darius – agreed completely. ariza isn't a bad player by any means, as we saw last year. but when he is put in a position to overextend, the results are as what we've seen this year – pretty ugly.

darius – agreed completely. ariza isn't a bad player by any means, as we saw last year. but when he is put in a position to overextend, the results are as what we've seen this year – pretty ugly.

Out of all the players on the Rockets roster (save maybe Battier) I think Trevor will be helped the most by playing with Yao Ming. As you mentioned, Trevor is an excellent slasher and does a marvelous job of reading defenses and timing cuts in order to break open and receive a pass. He's also a pretty good post-entry passer and has shown capable of shooting the open jumpshot when his teammates face a double team or his man sags off him in help situations.

I've always really liked Trevor and was sad to see him go. I think you guys got a keeper, but I do believe he's miscast as a primary scorer on a true contender.

Great post, as usual. Question: what happens with Ariza's value if the Rockets acquire Iguodala ? If Budinger develops as epected and the Rockets do end up with Iguodala, then their best lineup next year might be Yao–Scola and/or Landry–Battier–Brooks–Iguodala, with Budinger being the first option off the bench as a wing player. I don't see a ton of minutes for Ariza, especially if the Rockets continue to Brooks/Lowry at the same time. Another factor: the downside to this year's experiment is that putting Ariza on the bench might be a hard psychological adjustment after playing him 40 minutes per game this year. It seems to me that if the Rockets do get Iguodala, then Ariza (or Battier) is likely to be traded sooner rather than later.

bob – the difference is that chase is actually a skilled basketball player with a very high IQ.

One other stat that concerns me is Ariza's 5 years experience in the league. Seems like his learning curve has been quite slow. By comparison, Budinger has improved dramatically in just a few months while Trevor seems to be stuck in quicksand. I tend to feel that Trevor is about as good as he will be already, maybe a role player but not a go-to guy.

In possible trade scenarios I would include Ariza, but not Scola, Bud, Lowrey, Landry, or Brooks. Predictable good play is key to a good team. Future potential (Ariza) is fool's gold, and I'd hate to see Houston invest in the team's future on that basis. I love this core group of Rockets and will accept what they can produce without complaint while the trade wheels slowly turn. Even if we have to wait until next year for the long-term results……….