Ron Artest Trade Provides Rocket Fuel To Houston

After a largely nondescript NBA offseason, a bombshell—Ron Artest sent packing from the Sacramento Kings to the Houston Rockets for Bobby Jackson, a player to be named later (most likely rookie forward Donte Greene), and a 2009 draft pick.

Since Sacramento is the secondary team in the deal, we’ll look at how they’re affected first.

With Ron Artest and Mike Bibby shipped out, Sacramento is now officially Kevin Martin’s franchise. No longer will he serve as an apprentice-in-training, but from the opening tip of 2009 he will be Sacramento’s main scoring option in every game. While he’s likely too thin and frail to ever be a franchise player, it’s worth it for the Kings to give him every chance to probe just how high his ceiling can reach.

Bobby Jackson may not be as explosive as he was in his initial go around with the Kings, but his aggressive score-first mindset off the bench is the perfect complement to Beno Udrih’s cool hand in the starting lineup. He can also backup at the two-guard should Quincy Douby or Francisco Garcia be unready for important responsibilities. The draft pick will help as the Kings start to focus on the near future instead of the present.

Ditching Artest removes a potential distraction to the young Kings and signals the white flag in their desperate attempts to remain mediocre at worst in the murderous Western Conference. The Kings will finally commit themselves to their youth and begin to usher a new era of basketball to replace the stagnation of the past several years.

As one team taps out, assesses its wounds, and commits to the painful rehabilitation to get back in the ring, acquiring Artest means the Rockets now have a legit chance at number-one contender status in the West.

What does Artest bring to Houston?

• A punishing defender with great hands and quick feet who can lock opposing wings up and throw away the key. Because of his fearless, competitive nature, Artest will relish defending opponents’ best perimeter players, and can even deny prime post position to the most skilled or massive of big men, like Tim Duncan and Eddy Curry.
• A more than capable shooter who can drive in either direction, and thrives on physical contact when he gets to the hoop.
• A capable playmaker, with skills to facilitate for others when defenses overload their attention in his direction.
• Teaming with Shane Battier to give the Rockets hands-down the best defensive wing combination in the NBA.
• Another player, in addition to Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston, who can get separation off the bounce while also being a threat to shoot or pass.

• A championship mindset of never backing down, never giving in, and persevering by simply competing harder than any and all challengers.
  

Artest should thrive in Houston’s tough, physical, come-to-play, ask-no-questions atmosphere. In fact, Artest lifts the Rockets over the Jazz as the most physical team in the NBA.

Because a number of his new teammates exude character and professionalism (Dikembe Mutumbo, Shane Battier) to the highest degree, and because he will be coached by Rick Adelman, a man he’s had some recent success with and respect for, Artest shouldn’t devolve to the point where he self-destructs if things aren’t going his way.

With Tracy McGrady wistfully entertaining thoughts of playing elsewhere, the deal signifies that Houston is fully committed to trying to win a championship—a gesture that should no doubt reinvigorate T-Mac.

Still, despite these attributes that boost the Rockets to near the top of the NBA’s elite, there are still plenty of question marks regarding Artest, and the Rockets as a whole:

• Artest has always needed to dominate the ball on offense. How will he coexist with a player like Tracy McGrady, who likewise wants as many shots as an offense can afford him?
• Like McGrady, Artest is a ball stopper who needs time to make his decisions (and often makes poor ones when pressured). However, Artest isn’t as skilled a playmaker as McGrady is.
• It’s hard to envision any scenario in which the Rockets' offense employs a lot of ball movement to create open shots.
• With Artest, Battier, and McGrady essentially playing the same position, how will Rick Adelman deviate playing time? Aside from the obvious—bringing Battier off the bench, a move that will leave Houston without its best defensive lineup—the Rockets can play either Battier or Artest as the power forward, or McGrady at the point to get all three players on the court at the same time.

• As always, injury concerns litter the Rockets. McGrady, Yao, and Artest have all been injury prone in recent years. Whereas Artest gives depth should McGrady go down, the Rockets don’t have much depth behind them at the wings—especially if Battier remains a starter.

Artest has proven to be an exceptional post defender, and is a mite better than Battier in that defensive aspect. Battier is also a hair better at keeping up with quicker perimeter players than Artest. With Artest at the four, the Rockets wouldn’t be in too big of a bind defensively.

Also, a way to cheat out more ball movement and spacing by the offense would be to play the three wings with Alston and Yao. Since Yao is a gifted post passer, the Rockets' offense might have the athleticism and spacing to resemble some of the early-decade Kings teams—if Yao, McGrady, Artest, and Alston all sharpen their decision making.

Putting T-Mac at the point is also an option, but should be avoided as he stops ball movement and takes time to survey the floor and initiate a set.

With the number of elite power forwards in the West, the majority of them excellent shooters, the lack of height at the four spot—whether it be Artest, Battier, Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, or Luis Scola—is a flaw that can be exploited.

Either way, Houston has taken a quantum leap forward, and on paper will be a legit contender for a Western Conference championship next year, should everyone stay healthy. They should beat the Jazz at their own power game, will gut-check the Mavs into submission, and could win the discipline-fests against San Antonio. Defending Chris Paul and Amare Stoudemire could be problematic, as could negotiating the Lakers’ length.

But there’ll surely be more moves to be made by all the West contenders, as well as drawn-up gameplans, improved (or declining) players, adjustments, counter-adjustments, counter-counter-adjustments, heart, cowardice, luck—and that should only take us to December!

Kudos to the Rockets for taking a risk and trying to capture a championship. Whether Artest implodes or not, or whether Houston flames on or fizzles out, the description “The Wild Wild West” should ring just as true as it did last season.