Rockets trade for Ron Artest

djwhokid · July 30th, 2008, 09:15 AM

Ron Artest was traded to Houston for Donte Greene, Bobby Jackson, and a first round pick in 2009.

I am a little dissapointed because I had high hopes for Donte Greene. He is a 6-11 forward that can score (think Rashard Lewis). I would have much rather preferred the Rockets trade Shane Battier (who is a similar player to Artest) than Greene.

Regardless, acquiring Ron Artest makes the Rockets contenders for the Western Conference. This move elevates them above the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs.

Defense defense defense defense:

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In some ways, Shane Battier is a better all-around defender. But when it comes to one-on-one, lock down the other guy, Artest might be the best in the league. He is almost without question the most versatile individual defender, capable of bullying big men or sliding with the quick ones. Tracy McGrady, who seems about to get the same shots against the best of defenders, never looked as well defended as when lined up last season against Artest.

He also has the shooting range (catch-and-shoot or off the dribble) to provide spacing for McGrady and Yao Ming when Battier is not on the floor.

http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2008/07/ron_ron_a_rocket_rockets_picku.html

The Rockets are going to need Aaron Brooks to replace Bobby Jackson. Expect more minutes out of Luther Head as well.

Brent Barry was a smart signing. The wildcard in all of this is Steve Francis. If he can stay healthy (big if) he can possibly challenge Rafer Alston for the starting PG position.

Artest at least bolsters the Rockets bench with Luis Scola going out of the starting 5.

The Rockets need to win a championship NOW. If they don't, it will be a big disappointment. They have traded away good young players (Rudy Gay and Donte Greene) for veterans like Battier and now Artest.

This move is similar to what Danny Ainge did with the Celtics last year. You can argue that the Celtics would be better off if they didn't trade for Ray Allen (but still traded for KG) and kept Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jeff Green. They possibly still could have won a championship and would be better off this year with a younger core.

Regardless, if the Celtics gave up too much for Allen (and I don't know if KG would have accepted the trade without Allen on the Celtics) they won a championship, mission accomplished.

Zen653 · July 31st, 2008, 08:20 AM

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Regardless, acquiring Ron Artest makes the Rockets contenders for the Western Conference.

We've heard that one before. As long as Tracy McGrady is a Rocket, the team will never make it out of the first round. Who is Houston going to beat in the first round? Realistically, the Rockets will be a 5th-8th seed, if they make the playoffs at all. The Lakers, Spurs, Hornets and Jazz are the clear top four, with the Mavericks, Suns and Rockets in the second tier, and the Nuggets, Clippers, Trailblazers and Warriors occupying the third tier (with one or two of those third-tier teams possibly surprising us during the regular season like New Orleans did in 2007-08.) Even the Timberwolves could make some noise.

djwhokid · July 31st, 2008, 11:54 AM

You are such a blind hater.

T-Mac has a higher skill-set than Michael Jordan.

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Realistically, the Rockets will be a 5th-8th seed, if they make the playoffs

They were the 5th seed last year WITHOUT Yao Ming and Ron Artest.

They took the Jazz six games in the playoffs WITHOUT Ming and Artest... a healthy Rockets team can beat the Jazz now in the playoffs.

Of course, Artest is saying stupid crap now:

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"Hopefully, he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands," Yao said, according to the Chronicle.

When asked about those comments, Artest said Yao had bought into "all the propaganda" about him, according to The Sacramento Bee.

"I understand what Yao said, but I'm still ghetto," Artest said, according to the report. "That's not going to change. I'm never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don't think he's ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Yao Ming gets to know me, he'll understand what I'm about.

"If you go back to the brawl, that's a culture issue right there," Artest added, according to the report. "Somebody was disrespecting me, so he's got to understand where I'm coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed."

ESPN - Report: Artest replies to Yao, seeks 'commitment' from Rockets - NBA