Lakers @ Houston

[Joe Joe]

The Rockets took the Lakers to 7 last season without Yao and McGrady for most of the series. After many predictions of their demise, the Rockets sit at 3-1. The Rockets are small, but have decided to play hard and as a team. The Rockets have become a more offenseive team and average over 100 for the first time in I don't know how many years. Yao may have completely sucked at pick and roll defense, but it is even more apparent that players feared driving on him.

Aaron Brooks has taken the lead of the Rockets through scoring (20+) and passing (8+). Ariza, signed away from the Lakers, has been a decent sidekick so far. The guy can't dribble, but he still scores. Battier continues his quest for defense...when he's in the game, he takes out both his opponent and himself. That's dedication to the craft. Scola and Landry surprisingly have not had good early starts. Hayes continues to give up half a foot to other centers, but has done well at stripping the ball.

As far as the Lakers go, they've got Kobe and a big front line. If the Rockets can keep Kobe from being too efficient and under 40, they have a chance. Also, the Rockets as a team will need to rebound. Lakers don't have anyone to slow Aaron Brooks down except for Stern's finest.

[papabear]

I am actually excited to watch this Rockets team more so than in years past in a lot of ways. Last year, I had big expectations so every loss bothered me, and I couldn't really get fired up until the playoffs got close. This year....I'll be thrilled if they get into the home stretch with a shot at the playoffs. They are a young team who will play an entertaining style, and above all else, will fight and claw start to finish every night. It's going to be fun watching guys like Brooks, Buddinger, Landry, Scola, and Ariza get a chance to develop into complete players without Yao, or Tracy, overshadowing them....then next year we will have a hopefully healthy Yao back who just had some actual time off from basketball for his body to heal for the first time since he was like 12. we will also likely have some money to spend assuming Tracy's gone. Should be fun.

[Joe Joe]

Originally Posted by papabear

then next year we will have a hopefully healthy Yao back who just had some actual time off from basketball for his body to heal for the first time since he was like 12. we will also likely have some money to spend assuming Tracy's gone. Should be fun.

I'm very worried about Yao being healthy. If he does come back healthy, the Rockets will be very tough to beat if these first four games and Laker series are really how good the Rockets are.

The NBA is not a hard cap. The Rockets have gone way over the cap signing their own free agents. Even if the Rockets let McGrady walk with a few others, they would not be able to offer max contracts. The best bet for Rockets improving is through a trade.

[Nconroe]

The Rockets have been much more fun and winning more than expected here at the start of the season.

It's been a little surprizing and really fun to see the Rockets beat Portland and Utah. All the guys do run hard, play hard, give it up for each other, some incredible passes and shot making so far. I doubt they'll continue the team 50%+ shooting average, but so far so good.

We actually out rebounded Utah, somehow.

I've seen Tracy and for the most part Yao at several of the games. I guess he's anxious to get back to playing. I hope Tracy can be his old self, and get along with the new style of play. I suppose if Tracy is healthy the Rockets will consider trading him for a shot blocking 7 footer.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Joe Joe

The NBA is not a hard cap. The Rockets have gone way over the cap signing their own free agents. Even if the Rockets let McGrady walk with a few others, they would not be able to offer max contracts. The best bet for Rockets improving is through a trade.

Dork/genius Elvis has been able to make moves and get under the luxury tax level the last couple of years....he might not have pulled it off last year, but he got close. Les has also agreed to pay the luxury tax if necessary, so we while we might not have cap room, we should have room in the budget if we aren't paying T-Mac.

[Joe Joe]

Originally Posted by papabear

Dork/genius Elvis has been able to make moves and get under the luxury tax level the last couple of years....he might not have pulled it off last year, but he got close. Les has also agreed to pay the luxury tax if necessary, so we while we might not have cap room, we should have room in the budget if we aren't paying T-Mac.

Les would be willing to pay the salary, but a team can only go over the salary cap to sign its own free agents. The Rockets are so far over the cap with signing their own free agents and using salary cap exceptions, that even letting McGrady's contract expire and cutting half the team, the Rockets wouldn't be able to get under the salary cap enough to get a max free agent.

Now if the Rockets traded McGrady this season for a player that will be a max free agent, the rockets could sign that free agent as it would be their own. This is what I think the Rockets will try to do with a team like Toronto that knows their soon to be max free agent will leave.

[Nconroe]

How about that, we outshot and outrebounded the Lakers last night and won pretty easily in the 4th quarter. The Rockets seem to have a good group of shooters and different guys stepping up each night.

I heard the salary cap is at like 59mil, but you don't pay the 1-1 penalty till you go over 70 mil. I guess that letting Pops go and Dorsey to D league made it close. Plus, doesn't injury insurance pay salaries for McGrady and Yao? that would atleast lessen the sting if they are over the cap. Without Yao and McGrady their salary is like 34mil which is fairly low.

I don't know if they can or want to, but perhaps they could trade McGrady(once know his knee is healthy) for someone else( or a group of players) to try and get a little under the cap , perhaps including a center who could run with this offense.

[Joe Joe]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

I don't know if they can or want to, but perhaps they could trade McGrady(once know his knee is healthy) for someone else( or a group of players) to try and get a little under the cap , perhaps including a center who could run with this offense.

This is my hope. Ariza, Budinger, and Battier are fine at the wings. Brooks and Lowry are fine at the PG. Scola and Landry are fine at PF. Hayes is "okay" at the center, but I worry about him getting overpowered against the bigger frontlines. I say "okay", because the Rockets play better with him on the court. However, I'm unwilling to say that is because he is a stud or that everyone else sucks at center.

I would love to see McGrady + Scola to acquire a stud PF. Not that I see Scola as bad, but he is older than Landry. Budinger 21, Lowry 23, Ariza 24, Brooks 24, Hayes 26, and Landry 26 are 6 players to a solid rotation for a long time. That rotation just needs a couple of stars to carry it. Yao Ming may be one if he can get healthy.

[Nconroe]

I think Scola is our mvp right now, although several really contributing well. I'd kind of hate to trade Scola. We're pretty good and have great chemistry with these guys as is. But a center would help occasionally for sure. See how we do tonight. All depends who you get in return I suppose. I don't know, maybe McGrady could help us close out games as well, such as last night with Phoenix.

[Nconroe]

Continue to surprize me, beating Dallas last night in overtime, even without Landry who got elbowed in teeth early in the game. Hope Landry is back soon.

T Mac making a slow paced comeback, interesting to watch how this develops.