Photo Credit: panamericanonline.com
At 28-25, the Houston Rockets have surprised the basketball world this season. They’re not only winning with what seemed prior to the season to be a flawed roster, but they’re essentially set for the future with James Harden under contract through 2018.
But let’s take a step back. The Rockets have a bright future with Harden and a handful of other role players under their ownership. In hindsight, the Rockets are competing in the present, too. No, they aren’t a powerhouse, but one addition to an already capable core of Jeremy Lin and Harden could put them into the elite category.
However, general manager Daryl Morey doesn’t sound willing to make the big splash to put the Rockets over the top, at least for this season.
Morey spoke to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle last month, saying, “Except if something unexpected comes along, someone signed that is very good and wants to be moved, we plan to keep our flexibility as an available destination for whatever free agent is available in July,”
Translation: Josh Smith or Carlos Boozer, both of whom have been linked to the Rockets in past weeks, will likely not be dealt to Houston.
Rockets fans probably want to see the big move. After all, this team wasn’t expected to do much damage at all in an uber-competitive Western Conference, yet they own the eighth seed. So it’s only natural of the fans to crave more and more would be adding someone like Smith or Boozer to put the team over the top.
Realistically, the Rockets are playing with house money, though. Anything they accomplish will be earmarked as a bonus because this was supposed a year where all the newly added pieces mesh. Now that it’s shaping up to be a year where they can compete, Morey and his crew is in a tough position: Do you go for the championship or stay put?
As already noted, Morey has chosen the latter route and he’s wise to choose that avenue.
Don’t be mistaken, the Rockets will be contenders for a good part of the next decade because 2012-13 isn’t a one-year act. They simply peaked earlier than most pundits expected.
Houston’s roster does have its defects that need to be addressed before being considered championship contenders. But, these holes can be addressed on this year’s free-agent market that includes a multitude of quality front-line help.
For instance, instead of exchanging a quality player now for Smith, they can wait a few more months and use money instead of players to obtain him. This would probably suit the Rockets better, as they do have a significant amount of money to spend.
Feigen notes that the Rockets have enough space to add at least one max contract. Whether that may be Smith, Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson is up to them. Though the point is that they have a lot of flexibility, which, if they use correctly, could set them up to be championship contenders for the next few years instead of going for it all now.
That’s because, frankly, a championship is a long shot for the Rockets this year. If Houston manages to hang on and make the playoffs, then that’s a win in their books and it’s also something they can accomplish with their current roster if nothing dramatic happens.
Since they’re basically playing with house money, making the big splash now would also burden the Rockets with higher expectations. They’d then be in a position where winning would become an expectation and their season could go from impressive to disappointing just like that.
Morey is definitely in a tough situation because the Rockets are on the verge of competing with the big boys out West. However, the amount of opportunities that will be available to them in the offseason is a chance not worth risking by adding a mega-player at the trade deadline.
Be patient, Houston.
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