Ron Artest to the Rockets

[canoner]

walkingart, you gotta be kidding. Tmac for Billup?

Suns are on the way down. People say every year that Shaq will be in better shape but reality is that he is getting worse and worse every year. Nash is getting old as well. He may have one or two good years left but beyond that expect his performance to fall off a cliff.

Rockets would have gone far in playoff if Yao weren't injured. Having a third scoring option in Artest will allow Yao and Tmac play fewer minutes in regular season. Scola will play better now he's got a year under his belt, so he will take some offensive load too. The chance that Yao and Tmac can play in playoff is much better now. And if they are both healthy, Rockets and Lakers are top 2 teams in the west. Suns would be behind NO, SA, and Jazz, fighting for 6-8 seed with Nuggets, Mavs.

[walkingart]

walkingart, you gotta be kidding. Tmac for Billup?

Suns are on the way down. People say every year that Shaq will be in better shape but reality is that he is getting worse and worse every year. Nash is getting old as well. He may have one or two good years left but beyond that expect his performance to fall off a cliff.

Rockets would have gone far in playoff if Yao weren't injured. Having a third scoring option in Artest will allow Yao and Tmac play fewer minutes in regular season. Scola will play better now he's got a year under his belt, so he will take some offensive load too. The chance that Yao and Tmac can play in playoff is much better now. And if they are both healthy, Rockets and Lakers are top 2 teams in the west. Suns would be behind NO, SA, and Jazz, fighting for 6-8 seed with Nuggets, Mavs.

The Rockets are going to have a good record, but that is not going to get them out of the first round of playoffs, nor is Ron Artest.

Who is going to guard DWilliams/Boozer, CP3/West, Nash/Amare, or Parker/Duncan. The Rockets just don't match up well against any team in the west, and I didn't even touch on the Lakers, who are arguably the best team in the west. Yao can't guard any of the elite PF's in the west, nor can Scola or Artest. The Rockets are also extremely weak at the point. Dallas, Portland and Nuggets are the only potential playoff teams the Rockets have a chance of beating in a seven game series.

Not only that Yao makes Shaq look like a specimen of peak health. Shaq has played in 59, 40, and 61 games the last three years; in contrast to 57/48/55 for Yao. That is the same exact total number, too bad the difference in their ages is almost 9 years apart. Good luck holding out for the health of the 21st century Bill Walton. My guess would be that in 9 years; Yao will barely be able to walk up and down a court much less contribute in any fashion. Guys his size just don't last in the league. Shaq is the exception, not the rule.

Facts are facts, you need a PG that is better than Alston. And you need someone to guard the PF's of the Western Conference and until you do, you are not getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

So, it is either the Suns', Jazz, or Spurs' over the Rockets in 6 games during the first round of the 2009 playoffs. I will be crossing my fingers that we can draw the Rockets, cause I know we need to beat up on someone to build up our confidence next off season.

[suns12345]

just as a side note.it wouldnt be tmac for only billups. the salaries dont match, u might have to add mcdyess or prince(no good as they have battier and artest at SF) and then some so im not sure if the pistons would do that trade.

[walkingart]

I wouldn't trade Billups for TMac, that was just a rumor that I thought would make the Rockets better. Hell, I wouldn't trade Prince or Rip for TMac.

For my two cents, which is probably what it is worth, TMac is the most overated player in the league; well maybe not the most overated, but he is a close second to Vince Carter.

[Miklo]

I wouldn't trade Billups for TMac, that was just a rumor that I thought would make the Rockets better. Hell, I wouldn't trade Prince or Rip for TMac.

For my two cents, which is probably what it is worth, TMac is the most overated player in the league; well maybe not the most overated, but he is a close second to Vince Carter.

+1. As much as I used to like to watch TMac play on ORL, he hasn't proven ANYTHING in this league.