It has been the opinion of this publication that Aaron Brooks is not in actuality as valuable as his reputation would hold. While his numbers imply an improvement (PER), his increased scoring totals can largely be attributed to usage-inflation. Brooks has difficulty against one particular phenotoype (the Rondo-Rose-Westbrook class has given him fits) and has made little improvement in the way of playmaking and passing. Most disturbingly, Aaron Brooks struggles mightily when playing next to Yao Ming; the Oregon standout simply cannot deliver the ball to our centerpiece.
Update on Sunday morning…
Of course, this is not to claim that the Lilliputian has no merits. Brooks is a legitimate ‘weapon’, in every sense of the word, and gives the team an attractive half-court option when constructed sets bog down. I myself argued at length that as complement to Kevin Martin, Brooks’ unique skillset makes the Rockets’ backcourt extremely difficult to defend.
The real issue at hand is of worth. Do Aaron Brooks’ virtues justify the ~$8million he could command next summer? Might his value mean more to the team in a trade?
I had felt that with an acquisition of Chris Bosh, a lineup of Yao-Bosh-Ariza-Martin-Brooks could have challenged for claim as the best in the league and certainly would have vaulted this team into contention. But those were different circumstances.
Bosh’s passing and high-post playmaking could have offset Brooks’ inabilities, allowing the latter to score free of responsibility. Bosh’s height and length could have given hope for masking Brooks’ and Kevin Martin’s defensive weaknesses.
But Bosh signed with Miami and the Rockets subsequently broke the bank in retaining forward Luis Scola. Most observers would agree that the team still needs an upgrade to be taken seriously and with the price paid in keeping Scola, the logical spot would be at the wing. The exile of high-priced small forward Trevor Ariza would lend further credence to that thought.
Carmelo Anthony or not, if acquiring another scorer at the ‘2’ or ‘3’, can the team run smoothly with Brooks in the lineup? Would Yao Ming ever see the ball?
It can be argued that having three perimeter scorers would take pressure off of Yao, forcing defenses to guard him with single coverage. But with backup Kyle Lowry re-signed at a surprisingly high sum, is ~$8million for Brooks efficient allocation of resources? Is it wise to invest so much in a component that doesn’t quite fit with your best piece?
I feel fairly certain that Daryl Morey will not hesitate to “sell high” on Aaron Brooks. This is not to say the team will actively “shop” him; Brooks is far too valuable to willfully discard. But if the right deal comes along, I don’t think there will be too much debate within the offices of the Toyota Center.
I have felt for some time that between the two guards, backup Kyle Lowry is the superior player and more than capable of handling the starting duties. With a plush new contract, in light of the rumors afoot, will he finally get his chance?
Update on Sunday morning:
A reader, Nobody is better than Jordan, writes:
Here we go again with the ceremonial Brooks bashing.
Either Rahat has a personal agenda to target Brooks for some unknown reason, or he’s bored because he doesn’t have Ariza around to pick on anymore.
And to think I would drift over to this blog again so that I could engage in some speculation on the Rockets with or without Melo (however boring that may have already become), it’s gone from being yet another diatribe on Brooks to a prolonged process of putting Brooks in a dirty bag and beating the crap out of him with opinionated hypothetical scenarios. Suggestion: Either find another player to complain about, or just talk crap about another team, but please stop it with the assessing of Brooks, it’s old.
Sigh. I think a few of you missed my overall point. The intent was not to “bash” Brooks – no one is questioning his merits. As I said, he’s a legitimate NBA weapon who meshes beautifully with Kevin Martin to form one of the deadliest backcourts in the NBA.
The intent was to appraise his true worth. Would the roughly $8million he will probably command next season be better spent elsewhere (esp. in light of Lowry’s new deal)? Could the team improve itself “selling high” on his value? If he’s needed in a blockbuster, should he be deemed a deal-breaker? Is it wise to pair a scoring point guard with Carmelo Anthony?
I think these are all legitimate questions given the trade speculation afoot.
