Today is August 12 and some part of the world is August 13 but this article is dated August 17, 2009! Yes an article from the future by Chris Mannix!
Jokes aside, a good read nonetheless. I have 2 keys points against what he has written though.
1.
The Rockets still have a skilled international center manning the middle. Only it's David Andersen, an Australian, and not Yao Ming, who will miss the entire 2009--10 season after undergoing surgery last month to reshape a bone in his left foot. They still have a defensive maven at small forward. Only instead of the recently departed Ron Artest it's former Laker Trevor Ariza, who signed a five-year, $33 million free-agent contract. And they still have a potentially explosive scorer in the backcourt. Only it's not Tracy McGrady but rookie Jermaine Taylor, who averaged 26.2 points for Central Florida last season and will fill in while McGrady recovers from microfracture knee surgery. In other words Houston is now a pale imitation of the team that took the Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference semifinals.
He forgot that Tmac did not play in that series and Artest was a non-factor. Yao did help to win game 1 but didnot play for last the 4 games. So how is the current rockets a pale imitation to the team that took the Lakers.
2.
"He can get by anybody," says a Western Conference scout. "But if he doesn't establish himself as an outside threat, teams will defend him like they did Tony Parker early in his career and back off."
Not sure which scout is he quoting but that scout probably not aware that Brooks was the 3pt shooting champion in college. Talk about Brook's need to be an outside threat.
I am looking forward to the up tempo offensive oriented rockets this season. Probably going to surprise a few scouts and sport writers.