HOUSTON – You want to know why so many Rockets fans regard General Manager Daryl Morey with the sort of reverence typically reserved for monarchs, heads of state and Jedi Knights?
This is why.
Because this changes everything.
Go ahead and mark it down in your journal, diary, dayplanner, or whatever: February, 18, 2010 – the day Morey reshaped the Rockets franchise in one fell swoop as part of a blockbuster three-team trade involving the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks (both of whom, it should be noted, also did well to accomplish their stated goals within the confines of this particular deal).
First, the particulars: Houston receives shooting guard Kevin Martin and center Hilton Armstrong from Sacramento, along with forwards Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill from New York, and the right to swap first round picks with the Knicks in 2011 (top-1 protected) and the outright acquisition of New York’s first-rounder in 2012 (top-5 protected). In return, the Rockets are sending Tracy McGrady to the Knicks and Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and cash considerations to Sacramento.
Take a moment to think about the ramifications of that deal for a minute. Allow it to marinate inside your brain for a bit. Think about what it means for the present. But especially consider what it means for this team going forward. A GM’s job first and foremost is to always operate with the big picture in mind. And today, Daryl Morey just turned that picture into a Picasso.
Make no mistake, Landry is a big loss. He was a consummate Rocket, a fan favorite and a joy to watch. Dorsey, too, showed signs of becoming a player of late. Both will be missed. But as the saying goes, you have to give up something to get something. And this deal was simply too good to pass up.
In Martin, the Rockets have filled a glaring void at the 2-guard spot. And this isn’t simply some band-aid, stop-gap solution. Martin is one of the NBA’s most efficient scoring weapons, a player who drains 3s and draws fouls in bunches, which has allowed him to post a True Shooting Percentage above 60% for four consecutive seasons. In other words, he’s the perfect fit for a team which treats efficiency like it’s the Holy Grail.
And Martin isn’t merely a fit with management only – having played for Rick Adelman during his early years in Sacramento, he should have no problem sliding into the Rockets’ backcourt alongside Aaron Brooks, allowing them to wreak havoc on opposing defenses within Adelman’s motion offense. The pair will be able to play off each other’s strengths – Martin with his superior movement off the ball and Brooks by terrorizing teams with his speed – while punishing those who dare leave them open from beyond the arc. Then look forward to next season and the return of Yao Ming and everything his presence means – on both ends of the court – and try not to be tantalized by the potential of the Rockets’ probable starting five. It’s no easy task, that. In fact, it might be downright Herculean. And for all those constantly clamoring for the Rockets to add size along the frontline, Hilton Armstrong gives Houston a legit 6-11 center.
Only one thing matters right now. Daryl has done it again. And the Rockets are on the rise.
