What do the Houston Rockets want for Christmas?
I have no idea.
Framed by the recent Blockbuster trades* made by Orlando’s GM Otis Smith, I am anxious, but not nervous, about the somewhat veiled intentions and direction of my favorite team’s front office.
You can read about the intricate aspects of Orlando’s two trades on the internet. I, however, need to take a deep breath and remind myself of some organizational differences between my team and the team it swept into history’s “Finals Appearance” column.
Orlando has Smith (who has done ok – building a team capable of representing a weak conference in the 2009 Finals).
Houston has GM Daryl Morey and a front office comprised of very smart people (whom have built through two inherited, broken superstars).
Orlando has a legitimate superstar in Dwight Howard surrounded by an overpaid cast.
Houston is a team of well priced, complimentary pieces in need of a superstar.
Orlando was expected to continue competing for the Eastern Conference and NBA titles, as had been the case for the past few seasons.
Houston was expected to compete for a playoff spot and a second round appearance after reintegrating Yao into the lineup.
Because of Orlando’s high expectations, Smith is feeling the pressure and reacting to it like my stepdad reacts to shots of liquor: he is throwing up all over himself. Smith is abandoning a plan in the middle of its execution and heading in another direction, yet again.
Abandoning plans seems to be the only contiguous plan Smith is running in Orlando. Leading into this most recent plan, Smith had changed course in equally dramatic fashion. He let go of “engine that stirred the drink” on Orlando’s Eastern Conference Championship team, Hedo Turkoglu, to bring in Vince Carter.
Now he has traded Carter for Turkoglu.
He also traded the league’s second most untradeable contract – Rashard Lewis $19,573,711 this year, $21,136,631 next year and an unguaranteed $22,699,551 in 2012/13. Which was good.
He acquired the league’s most untradeable contract – Gilbert Arenas and his $17,730,694 this year, $19,269,307 next year, $20,807,921 in 2012/13, and $22,346,535 in 2013/14. Which was bad.
Smith has signed the equivalent of an adjustable rate mortgage on a home in a trendy, though speculative, neighborhood. He gambled the long term future of the Magic for an immediate re-haul of a team which was close last year but has underperformed for 25% of a season this year. Rather than wait another 15-20% of the season to allow his squad more time to pull together, he pulled the trigger to acquire one particularly onerous contract (in addition to Turkoglu’s). When that ARM resets to its higher rate, Orlando is going to be staring at an additional year of a bad contract.
I imagine that some Orlando fans are excited about the potential this trade sings. Is that song closer to Queen’s “We are the Champions” or a ballad of the Sirens? Some in Orlando have to be with me in leaning toward the latter. In which case, I wonder how they feel Otis Smith is treating them?
On a recent Bill Simmons podcast, Washington Wizards owner, Ted Leonsis, said he feels the responsibility as caretaker of what is actually property of the city of Washington. He outlined a progression of steps and stated flatly that winning will take time.
Leonsis’ was candid and personable. He was willing to assume the responsibility of a city landmark as long as that city would give him time to build something worthwhile. And he knows the city will give him that time if he is honest and open about the direction in which he will lead.
*Blockbuster is capitalized because most of the big names in the trades were most relevant when Blockbuster Video was relevant. ZING! (you know a joke is good when you have to explain it)
