The Houston Rockets have had extensive discussions with the New Orleans Hornets about center Chris Kaman and appear to be in the lead to trade for him, numerous sources told SI.com.

…

While no deal is imminent and the pieces are still being discussed, sources said the talks have involved the Rockets’ two top-10 picks from the 2009 draft — center Hasheem Thabeet (No. 2 by Memphis) and power forward Jordan Hill (No. 8 by New York). The Rockets have other young former first-rounders who could be included as well, among them second-year forward Patrick Patterson, third-year point guard Jonny Flynn and third-year small forward Terrence Williams. They also have a 2012 first-round pick from the Knicks that the Hornets would love to obtain.

I’ve been engaging you all about such a trade for some time now on Twitter, so many of you already know my thoughts: if it’s just for some combination of the ’09 busts, the deal would be an absolute no-brainer.  No deal if they want Patterson or the Knicks pick.  Those two are off limits.

The Rockets have two goals right now and Kaman fits neatly into both: remaining competitive this season and maintaining flexibility next summer.  With his low-post repertoire, Kaman gives the Rockets a serious frontcourt rotation (depending on what happens with Patterson) while also keeping alive the Dwight Howard dream in July; Chris’ $14million comes off the books at that time, putting the team where they would have been had they/if they just stand pat with the ’09 busts.

I’ve said since the Dalembert signing that this team would make the playoffs.  If they can land Kaman, I don’t think a second round appearance is out of the question.  He’s one of the most skilled low post threats in basketball and with Dalembert and Scola, would give the Rockets one hell of a big-man combination to take on the West.  His numbers are down, but the skillset meets the ‘eye’ test.  Kaman is a load inside, with the ability to hit fadeaways off either block off the glass from strange angles (something I noted back in 2009 during a Clippers-Rockets game.)

Patterson and the Knicks pick should be off limits.  Those violate the goal of maintaining the future.  But an ’09 bust package should be automatic from Houston’s side.  Let’s hope Daryl can get it done.  Management clearly feels that competitiveness is the right choice to make this city a more attractive destination.  Landing Chris Kaman would go a long way towards that.

UPDATED at 2:50PM CST:

There’s really no opportunity cost here to a deal like Thabeet, Hill, Flynn.  It’s not like you’d be playing Kaman instead of promising youngsters who need development time; those youngsters would be the ones traded and the team has already decided that they’re not worth the effort anyway.

I realized I left out mention of Flynn above – if he’s included, I would drive him to the airport myself.

The only potential problem I see pertains to the chemistry concerns of bringing on another ‘starter’ quality player.  Dalembert has earned the job, but by all accounts, Kaman wants to start.  If he’s coming off the bench, you could see some issues.

More thoughts: To my fellow pro-tankers, the dream is and has been over for some time.  The winning streak destroyed any chance of this team landing a top lottery slot.  With their draft position sufficiently screwed, the team now has no choice but to go all in without mortgaging the future.  I don’t buy into the team’s theory of ‘make the playoffs to attract Dwight’, but if that’s the goal, you at least have to support such a deal.

On Patterson, Knicks pick, maybe Budinger: no.  These guys/entities, except for maybe Chase, are off limits.  While he’ll make a huge difference, even with Kaman, this team won’t win the title this season.  There is no point in dealing off a young piece in his acquisition.  The ’09 busts have no value anyway, so they are a case of making lemonade from lemons.

Key matchup: Kevin Martin vs Kawhi Leonard

The Rockets need to chase all the Spurs’ swingmen, as evidenced by Michael Beasley’s 34-point attack last night (which included 12 trips to the charity stripe.)  Martin will be expected to outperform Leonard scoring-wise but he cannot afford to be a slouch defensively.

X-factor: Courtney Lee

Danny Green has strung together a couple of games off the bench as a spark plug, posting 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals. Lee will be expected to close out on Green from outside and Leonard from doing his damage from midrange.

Code Red: The Spurs (13-9) continue to stay dominant at home, having only lost once at AT&T Center the entire season. Ginobili remains out and will continue to be so until sometime next month. T.J. Ford will also be a no-show tonight. It must be reiterated: the Rockets cannot give up 42 points in a quarter.

Twitter: @favianpua

In the summer of 2010, Llull reached an agreement with Real Madrid to extend his contract until 2014.

Llull is one of the top point guards in Europe and by all accounts, an athletic specimen.  Here’s video of Rockets VP of Basketball Operations Sam Hinkie breaking down Llull’s game.  The average fan probably hasn’t heard about him, but die-hards are wondering when, if ever, he’ll come over and bring his talents to the local team.

I decided to ask Ricky Rubio who starred with Llull on the Spanish national team.  Here’s a clip of Rubio tossing Llull an alleyoop, a great example of some of the athleticism I had mentioned.

You can’t read too much into the clip, but Rubio’s last comment was interesting.  I’m not even sure what to make of it.  Is he projecting his own thoughts or letting us in on Llull’s mindset?  Luis Scola didn’t care; he was in a similar situation but wanted to come to the NBA at all costs to face the challenge.  Might Llull want to remain abroad in the comfort of known shores and an established role?  Vassilis Spanoulis preferred it that way.

Regardless, the Rockets probably wouldn’t have brought over Llull anyway next summer.  While I’m not privy to the specifics, his buyout will be expensive and they hope to make use of their cap space in other ways.  (Remember that teams under the salary cap do not enjoy the luxury of their exceptions.)

I usually only post my own questions, but this exchange between Rubio and NBA.com’s Fran Blinebury was pretty humorous.

Lastly, I asked Rubio about the difference between this season and last.  (Recall that he struggled mightily causing many to wonder if he could cut it in the NBA.)  I’m not sure if he was just tired–he had been taking questions for literally fifteen minutes before that–or offended by the question.  I tried to frame it politely but I was basically asking why he sucked last year.

That’s all for today.  By the time I got done with Rubio, Kevin Love and Beasley had already finished.  I’ll be back at Toyota Center again on Monday.  I hope to get some time with Steve Nash and Grant Hill.

Minnesota Timberwolves

120

Final Recap | Box Score

108

Houston Rockets

	Luis Scola, PF 20 MIN | 2-8 FG | 4-6 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 8 PTS | -8 His second matchup with Kevin Love in a single week was a nightmare. The two are so blatantly headed in different directions, it’s a sad sight to see.
	Chandler Parsons, F 33 MIN | 4-10 FG | 0-2 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 9 PTS | -14 The normally active Parsons was a shell of himself tonight. Possibly due to his task of defending Beasley on an island for extended stretches of time. Also, he can’t make free-throws.
	Samuel Dalembert, C 28 MIN | 2-5 FG | 2-2 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 6 PTS | -19 However Sammy Dalembert plays defense dictates ultimately dictates how the Houston Rockets play defense, and tonight the barometer was tapped out. He IS the weak side help on most possessions, and tonight it simply never came.
	Kevin Martin, SG 34 MIN | 9-15 FG | 7-11 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 29 PTS | -16 29 points in 34 minutes is marvelous. Martin did his job yet again, and played some tough defense to boot.
	Kyle Lowry, PG 26 MIN | 5-10 FG | 1-1 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 11 PTS | -14 The slump continues. I’m now at the point where I’ve got to ask if he’s seriously hurt because the combination of almost no fourth quarter minutes with a constant tentativeness to attack the basket is just so out of character. Judging it relative to this past week, Lowry went from the second best point guard in the Western Conference to the second best point guard on his own team.
	Courtney Lee, SG 22 MIN | 3-7 FG | 2-2 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 9 PTS | +2 Lee was a bit undersized in his matchup with Michael Beasley, but still, he allowed him to go left on several occasions. Left and straight to the basket.
	Goran Dragic, PG 24 MIN | 2-10 FG | 3-4 FT | 2 REB | 9 AST | 7 PTS | 0 With Lowry struggling to make plays, Dragic continues to thrive as a consistent spark plug. He penetrated at will, and had several drop off passes leading to simple layups for teammates.

Twitter: @ShakyAnkles

Key matchup: The whole Rockets frontline vs Kevin Love

Love’s svelte frame makes him a tireless workhorse on the court, putting up 25-13 averages, definitely worth an MVP conversation. He will crash the boards with ferocity and frustrate whoever is boxing him out. Jordan Hill will need to produce twice the effort he delivered against the Knicks, and even that still might not be enough.

X-factor: Chase Budinger and Chandler Parsons

Specifically AND, not an OR. With Kevin Martin’s status still uncertain, these two players both need big games to stave off a deep T’Wolves backcourt and also to draw attention away from Kyle Lowry, who left his jump shot somewhere in the Target Center when these two teams met last week.

Code Red: Goran Dragic and Patrick Patterson both lit up the T’Wolves the last time they met, combining for 27 points off the bench. Rick Adelman will have his drawing board ready for these two tonight.

Houston is getting the ball in their hands and forcing it out of their opponents. Their recent 3-1 stretch has them at a +7 in total rebounds and a -3.5 in turning the ball over.

Even Brandon Jennings would cringe at Kyle Lowry’s shooting the past four games. Lowry is a dismal 8 out of 42 (19%).

Stat of the week: Chase Budinger strung together 40 points over a span of 48 minutes the past two games.

Hakeem Olajuwon is why I’m a Rockets fan today. He did everything; hung around with the team through early playoff exits and losing seasons due to a weak supporting cast, led us to the promised land (twice) and set way too many statistical records to mention here. After everything Houston and Hakeem had been through, watching him wither away in a Toronto Raptors jersey was pure torture. I was younger at the time and I did not understand the move at all, as I’ve grown older and learned more about draft picks and contracts, my position on that trade remains unchanged. Do you know what we got for Hakeem? A draft pick that led to Bostjan Nachbar, a total bust who’s wasting away in some Russian D-league right now. Hakeem had requested the trade due to the front office being cheap. Next time the greatest player who has ever worn a Rockets jersey asks for a max offer, you give it to him. At this point, its not about winning or rebuilding or drafting or next season. This is one of the few times that sports transcends winning and statistics. This is about a city’s admiration for a man. Out of all the Rockets games I’ve yelled, cheered and bled through; loss to the Jazz in the playoffs, the early exits with Tmac, including that Game 7 blowout in Dallas, the end of the 22 game losing streak (guess who we lost too?), the news that Yao was done while we were battling the Lakers in round 2 and the lakers opening night come back which ruined the whole season last year, the worst moment of being a Rockets fan was when I turned on the TV and saw this:

http://sportsillustr…content.18.html

Click here to read the full post.

But, like Favian pointed out, he’s a “late-bloomer.” How many of the Association’s current “superstars” emerged on to the scene in their mid-20′s? Not many. Fans are enamored with young, budding talent. Exactly why the media’s casting a bright light on John Wall, just 21-years-old, and he’s scooping up endorsement deals along the way. If the Rockets were playing for all the marbles tonight, I’d roll with Lowry. But, with time, Wall’s going to be the superior player and to attribute his “hype” to Reebok commercials and consumerism is borderline absurd. Statistically, he’s already nipping at the heels of Lowry, who’s over 5 years his elder. Lowry’s the better shooter, hands down, but he developed that stroke with time. Wall’s already one of the most dynamic open-floor players in the game, and can finish at the rim with the best of ‘em (leads all PGs in And-1s, as well). His 3-pt stroke’s only going to improve, and once it catches up to his attacking abilities, he’ll be an absolute force to be reckoned with. Earlier, I gave credit to K-Low for being the best rebounding PG in the NBA, well Wall checks in at #2 with 5.5 boards/game. He doesn’t play with the grit and determination of a K-Low, but he’s already a comparable talent to Lowry as the youngest starting PG in the NBA.

Click here to read the entire post.

Kyle Lowry had another rough outing tonight going 1-6 from the floor.  I’m not really convinced at all by McHale’s response because it’s not like he would be candid on the point.  I’ll just say, we’re pretty lucky to have a backup the quality of Goran Dragic

Lowry’s drop-off is, at the least, somewhat of a cause for concern.  Kyle is enjoying far and away the highest usage of his career at 22%; you worry that he may have completely worn out with the vastly increased workload.  Recall that the team ran a good portion of its offense in years prior through Chuck Hayes from the high post.  This season, they’ve been much more dependent upon Lowry in traditional point-guard-initiated sets.  This is why you alternate series’ between Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

Chase Budinger had another huge night going 7-12 from the floor for 19 points.  What he spoke of is something that, while perhaps obvious, I’ve always found interesting.  You become a good shooter, or a good pitcher, through practice.  But what we don’t really think of is the work in-between, done to maintain.  These motions have certain mechanics for optimal accuracy, especially for someone as fundamentally sound as Chase.  Because he uses textbook form, he knows that if his shot is off as badly as it had been, some deviance in delivery must have occurred.

Many were surprised when the Rockets cut Jeremy Lin prior to the season.  He’s a better player than Jonny Flynn.  That’s an understatement.

This adds further confirmation to what we already knew: Lin was waived because Flynn had guaranteed money.  It wasn’t really a basketball decision.  I watched him dazzle for a few minutes in camp, seeming as if he belonged.  It’s really surprising that Lin hasn’t found a steady NBA home.  He’s a good player.

No explanation really necessary.  If you couldn’t tell yet by my name, or my appearance, I’m an Asian American, and while not an East-Asian American, Lin is still really a source of pride and amazement.  What’s most remarkable is that he’s a guard.  Growing up, with many Asian friends, I didn’t ever think I’d see the day that someone of our kind would be in the NBA.  I really had wanted to meet Jeremy Lin for that very reason.

Outside of the Heat game last season, this was the most media I had ever seen in the visiting lockerroom.  They really send their guys out to cover their team.

When I first walked in, I went about my business, as usual, waiting for player availability.  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a strange-looking hobo, stuffed into a corner chair, tuned into his headphones.  He wore large sunglasses, an odd looking hat, and tight baby blue pants that finished above his ankles.  An unkempt beard enveloped his face.  I realized this was my chance to finally interview Baron Davis.

“I didn’t play today…” he replied, to my request for a few minutes of his time.  “Oh,” I said.  I knew that obviously, but I couldn’t press the issue.  Two nights in a row now, I shied off from my desired question.  I wanted to ask him about The Beard, and more specifically, if his was better than James Harden’s.  Instead, I was turned away.

That’s all from here, folks, hope you enjoyed it.  I’ll be back at Toyota Center on Monday.

Key matchup: Samuel Dalembert vs Tyson Chandler

These two prized big men hauled over the offseason will strut their defensive wares. It will be a rebounding battle to keep an eye on and both teams will have difficulty operating in the paint with these two giants muscling and boxing out every possible possession.

X-factor: Courtney Lee

Martin remains questionable for tonight, so Lee will be tasked to stay in front of Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas, guys who won’t be afraid to keep gunning as long as they have the ball in their hands. Chris Kaman also deserves a mention, if only because he is on the trading block and the Rockets should look to be a significant player in the Kaman Sweepstakes.

Code Red: Without Carmelo Anthony in their last game, the Knicks moved the ball and did not settle for isolation plays, posting 20 assists collectively. The Knicks will be playing with desperation now that they have dropped eight of their last nine outings. Over that same span, Amare has been held below 20 points and five free throw attempts on eight instances.

Great insight from Kevin McHale into Chase Budinger’s mindset and preparation during his stint on the bench these past few weeks.

The big story from tonight wasn’t that the Rockets won by nearly 30 but rather that Chase came out of his coma, responding to the call in Kevin Martin’s absence.  It was a welcome sight in the broader scheme of things.  While the team took off immediately upon coach McHale’s shortening of the rotation, many wondered if an 8-man unit was enough; in a season like this one, a shortened bench could prove disastrous down the stretch.  It’s imperative for Houston to get production from Budinger to keep the other wing players fresh.

Speaking of wings, Courtney Lee was not offered an extension by the team on Wednesday, the deadline for deals of that nature.  I asked Courtney about that situation.

He’ll be restricted this summer, so the Rockets will have the opportunity to match any offer.  However, especially taking into consideration his production with the Magic, I think teams are aware of Lee’s value.  We might have another Brooks/Lowry situation on our hands.  Recall that two summers ago, Cleveland signed Kyle Lowry to the $5.75/year deal he is now enjoying with the Rockets, forcing Houston to match and later, make a decision on Aaron Brooks.  Not wanting to have big money tied up in one position, Morey dealt Brooks to the Phoenix Suns, bringing back Goran Dragic who is still under club control [on a cheap deal.]

With starting guard Kevin Martin due close to $13million next season, a similar decision will have to be made.  I for one have maintained for some time, with the team’s win/loss in Martin’s absence as evidence, that Lee is more than capable as a replacement and perhaps a better fit at starter for the long-term.  If the team can move Martin for frontcourt help, I would more than welcome that transaction.

I wasn’t going to upload this clip after I got it but upon review, this was actually pretty interesting.  It gives a lot of insight into the mind of a mature, high IQ basketball player.  I’ve personally never given any thought to someone taking this approach; the only adage you ever really hear with regards to in-game shooting is the old “once you see it go in [via dunk/free throw], everything opens up.”  But to try to provide other production, as a means of warming up, before taking a shot is really interesting.  It’s small things like this that separate the Patrick Pattersons of basketball from the Jordan Hills; it’s how mental awareness can prove greater than physical gifts.  If you’re a general manager, with jobs always on the line, and you hear something like this in a pre-draft interview, in my opinion, it stands out.  Those small things are what win games.  (Sorry for going off on one of my tangents, I know this is supposed to be a light-hearted post-game recap; I’ll touch more on the above on Monday.)

Nothing too interesting there, but it’s John Wall so I had to get something.  Meh.

What I really wanted to ask him was, “did Carrol Dawson and Rudy T. give you a guarantee that they would select you with one of their three first round draft picks?  Rashard, the people want to know.”  But I choked and couldn’t do it; I couldn’t pull a Jim Gray.  (For those too young to remember, the story goes, per Lewis, that the teenager was given a guarantee by the team prior to the 1998 draft that they would select him in the first round.  They didn’t and now the ‘green room’ screening process is a lot different.)

Final thought: Andray Blatche was singing this, for a good two minutes in the lockerroom.  I already hated the song before but now, I’ll never be able to shake it from my memory.

That’s all for today folks, I hope you enjoyed it.  I’ll be back at Toyota Center tomorrow night so tweet me your questions.  Take care.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZajssR79Ws

• There is no arguing that the New York Knicks suck when even the most obnoxious Manhattanites admit so themselves, and even in this post-Isiah world, it really feels like we’ve come to that point for the first time in a while. After an entire offseason of hype-inducing MSG commercials and free-agent signings that literally didn’t seem possible, the Knicks have had to actually play basketball games, and those haven’t exactly gone so well for them. As has been reported by anyone who’d had the displeasure of watching this team take the court this year, point guards don’t play for the New York Knicks anymore, a fact that has very quickly reminded all watching exactly how much Mike D’Antoni and Ama’re Stoudemire rely on those little guys with the vision and speed and sneaker deals and so forth. Somehow the blame for this has fallen on Carmelo Anthony, simply doing what he’s always done (take heaps of inefficient shots inefficiently) in a world where people actually care about what he does now, instead of all of the people who put them team together and forgot the cardinal rule of today’s NBA. See, some think that hat rule requires a team to have an elite point guard to compete, thanks to the 2003 rule changes that have allowed perimeter players with the ability to get into the lane free reign; rather, in this league, a team doesn’t really need one of the league’s best point men to vie for the title: it just need a competent one. Portland, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia— all battle for their conference’s top spot without a premier point running the show, yet none have the nightly disadvantage of a black hole of ball distribution. A similar problem to New York’s has popped up on the nation’s other pole in LA, where Derek Fisher and a hobbled Kobe Bryant seem like less than enough playmaking in a world without the Triangle; the main difference is the level of talent wearing purple and gold. The paradigm shift form the rule change did happen, don’t get me wrong; it’s just that instead of creating an unrealistic cutoff point for those striving for greatness, the shift just made sure that there’d be a bare minimum required for those who really wanted in the winner’s circle.

• Flip Saunders got the axe in Washington this week when he really didn’t deserve it, and that’s not so great for him. Still, my endless babbling brook of pity stops a little short for the Flipster, as his future employment as a head coach is all but assured thanks to the NBA’s eternally strange “blame the coach sort of for now until firing the general manager much, much later and blame him for everything” policy. Yes, Ernie Grunfield assembled a hodgepodge of basketball morons. Yes, he was already there before new owner Ted Leonsis took over, so Grunsy isn’t even the owner’s guy. Yes, things better change if the Wiz plan to hold on to their seminal, once-in-a-generation talent, John Wall… but none of this matters when there’s a perfectly good coach to fire. This is why the NBA’s coaching carousel exists; so rarely are good coaches let go for the right reasons that we invariably see their faces stalking some new sideline before he can buy a whole new tie collection to match his new team’s home colors (Just wait out Triano, Flip; you’d look good in purple). It would be nice, just once, for us to actually figure out whether a coach is good or not by giving him something with which to work. You know, something that’s not Jordan Crawford and Andray Blatche?

• Quick question: why wasn’t Kevin Love born and raised in Houston, where he’d invariably want to return after signing his four-year-extension that incomprehensibly allows him the opportunity to bounce to greener pastures (or at least less heavily-accented pastures) after three years? As if the Clippers and Lakers fans needed yet another thing to sweetly daydream about while they go grab fugu or wear pants with skull patches sown onto them or whatever terrible things that they do (I know this is borderline-illiterate gibberish. Allow me this). David Kahn’s Freudian desire for disapproval looks like it just cost the Wolves an all-timer, but the Rockets won’t even be able to touch him. Remember that before allowing yourselves to be inundated with false hope in a couple of years, Rockets fans; at this point, I’ve become the NBA fan version of a scorned lover, already dismissing future relationships because of how much they’re assured to break my (Houston’s) heart.

• Some look at the sudden disappearance of Lamar Odom’s production in 2012 and see a system player ripped from his comfort zone, left useless and irrelevant without the girders that had once propped him up still in place. I’d like to dispute that assessment by simply looking a few inches down the bench at Shawn Marion, a guy who got all of the same shtick only a couple of years prior. After leaving Phoenix and experiencing travails with the Heat (a team that started the likes of Chris Quinn and Mark Blount) and Raptors, Marion’s grave had been long buried. Plug him in the another fitting system, though, and he’s a World Champion game-changer. Both share a ton of versatility that can come off as aimlessness without the proper cookie-cutter shaping their talents into what they could  really be. What’s dough without shape? Well, it’s still delicious, salmonella-heavy cookie dough. Maybe that was a bad analogy.

Catch me on Twitter @JacobMustafa and in this weekly notebook every Friday. Thanks for spending your time here.

What went wrong exactly and what does any of this mean?

First, as I explained some time ago, in video-form, aside from Terrence Williams, Rockets management didn’t target any of these guys specifically like they did their own draft picks in Patrick Patterson, Marcus Morris, Chandler Parsons, and the late Chase Budinger.  That’s really the first take-away which you need to understand.  The cynic may no doubt label this as revisionary apologetics, but it is what it is, and its a necessary distinction for honest evaluation of this front office.  Those busts are a decidedly unique class from the Rockets’ own selections and for this reason, I make every attempt to categorize them separately.  Each bust acquisition was the product of opportunistic risk management.  The Rockets did not say, “wow!  Hasheem Thabeet is available!  The analytics on this guy are so outstanding that the laptop has frozen!  We have to get this guy!”…as some would have it.  As I explain in the video, they took fliers on two men in Flynn and Thabeet for whom it had not yet worked out, in the process of pursuing other goals (ie: obtaining future draft picks and unloading salary obligations.) It did not work out, but they should absolutely continue making such moves in their guidance of the team, regardless of the mockery it evokes from media skeptics.

Hill was acquired from a Knick team held hostage in its preparation for the ‘Summer of Lebron.’  As you will recall, New York desperately needed to acquire Tracy McGrady, the league’s largest expiring contract at that time, and even gave up two future draft picks to do it.  Galinari was off limits and little else of value resided on that roster.  That the Rockets took back Hill is not indicative of some failure of the scouting department.  It was an attempt to extract maximum value from a buyer in distress.

Williams is the case which is interesting because his acquisition represents perhaps the greatest mark on Daryl Morey’s record as general manager of the Houston Rockets.  Barring another lottery finish, the team will sacrifice its draft pick to the New Jersey Nets this summer.  Given what the scouting department has been able to do with draft picks during this tenure, this is a tough pill to swallow for a man who most likely will not be in the Association at the age of 30.

What does the T-Will saga really mean and what are the implications?  What went wrong and why was he pursued?  Unlike Flynn and Thabeet, his talent isn’t in question.  We’ve seen the flashes of passing brilliance.  But from every corner of evidence, from his body language on the court, to quotes in the paper, to a truly fascinating body of history on Twitter, the attitude concerns seem to not have been embellished.  If one cannot succeed under both Rick Adelman and Kevin McHale, its a good indication that the problem stems from within.

Some will posit that Williams simply was beaten out by a better player.  I don’t buy that argument.  Parsons is superior, yes, but then what would explain the fact that T-Will hasn’t even been given garbage minutes in the team’s recent blowout affairs?

If we accept my hypothesis, the greater question concerns the implications of this ordeal.  Will the T-Will saga make the Rockets more risk averse?  They’ll continue, as they should, taking fliers similar to the Flynn/Thabeet/Hill deals.  Nothing was given up and other objectives were addressed.  They’ll also continue pursuing players perceived to be wrongly valued; it’s worked out too well (Lowry, Scola, basically everyone on this roster) and makes too much sense.  But will they now avoid players with character concerns?  It’s one thing to be too short (Hayes, Landry), to not have been given a proper chance (Lowry) or to impact the game in ways unnoticed (Battier, Lee).  Those characteristics all drive down market value, but as we’ve seen, can be overcome and are not fair justification for aversion.  But maybe bad attitude is just something that sticks.  We can say that it was foolish for Chuck Hayes to have gone undrafted but maybe now, T-Will’s D-League stint makes perfect sense.  Will the Rockets adopt that approach?

Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins, a similarly talented, similarly troubled individual recently expressed his desire for a trade.  A report soon after surfaced that the Rockets had no immediate interest.  This came as a surprise given the Rockets’ pursuit of Cousins before that draft.  Perhaps from the Terrence Williams saga they learned a new lesson?  If people don’t want you because you’re too short or too fat, maybe that’s unfair and unwarranted; but maybe if they stay away because of your attitude, it’s likely justified and not really worth the risk.  Who knows but it will be interesting to see how this shapes management’s thinking.

Key matchup: Kyle Lowry vs John Wall

After a sluggish start to the season, Wall has found his groove, posting numbers that resemble his stellar rookie season rather than a baller trying to hurdle the sophomore slump. Like Lowry, Wall is also capable of posting a triple-double. The catch? The third category would most likely be from turnovers, where he averages a staggering 4.2/game.

X-factor: Chandler Parsons

Parsons was everywhere and made his presence felt in their most recent game, punctuated by an and-one dunk on a fastbreak play. If Chandler Bang places his fingerprints all over tonight, this game is the Rockets’ to lose.

Code Red: The Wizards are the lone squad without a road win. Just saying.

As an editor, it’s concerning.  We’ve been putting out more content than ever (adding game previews and recaps as opposed to just the daily essays).  Most strange is that traffic has been about the same; you all are still reading, but you’re just not talking.

So in that spirit, I seek your advice.  Is there something we could be doing differently?  Some different form of content you’d like to see?

Also, I wonder, have the various changes to the commenting interface turned you all away?  I pose this hypothesis because just after the switch to Disqus, yesterday, Michael’s feature today has enjoyed more interaction than anything we saw when we had Livefyre.  Was that the cause?

We started out in year 1 with the standard WordPress interface.  Simple with no barriers to entry for guests.

Then I installed Disqus, like you see on the blog now:

With Disqus, we saw a slight drop.  It might not have been immediately intuitive that you could comment anonymously as, unlike WordPress, you had to click to even arrive at the guest screen.  But the drop was worth it as Disqus gave us threaded commenting and some other neat features we didn’t have with WordPress.

Then, this year, I switched to Livefyre and things just fell off completely, drastically, to unprecedented levels.  In terms of interaction, Red94 this season has been dead.

Livefyre is hands down better than Disqus.  You can view new comments in real-time and see who else is viewing the post, allowing for basically a virtual chatroom.

But I wonder–looking at it now–and with the drop, is it intuitive to you all that you can comment as a guest?  The above is a screenshot of the option to comment anonymously.  If I didn’t know better, I’d think, looking at that, that it was asking me for my Livefyre username.  Is that the impression that you all got too?  I’m wondering if this is what turned people away.

Anyways, your thoughts on any of this would be welcome.  I can see from the numbers that you all have still been reading, so I greatly appreciate that.  Now what can we do to bring interaction back?

If you want, you can shoot me a private email at rahathuq@red94.net.  Thanks again.

Here’s the question: Rating each player purely on their value in the here and now, in today’s NBA—excluding salary restrictions, contract longevity, and age (as difficult as that may be) as possible factors—would you trade Kyle Lowry for Pau Gasol?

There are several things one can conclude based on whether the response is yes or no. If you say yes—replacing Lowry with Gasol will make Houston a better basketball team—then clearly you value the traditional winning metrics of size and “superstar” power as a prerequisite to contending relevance. The importance of deploying a towering Haitian/Spanish monster on opponents is far more serious of a weapon than the league’s most destructive 6-footer.

On the contrary (and this is ignoring the obvious in believing Kyle Lowry is superior to Pau Gasol), by saying no you probably recognize one of the following two things as fact: 1) Lowry is either on the cusp of “superstar” status or has already been baptized as one. He’s far and away the best rebounder at his position; makes opposing point guards hysterical with his defense; conducts the offense with brilliant decisions; bangs the three with unlimited range; and gets everyone involved with elusive passes that would make a cat burglar blush. It should be a foregone conclusion that come February he’ll make his first All-Star team.

2) You believe the league’s ever-shifting tendency to favor those who initiate the action over those who finish it has an increasing role regarding wins and losses. Lowry’s value as someone who enables those around him is insanely high right now, and his absolute limitations as a basketball player have yet to be realized. Watching him improve by the possession is like playing tether ball with an immeasurable amount of rope—who knows when he’ll max out?

When this question is looked at on a macro-level, what this supposed deal also discusses is how you define the word “superstar” in today’s NBA.

Here’s what I believe to be the simplest measurement: ask yourself, “Can Player X be the leading performer on a legitimate championship contender?” This is Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, and possibly LaMarcus Aldridge. (There are two “sidekicks” who also qualify as “superstars”: Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook.)

Is Gasol a superstar right now? And for what it’s worth, is Lowry?
Can either take a group of lesser parts and make each and every one of them come together to form purpose-filled unit, just by existing on the court? Right now it’s tough to say either has that ability, but Lowry is certainly closer.

Comparing their stats would be silly and out of context, but who cares, let’s go for it anyway. (We won’t compare assists because that’d make things EXTRA ridiculous, but for the record Lowry sits fourth in the entire league with 8.7 per game.)

Kyle Lowry: 16.5 PPG, 56.4 TS%, 22.1 PER, 22.5 USG%, 10.6 TRB%, 3.7 shots attempted at the rim (SAATR)

Pau Gasol: 15.8 PPG, 55.1 TS%, 19.4 PER, 20.0 USG%, 13.9 TRB%, 3.3 SAATR

I mean, this data is scary. Kyle Lowry is nearly a foot shorter than Pau Gasol, yet he takes more shots at the rim, is nearly rebounding the ball at the same rate, and has a higher true shooting percentage.

In the original deal involving Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, and Goran Dragic, the Rockets would’ve had Gasol and Lowry at their disposal. There was no debate as to whether or not it was a smart deal to make. This hypothetical one for one swap, however, is a different beast. It’s size for speed; an operator of decisions against the machine who acts them out. Maybe it’s a little unfair to pose this question while one player is scorching the league and the other appears to be undergoing natural regression, but the principles still apply.

Who’s it going to be? Kyle Lowry or Pau Gasol?

Twitter: @ShakyAnkles

Key matchup: Kyle Lowry vs Brandon Jennings

Lowry minted the stat sheet against the Timberwolves, finally earning an elusive triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. As long as Lowry hounds Jennings into another horrendous shooting affair (a woeful 14/42 the past two games) and prevents him from going to the line, the advantage goes to the former.

X-factor: Samuel Dalembert

With Andrew Bogut patrolling the middle and flanked by lanky frontcourt members such as Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, the pressure falls on the Haitian Sensation to corral every rebounding opportunity. It won’t be easy and both Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson cannot idly go ball-watching.

Code Red: Lost in the shuffle is Stephen Jackson, who was held scoreless last game despite playing 28 minutes. Jackson is too good of an athlete to be kept invisible and should look to get his points early on. Mbah a Moute, recently inserted in the starting lineup, will also be tasked to lock down on Scola/Parsons/Budinger/Martin defensively as the need arises.

The Rockets aren’t just cleaning up on an easy schedule.  They hung tough, without key players, against contenders in OKC and the LA Lakers.  Most encouraging is that there’s a discernible catalyst: the team’s wins aren’t just flukes because they come in correlation with an extreme change – the insertion of Chandler Parsons and Samuel Dalembert into the starting lineup.

It’s a fair bet also that the Rockets continue to improve.  Samuel Dalembert still isn’t fully in shape.  Chandler Parsons is still learning the NBA game, and Patrick Patterson told me just the other night he’s in preseason form (after the ankle surgery.)  There’s really no reason to believe Patterson won’t return close to the production levels from his rookie season that left many experts in amazement.  And if Patterson’s 2011 is any reference, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this year’s #14 overall pick, rookie Marcus Morris back with the varsity and paying dividends for his bosses.

The point is, things right now are looking swell in Rocketsland.    There’s a decent enough chance that Houston even ends up with a lottery pick despite its own success.

Having said all of the above, the Rockets won’t win a championship this year or even next unless some major acquisition is made.  I don’t have to explain it, you all know the song by now – ‘the Rockets need a superstar.’

**

If you add Dwight Howard to this current roster, factoring in the expected improvements of several key players (Parsons, Patterson, Morris) and holding constant the production of others (Lowry, Martin, Lee, Scola), given the current landscape of the West, there is no reason to believe that output product is not a contender.  Looking at the impact Samuel Dalembert has had on this team, you can extrapolate that to an exponential degree and imagine how Dwight would affect this team.  But how do you get that into Dwight’s head?  What is Dwight thinking?

I’m not a professional athlete.   I don’t know how they think.  But I want to understand and get inside their minds and explore the gateways of influence acting upon them.  How does a superstar perceive his surroundings and his peers?

There’s ample evidence that proficiency in athletic endeavor doesn’t necessarily correlate with ability for assessment of talent.  Look no further than Charles Barkley’s incoherent ramblings on TNT or Michael Jordan’s partiality to Kwame Brown or Charles Oakley (over Bill Cartwright; he opposed that trade) for proof of this point.  But how does a superstar view role players?

It’s been widely reported that Dwight Howard would prefer to team up with Nets guard Deron Williams.  But the Nets are awful and have no talent outside of D-Will and have shown no ability to procure supporting talent, unlike the Rockets.  Let’s say the Rockets go on to finish 5th in the West, putting up a surprising fight of some sort in the postseason.  Does that even register in Dwight Howard’s mind?  When you yourself are great at something, do you look for conditions/environment to amplify your greatness and success or do you seek comfort in fellow greatness?  Would you rather head a firm ripe with capital and infrastructure, claiming majority ownership shares or is your desired path a near-startup partnership model with a similarly brilliant mind?  I guess since last summer, mindset has been the theme for discussion: how comforting is it to look to that other guy?

What about perception?  We know perception is reality, earning many stars plaudits they probably don’t deserve, based on former rep.  How do you break into that brotherhood where other All-Stars send you texts?  If you are already made, what does it take to accept someone else into the club?  I don’t know if Deron Williams and Dwight Howard are that great of friends, but on the basis of merit at the least, Howard accepts Williams.  What would it take for him to accept Lowry, a younger, healthier player with (I never thought I’d be writing this) strikingly similar production…?  Does pedigree play a role?  Does it hurt you not having been a lottery pick?  What if the coaches do the right thing and select Lowry to make the All-Star team.  Is one All-Star selection enough to gain acceptance in the mind of an established NBA superstar?  Or do you need some level of longevity?  When did Deron Williams become Deron Williams?  (Who can forget Tracy McGrady’s “DeRon played well….is it DeRon?” from the 2007 playoffs.)

What role is played by friendship?  By all accounts, Courtney Lee and Dwight Howard are pretty good friends.  Can friendship suffice to influence an employment decision, particularly when the friend isn’t really a big player in the grand scheme of things…?  Was their shared success with the Magic, in the form of a trip to the Finals, a lasting memory?  In Howard’s mind, was Lee simply a beneficiary going along for the ride he engineered, or did the guard play an indispensable role?

Lastly, who controls the gateways of influence?  What impacts a decision and who are the people helping it be made?  Certainly there are agents and other men in suits of whom we have not heard.  But what do they present?  What is enticing?  Would they present a PowerPoint enumerating statistical documentation of the Rockets’ expected efficiency with Howard in the lineup?  Probably not.  So how do you get across to a star, without the glitz and glamor, and without the big name, that you have what he needs and are the place where he should be if he wants to succeed?  How do you present that in a familial manner?

People bring up Hakeem but who really bases employment upon previous location of a mentor?  It’s not the case of pursuing a doctorate under a desired teacher – Hakeem won’t be here and simply being here won’t somehow facilitate one-on-one training any more than the status quo.  Or is legacy and tradition (Moses, Ralph, Hakeem, Yao, Dwight?) something to consider?

If the Rockets continue on their current path, short of trading for Deron Williams himself, what would it take to convince Dwight Howard to join their team?  What goes on in the mind of a superstar?

The Rockets have won their last six games (I’m writing this before the Minnesota game tonight). Granted, those wins have largely come against the NBA’s worst teams with four of the six registering a combined record of 15 – 50, and with its most recent win coming at home against a Spurs team on the second night of a back-to-back without both Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli, the Rockets’ overtime victory over Portland on January 14^th might be its only significant trophy from this week-long streak.

Houston is doing what all good teams do, beating bad teams. Does that mean the Rockets are a good team now? At this point, I don’t think anyone’s including the men in red on his or her list of early title contenders, and the argument that every win the Rockets garner now puts them further from the elite draft picks who would represent the team’s future success still holds water like the Titanic, but there might be some reason for optimism, even if that optimism is the subjective sort a mother has.

This group is starting to look more comfortable playing together. Despite K-Mart and the Cave Man’s slow starts this season, the additions of Dalembert(BEAR!) and Parsons have brought the defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking that the team’s other starters (ahem, Martin/Scola) generally lack.

And then Kyle Lowry became a one man monster truck rally (does this mean we can start calling him ‘Gravedigger’? I vote, yes).

If the team continues to improve, Rockets fans could be watching playoff games in the Toyota Center for the first time in three years. I know that for those of us who’s expectations are only fulfilled by legitimate title contention, (which is pretty much the reason they play, I understand) a first or second round playoff loss, a lower draft seed, and the strong probability of the same outcome next year just isn’t enough.

I, for one, though, have had a rough couple of months, as both a basketball fan and a human, and I’m personally glad to see the thing that I irrationally care about enjoy a measure of success, even if that measure is small. And while against my better/more logical judgment, I’ll be rooting for this team to win every game it possibly can because pride and dignity are curiously infectious and sometimes even a little is just enough.

Key matchup: Kyle Lowry vs Ricky Rubio

One has surprised the league, while the other one is living up to the hype. Lowry continues to burn the stats sheets and flirt with triple-doubles while Rubio has engineered a supreme passing game that has more than compensated for his lack of athleticism.

X-factor: Goran Dragic

The Rocket’s spitfire backup has been very heady, posting 14 points and four assists against the Spurs. With loaded T’Wolves relievers like J.J. Barea and Wayne Ellington, the Dragon has to step it up on Chinese New Year.

Code Red: Watch out for the Tar Heel. Since Ellington was made into a sixth man six games ago, he has averaged 10.7 points on 61.3% shooting. Michael Beasley remains on the mend with a sprained right foot. Jonny Flynn will be dressed but it is uncertain whether he will face his former team.

Then I needed to know how Parsons felt about being called ‘Chandler Bang.’  I actually like that one.  In fact, I like it so much that I wish my name were Chandler Parsons simply so that I too could be referred to as ‘Chandler Bang.’  He doesn’t seem to care though.

We also talked a little bit about the videos of him on the internet dunking on people.  He’s aware.  I wasn’t rolling tape though.

Finally, I spoke to Patrick Patterson about his ankle surgery.  This was something that had actually been bothering him for some time.  Judging by that PER last season, I never would have guessed it.  Patrick Patterson is this team’s starting power forward.  Luis Scola is just borrowing the title.

By the way, that was Terrence Williams in the background politely asking me to move.  Really nice guy.  Note my sarcasm.

That’s all for today, folks.  Hope you enjoyed.  And remember, never again to ‘The Bear.’