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Can The Rockets Blast Off With Battier?

Authored by Patrick J. Austin - July 8, 2006 - 6:41 pm

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Draft Night 2006, the Houston Rockets await patiently to announce their selection (#8 overall). One player is on the board that many thought would be gone by #5, at the latest. A long, athletic, McGradyesque forward; a UConn product by the name of Rudy Gay. Most analysts were shocked to see Gay drop to the #8 spot. Rumors were swirling before the draft that he could go to Charlotte at #3 or even be taken with the top choice by Toronto. For him to fall to Houston was a blessing. Most fans were thinking, “Finally, a 3rd uber-talent to play alongside T-Mac and Ming!” And then, the bomb was dropped…

The Houston Rockets traded the rights to Rudy Gay and Stromile Swift to Memphis in exchange for Shane Battier.

This news was met with a resounding, “What the hell!?” by most Rocket fans. Shock, disbelief, and anger engulfed Houston. It just didn’t make sense. How can someone as savvy as Carroll Dawson give away a potential star and the team’s most athletic big man in return for, let’s be honest, just a good role player? He must know something we don’t because on the surface, this looks like a horribly lopsided trade that weakens the Rockets substantially. Battier’s a nice player, but in 2 years Gay could be just as good, if not better, and dealing away Swift means the Rockets will have to rely on Juwan Howard to man the 4 spot (not good).

But alas, what’s done is done. We must look forward and try to find the positive in this situation. And believe it or not, there are positives. The Rockets acquired arguably the best role player in the league. Shane Battier is the consummate “team guy” and will fit into Jeff Van Gundy’s system like a glove. He plays fantastic defense, has a consistent jumper, and likes the do the little things for a ball club. He’ll have the duty of covering the opposing teams best perimeter player which will give McGrady the freedom to focus on offense. His energy and hustle will be a welcome change from the passive play of Ming and the seemingly lackadaisical attitude T-Mac can’t help but exude. So be rest assured, Shane will make the Rockets a better team next season.

We also can’t discount the uncertainty surrounding Rudy Gay. For all his talent and potential, the kid is question mark. He seemed to disappear in big game situations and never put up great numbers in college. There’s always the chance he could just be a tease; someone with amazing physical abilities but lacking the mental fortitude to utilize those abilities properly. In addition, the Rockets rid themselves of the disappointing Stromile Swift. Yes, Stromile was the team’s most athletic big man but he didn’t fit into Van Gundy’s system. Plus, he never really meshed with Yao Ming on the frontline. It’s become clear the team needs a banger at the 4 spot to pair with Ming, not a jump-and-dunk player like Swift.

As you can see Rocket fans, there are reasons to feel optimistic about the upcoming season. Shane Battier is a good player who’ll improve the team immediately. Could we wind up regretting this trade in 2-3 years? Sure. But for now, the Rockets added an essential piece to the puzzle and will be more competitive in ’06-07. That should be enough…for now.