The Houston Rockets Look To Be Getting Next Year's No. 1 Overall Pick

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.

With Yao possibly being gone for good, they need to look for a center to help them. I say we seek a Portland trade. They can trade for Oden, who has had an injured past, and a few others that could work for the Rockets.

They could trade to the Timberwolves for Al Jefferson, who could really help them out.

Also, if the Golden State trade does not work for Phoenix, I could seek a trade for Amare Stoudemire involving McGrady.

I would think McGrady is the trade bait in all of this, and they will have to depart with him no matter what. They need help, and by trading McGrady, they can get it. Most teams they trade with would not want McGrady to be their star player, anyway.

He would be a role player, and as I mentioned, that is the place he needs to be.

Ron Artest will not go anywhere, neither will Aaron Brooks. So we have to think that everyone else will be thought about for trade bait.

Free agency will be big for the Rockets, needless to say. Who they go for is unknown, as they have not indicated seeing anyone, nor have there been any meetings. Once they trade McGrady, they will be done with his contract, therefore giving them more money to spend.

They do not need to go for older players, unless it is a small contract and they know the person can stay healthy and contribute.

If they turn out just like McGrady did, then signing them to the team will be all for not, obviously.

What we have to do now is think.

Will the Rockets make a huge splash in free agency, and/or will they trade to get someone who can help the team out?

We will have to see.

If the team wants to stay afloat this year and not be in the running for next year's No. 1 overall draft pick (meaning they will have a terrible record), then they need to make a huge splash in the next few weeks.

I hope we see something out of them, but you never know with the Rockets.