Sports
 

Rockets should wheel and deal

By Richard Whitrock
The Daily Cougar

Making their first playoff appearance in five years, the Houston Rockets have come a long way. But after their short and not-so-sweet five-game showing, one thing is clear -- there is still a long way to go. Thus the Rockets organization enters the NBA off-season with many questions to answer, not the least of which has to do with their roster.

Despite all the clatter on talk radio about getting rid of Steve Francis, the Rockets problems aren't with their lack of a floor general. In fact, a look at Stevie Franchise's first post-season performance (with a one-game exception) shows that not only does he have the point guard everyone hoped for within him, but that Steve is close to becoming that guard.

No -- the Rockets' roster imperfection lies with these two inescapable facts: too many shooting guards and not one true power forward.

All season long, head coach Jeff Van Gundy experimented with lineups designed to cover for these problems. Whether it was using Mark Jackson to allow rotation of Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Jim Jackson at the two spot or his power-forward-by-committee approach with Kelvin Cato, Maurice Taylor, Scott Padgett and Bostjan Nachbar, Van Gundy tried his best to cover for his lopsided roster. In the end, all it achieved was a five-and-out series that could have easily gone the other way with someone to counter Malone.

The million-dollar question for the Rockets, then, is how to fix the logjam at shooting guard and attract a true power forward. 

Perhaps the best power forward in the game right now is Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers, but there's no way the Rockets can get him, right? Not necessarily.

The Clippers are notorious for their penny-pinching ways, and Brand signed a six year, $82 million deal in the summer of 2003, which is certainly a tribute to how much the Clippers want to hold on to him.

But oh, how things change in a year. At the time, no one really expected Kobe Bryant to be exploring his free agency options at the end of the 2003-04 season. No one expected that the Los Angeles Clippers would be in the front running of teams scrambling to sign Kobe. And what exactly are the chances that the Clippers will sign two gargantuan contracts?

The real issue with whether the Rockets will be able to trade for Brand will be in what they have to offer the Clippers and whether it will improve their chances to sign Kobe. 

Here is where the Rockets have an edge.

Offer the Clippers Kobe's fellow Philadelphia native and friend/competitor Mobley, who is three years into a six year, $31 million contract, in exchange for Brand. Taking on Mobley's contract will make room for Kobe's expected monstrosity of a salary. And even though they are both shooting guards, Kobe can easily move over to the three spot.

If the Clippers don't bite right away, there are several things that the Rockets can do to seal the deal. They could offer Kelvin Cato as well, who is in his third year of a $42 million contract, although that would negate the salary room that the Clippers will likely need. Another option is to offer a draft pick or even straight-up cash. There are plenty of ways to sweeten the deal.

Once the Rockets have their hands on a true power forward in Brand, and have some room at the two spot with Mobley gone, the rest of the roster falls quickly into place. Cato, if he is still a Rocket, moves into back-up center and power forward. Maurice Taylor slides to small forward, a position he is far better suited for than the power forward he has been playing off the bench. Jim Jackson is then free to take up his natural shooting guard position. Bostjan Nachbar can back up Taylor and Brand as needed. Everyone on the Rockets roster now holds the position for which they are ideally suited, and they immediately become one of the best teams in the league.

A far-out scenario? Sure. One worth pursuing? Absolutely.

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