(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

While there have been no trades, it looks as if the Houston Rockets are going to be terrible this year. It is a possibility that they will do okay, but that is more wishful thinking than anything, if you ask me.

During the playoffs, the Rockets lost Yao Ming, and before that they lost Tracy McGrady. Yet, the team moved on in the playoffs with Ron Artest of all people leading the team.

Artest's skills have been underrated. Every time we think of him, the only thing we will think of is his role in the fight at the Palace of Auburn Hills. He is a wonderful player, I just hope his legacy is not overshadowed by that event.

While McGrady is a great regular season player (while he is healthy), he is not good at the end of seasons, especially in the playoffs. It seems the team shuts down around him too, so we cannot always blame McGrady.

However, he is not helping the cause when he is not contributing well while he is in the game.

Do you realize the lineup here if everyone were healthy?

C-Yao

PF- Scola

SF- Artest

SG- McGrady

PG- Brooks

That is a pretty impressive starting lineup if you ask me. The only issue is that it seems no one is ever healthy on this team at the same time as the others. Someone is always out, so the lineup can never be taken advantage of, especially when it counts—in the playoffs.

McGrady seems to be the biggest issue. While he is younger than most stars who have been around as long as he has, he is wearing down. Sure, he came straight out of high school to the NBA, so since he is younger, he should be healthier and not wearing down as fast as others, right?

Maybe not.

If you are in the NBA for 12 years and are around 30 or 31, and another person has been around 12 years and is 34 or 35, you wear down just as fast.

Some people are physically gifted, like Shaq. The man has been around for years and has been dominate for most of the years he has played. Yet, even Shaq has missed games due to injury.

However, what seperates him from many others is the fact he shows up in the playoffs most of the time.

He may not play with you as often in the regular season, but if he can help you in the postseason when it counts, he is valuable.

That is the difference between he and McGrady. McGrady is a wonderful player during the regular season, but not the postseason.

He has never made it past the first round, and I wish I could say he did this past year, but it wouldn't be right. He didn't play in the playoffs, so why say he helped them get past the first round if he wasn't even contributing?

Sure, he was on the team. But he has never gotten past the first while playing.

Now with the news that Yao will be missing all of the regular season next year and that his career is even at stake puts the Rockets down big time.

You lose your big man, who, when healthy, is arguably the best center in the league. So this is terrible news, to say the least.

Now, McGrady has to lead the team. However, he is not the leader this team needs. Right now, he is a role player at best, not a star player. It is a shame, but true.

What the Rockets need to do is trade McGrady for a younger player, hopefully someone they can rebuild the team with.

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