untested eighth pick in the 2009 draft, and first-round picks that could prove valuable. This will get the Rockets a significant measure of value for McGrady, who they exiled in December. McGrady, sources said, is excited about the possibility of joining the Knicks.

Related posts:

1. Knicks, Rockets, and Kings agree to three-team deal
2. Rockets, Knicks, and Wizards discussing a deal
3. Knicks still going after McGrady

There were substantive discussions on Sunday between the Knicks’ president, Donnie Walsh; Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey; and McGrady’s agent, Arn Tellem, according to the people, who did not want to be identified discussing the negotiations.

The Knicks and the Rockets are trying to make the trade without the assistance of a third team, but the Knicks may not have the pieces necessary. There is also the challenge of matching McGrady’s $23 million salary.

Any deal for McGrady would involve some combination of Knicks with expiring contracts — Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Darko Milicic or the retired Cuttino Mobley — and a young player, possibly Jordan Hill, the Knicks’ 2009 lottery pick.

The Knicks would prefer to unload Jared Jeffries or Eddy Curry to clear more salary-cap space this summer, but the Rockets are also protective of their cap room and have no interest in either player.

McGrady, 30, played in only six games this season before the Rockets decided to send him away and announced they would try to trade him. McGrady, who is trying to come back from major knee surgery, complained in December that he needed more playing time, a request the Rockets were unwilling to meet. A seven-time All-Star, McGrady has averaged 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 13 seasons. However, he has played only 107 games over the last three years because of injuries.

Several other teams are pursuing McGrady to gain cap relief from his expiring contract. The trading deadline is Thursday.

Related posts:

1. McGrady to start for Knicks Saturday
2. Rockets and Knicks closer to T-Mac deal
3. McGrady Done as a Rocket

Last Season’s Record: During the 2008-09 season, New York improved by 9 wins from 2007-08. The unfortunate part is that only put their final tally at 32-50. This was good enough for fifth in the Atlantic division and in the Eastern Conference cellar. A winning percentage of .390 is not going to cut it in New York. They were booed many times on their home floor.

Arrivals: Jordan Hill, Toney Douglas, Darko Milicic, Chris Hunter, Joe Crawford

Departures: David Lee, Nate Robinson, Chris Wilcox

Biggest Question: Is Mike D’Antoni’s system a legitimate solution in the NBA?

Off-Season Changes: While the Knickerbockers certainly have not made any big splashes this offseason, they have certainly not stayed out of the news. First and foremost, the team is in danger of losing free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson. These two exceptional young players are very important pieces in this team’s core. David Lee is one of the best rebounders in the game, and Nate Robinson has the potential to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award. If Donnie Walsh does not get their future nailed down soon, this team could be in for a long ride come October. For the purposes of this article, I have to assume that they won’t be on the team, because currently they are not.

The 2009 NBA Draft was very kind to the Knicks this year. One time top 3 pick Jordan Hill (not to be confused with the Knoxville, TN R&B artist) fell to the New York at #8, much to the dismay of Knick fans. While he was booed at the draft ceremony because Stephen Curry had already been selected, I think New York got a player with huge upside. After declaring for the draft as an underclassman out of Arizona, Hill received high praise from scouts for his athleticism and coordination, something that is rare in most players of his stature. You can be sure that Mike D’Antoni will use Hill’s skills (I like the sound of that) to the best of his ability. Once Hill develops his jumpshot somewhat, look for D’Antoni to use Hill in the same way as he used the young Amare Stoudemire, who also lacks some traditional post moves.

Tony Douglas was also a great pick-up by New York. In a draft day trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Knicks acquired the #29 pick out of Florida State. A great shooter and facilitator, Douglas knows how to put points on the board, despite not being a traditional point guard. He will be a perfect role player for D’Antoni’s catch and shoot offense.

Darko Milicic was the final notable offseason acquisition. He was traded for Quentin Richardson in a great low risk move by Donnie Walsh. After failing to develop into a solid NBA starter in past stops at Detroit, Orlando, and Memphis, Darko has quite a bit to prove to the rest of the league. While never being doubted in the athleticism or raw talent department, Milicic has never put his all around game together to become an offensive force. He has shown flashes of both Marcus Camby and Tim Duncan, he has become largely a disappointment after being taken #2 overall in the great draft of 2003 that brought us Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. Needless to say, it’s put up or shut up time for Darko. This could be his last shot at a real NBA career.

X-Factor: Wilson Chandler

His athleticism and size have wowed scouts and fans alike, but Chandler has not yet developed into the superstar that many believe that he can be. While New York has no real go-to options on the roster, many Knick fans hope that Chandler can be a franchise type of player that develops the ability to take over games and lead the Knicks to a few more wins.

Money Moves or Championship Moves?

The Knicks organization lead by Donnie Walsh and James Dolan know enough about this league to know that a miracle does not happen overnight. This roster that has been assembled has quite a few good young players with huge upside, but upside does not win championships. Most media pundits doubt that New York has the talent currently to make the playoffs in an ever-improving Eastern Conference. Despite many great moves so far by Walsh, the mess that was left by Isaiah Thomas was very difficult to overcome. It will take time. This season will be dedicated to developing young players like Wilson Chandler and Jordan Hill. The Knicks could be in the high lottery again next June, but they certainly have a bright future.

Three Predictions:

1) The Knicks brass will find a way to land one of David Lee, Nate Robinson, or Ramon Sessions to boost their talent level and scoring ability

2) Mike D’Antoni’s lack of commitment to the defensive end of the floor will stunt the growth of the Knicks’ young players

3) Darko Milicic will average over 30 minutes and 2.5 blocks per game

.

Related posts:

1. Knicks, Celts making deal for Robinson
2. Knicks and Wolves swap Darko and Cardinal
3. Knicks still going after McGrady