Great Justice column; Morey looking for impact player in '10

[Moreyball]

from the chronicle..

Sometimes we learn more about sports franchises by how they handle tough times, and that's why this offseason says so many good things about the Rockets.

They're not going to win a championship this season, and they might not even be a playoff team. They have no idea when or if Yao Ming will play again and don't know if Tracy McGrady is capable of playing at a high level.

Championship talk has been replaced by the realization they'll have to fight and claw to make the playoffs. Yet they've made something out of nothing.

Rather than stitch the roster together with old guys, they've constructed a team of speed, youth, defense and passion. If you love basketball, if you love a team that plays hard and competes and won't back down, you might love these Rockets.

“We signed players not just for now, but for two steps down the road,” general manager Daryl Morey said.

Who doesn't love Aaron Brooks? Remember the Rockets that stunned the Lakers twice in the playoffs? That's the team they want to be in 2009-10.

“We're not going to lose because of a lack of effort,” Morey said. “If a team shows up and thinks it's going to win because it has better players than the Rockets, they're going to lose.”

Popular concept
It's funny how fans react when they perceive a franchise has a sensible plan and is willing to stick to it. The Rockets have sold more tickets than they had sold at this time last year.

Morey decided against shortcuts and didn't fill out the roster with older players who might have been worth a couple of more victories this season.

Yes, McGrady will be back at some point, and it's not out of the question that Yao could return this season.

If they're back, fine. If they aren't, the Rockets will still be interesting. Brooks might emerge as the new face of the franchise. Kyle Lowry, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, etc., will play the up-tempo style Rick Adelman always has preferred.

This time last year, the Rockets belonged to McGrady and Yao. Now their leaders are Shane Battier and Luis Scola.

It's silly to discount the talent issue. None of the current Rockets has played in an All-Star Game, and while heart and youth are nice, talent wins.

Still, Ariza makes the Rockets better next season and in the years to come. So do Chase Budinger and David Andersen.

Morey believes he has assembled a nucleus of players capable of going deep into the playoffs if he can make an impact free-agent acquisition next summer and if Yao returns to play at a high level.

Until then …

“We're going to be up-tempo, fun to watch, young players easy to root for,” he said. “It's exciting. I think it'll be fun to watch the team group up and grow together, all in a style we're trying to move to. You're going to see us playing the way coach would rather play.”

It's funny how coaches see this kind of team. They would rather have three All-Stars because it's good for business, but real coaches love the challenge of taking a young group and coaching it up.

“The coaching staff is quietly excited,” Morey said. “They know they can have a big impact on this group. No one is going to pick us to win anything, and they think they can coach them up.”

[DraftBoy10]

I agree with Morey(really?!!!)

Anyways, look at our team. We have the youth, the depth, the 2nd star(Yao when healthy), the defense, the coach.

If we can make moves to somehow clear more cap to allow one max FA, I'm not trying to sound like a homer but how many teams can be built BETTER than this team for a superstar to just put on his cape?

Yao/Scola
Scola/Landry
Shane/Ariza
FA/Ariza
Brooks/Lowry

Everything's set except for that 1 superstar(the hardest piece). We have the ideal team for it, the inside option, the D, everything. We just need that 1 superstar. This is a team I think Wade needs to SERIOUSLY look at.

[KiDdFrESh]

Unless Yao opts out and plays for half his salary then I dont think we will be be able to sign anybody. Even if we let McGrady walk, you have to take into the accounts of Lowry and Scolas new contracts and a 1st round draft pick. You can say goodbye to any potential cap space with Yao and Battiers contract combining for damn near half the salary cap next year.

[Jaykoolzboy]

1. Impact player doesn't only mean LBJ, Dwade, Bosh
2. Signing thru FA isn't the only option (S&T?)