The Nuggets loss is the Rockets gain...

by Andrew Feinstein on Jul 29, 2008 7:53 PM MDT

It's pretty much official: Ron Artest is now a Houston Rocket. Artest - a guy Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman were ready to trade for last season but George Karl negated bringing to Denver - will make the Rockets significantly better. Throw in the addition of Brent Barry to spread the floor and Houston, if healthy, might be a top three team in the West. So we can just add them to the list of Western Conference teams the Nuggets will be lucky to beat once next season.

Since being promoted to head GM in May of 2007, the Rockets' Daryl Morley has hired Rick Adelman as head coach, traded second round pick Sasha Kaun (who?) for second rounder Carl Landry, traded Vassilis Spanoulis (another who?) and a future second rounder for Luis Scola, signed Dikembe Mutombo, extended Luther Head, signed Brent Barry and has now acquired Ron Artest for the nominal price of Bobby Jackson and a future first round pick while only adding about $2 million more to their salary cap position.

If Mr. Warkentien is serious about playing chess, I suggest he take lessons from Mr. Morley.

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So everyone is improving on a daily basis. T-Mac, Yao and Ron-Ron...that's a squad right there.

While we sit around signing people for the NBA minimum, the rest of the West is bulking up. This could be a long season.

by ThaAnswer on Jul 29, 2008 8:50 PM MDT reply actions

This makes the Camby deal look even worse. The Rockets take a step into the upper echelon of the Western Conference, making a strengthened Clippers team even that much more of a threat to steal the eighth seed that the Nuggets seem so fond of. Not to beat a dead horse here, but if all we were going to get was a salary dump, wasn't there a team in the East that was willing to take Camby for a possible second round swap (a.k.a. a ham sandwich)?
The top seven spots are basically settled (Hornets, Spurs, Lakers, Suns, Jazz, Mavs, and Rockets), so we're left hoping for an Olympic injury or an underperforming Clippers team for the honor of being on the receiving end of a first round sweep next year. When all is said and done, the Nuggets will be lucky to have a better record than the Blazers in 08-09. Ugh.

by rauf is on fire on Jul 29, 2008 9:10 PM MDT reply actions

I said to my friends and a lot of people in some chat rooms a few months ago that the Rockets would win the championship next year. Everyone just laughed. This just solidifies my case even further. The Rockets have all the keys needed to win a championship and play some of the best D in the league. Add Artest and that is the best defensive team in the league. Yao is the best center hands down, T-Mac is the neccesary multiple appearance all star and artest is the lock down defender every team needs. Not to mention Scola, who is also a great defender and rebounder, Skip-to-my-Lou who is a solid PG and a great bench of role players. Here is how the west will shape out next year. Look who's laughing now!!!

1. Rockets
2. Hornets
3. Lakers
4. Jazz
5. Spurs
6. Suns
7. Mavs
8. Umm...Nuggets?

Looks like another early exit is on the horizon. Sad but true.

by goldennugget on Jul 29, 2008 9:27 PM MDT reply actions

So this is to Eric from the previous post who asked me to post a link to the video of our star players getting wasted (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRippo04Utw). Well this is on youtube and contrary to what I said they arn't exactly getting wasted, but in fact already achieved that goal. I don't know how to make the link translate to words like Andrew does but if it doesn't work just go to youtube and type in "Allen Iverson & Carmelo Anthony Don Juan Hitman Shout Out".

PS: Listen to Melo's comments towards the end about his teammates. They are pretty funny.

by goldennugget on Jul 29, 2008 9:58 PM MDT reply actions

I dont think Artest is a nuggets loss at all to be honest. Granted hes a great player, He only played 57 games last season due to various injuries. Also , can you imagine AI, melo, JR, kenyon, AND ron artest in the same locker room?!? And imagine those guys hitting the club after a loss to the sonics... Yikes! With how much upside and potential Kleiza has im suprised so many people are willing to let him go. The young core of JR/Melo/LK is going to suprise alot of people this season and hopefully many to come.

by CHaugh on Jul 29, 2008 10:10 PM MDT reply actions

Does this mean Shane Battier is on the market? Can we kick the tires?

by Anonymous on Jul 30, 2008 3:11 AM MDT reply actions

goldennugget youre an idiot. solidifies your case even more? pfft. did you know this trade was gona go down that few months ago. heck rockets would be nowhere near a championship without ron ron there. artest makes them contenders NOW. not a few months ago when you were arguing with your chat room friends.

anyway. shane battier wouldnt fit here. behind LK JR Melo no way would we fit any minutes at all. and he sucks at the 4 spot.

by andrew fisher on Jul 30, 2008 6:03 AM MDT reply actions

hey andrew. i hear rumours about a three-way deal between the knicks, clippers and our nugs!

im not too sure how strong these rumours are but apparently...

new york would get: marcus camby from LA, allen iverson from denver

denver gets: david lee and stephon marbury from NY

LA get: zach randolph

thats the main parts of the deals. im not too sure how it goes. but i hear theyre talking bout this !

by andrew fisher on Jul 30, 2008 6:10 AM MDT reply actions

Goldennugget is right - Houston was one of the best teams in the League last year, top 3 D and not half bad on offense in the second half of the season. They ripped off the second most consecutive wins in league history, and were a Yao injury away from having a shot to really compete. That said, I'm not sure Artest makes them that much better. They already have Battier who contrary to conventional thought may be a better defender. Also, Artest NOTORIOUSLY breaks plays on offense, which is not smart when you have T-Mac and Yao already, plus Batteir, Rafer and Head to space the floor and Artest is a lousy shooter from 3. He did love playing for Rick Adelman though so maybe this will work, but seems to simply create a log jam at the forward spot - you can't have him and Battier on the floor together with Yao and TMac very often.
That said, Rockets were going to be really good this year (assuming a healthy Yao) anyway, and getting Artest doesn't change that part of it.

by Eric B on Jul 30, 2008 7:25 AM MDT reply actions

On that rumored trade, not sure how true it would be, and the Clippers would have to send out another 2.5M or so in salary to make the cap numbers work (they could toss in Jason Hart), but it kinda makes sense. Knicks get rid of Zach Randoph's contract to help them get under the cap in 2010 after Camby expires, AI to sell tickets and Camby who was well liked when he was in NY before. Nuggets get D. Lee who is a solid player and would probably start at the 4 spot ahead of KMart (although he's not a good defender). If the Nuggets are planning to let AI walk anyway, bringing in Steph to sit on the bench and be a cancer in the locker room doesn't seem like that bad an alternative. It makes the Nuggets younger and more athletic up front and Lee is a great rebounder. Nuggets may even buy out Marbury at that point as well...
As for the Clippers - they had interest in Zach before they got Camby - made virtually the same offer to the Knicks as they did to the Nuggets and NY said no.
That said, I'd doubt it actually goes down and I think that the teams would have to wait until Camby becomes tradable again - rule is something like 90 days before he can be included in a multi-player trade.

by Eric B on Jul 30, 2008 7:34 AM MDT reply actions

I will throw up if we acquire Marbury and let future HOF'er Iverson walk.

That deal is probably one of the worst concoctions I've ever seen, which scares me because that makes it all the more likely to go down with this management team.

I also don't think Artest to HOU makes me any more weary of the Rockets than I was last year... which wasn't much. You can count on T-Mac's back or knees to act up, or Yao's injuries to shine thru on an annual basis and that team ain't goin anywhere.

Actually, the bright side of the deal is that this really swamps the Kings... at least we won't really have to worry about them scratching at our heels for the 8th seed!

And thanks for the link goldennugget, Imma go check it out now.

by Eric on Jul 30, 2008 9:16 AM MDT reply actions

Amazing... Ron is a Rocket... He should have been a Nugget. Karl just utterly F'ed this team up, on the court and in the front office. Everybody's saying Artest would be a problem for an already problematic Lockeroom yet, the Nuggets Lockeroom wasn't a problem. Individuals had problems but not in the Lockeroom. And somebody needs to beat the daylights out of the Sacramento & Grizzlies Frontoffices for giving premium talent to already talented teams for next to nothing.

by chillz on Jul 30, 2008 9:18 AM MDT reply actions

Artest is more of a thug than any of the current nuggets. We don't need that kind of person on the nuggets. So we aren't losing out on anything. Every time Artest gets traded there is all kinds of uproar and hoopla over him. What did he do for Sacramento? All he is known for is him jumping into the stands and attacking that fan. And him skipping practice so he can make his rap album. The guy is a loser and won't do anything for the rockets except screw with their chemistry. I guarantee it!

by Artest Sucks on Jul 31, 2008 9:21 AM MDT reply actions

Comments For This Post Are Closed

STIFF LIST (as of 4/26 by Andrew Feinstein)

1. METTA WORLD PEACE

Metta resorted back to Ron Ron last Sunday by clubbing James Hardenwith an "inadvertent celebratory elbow", landing him a 7-game suspension. Apparently, changing his name didn't prevent NBA commissioner David Stern from overlooking Metta's past behavior problems.

2. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

The 'Cats are on the verge of securing the worst winning percentage in NBA history. Given that the guy who runs the team - Michael Jordan - had previously drafted Kwame Brown and Adam Morrison, should this really be a shock?

3. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
The team that was supposedly built to overcome the lockout-shortened season managed to lose 7 of its last 14 games, ceding the Western Conference's 1-seed to the Spurs in the process. Their reward might be a first round matchup with defending champion Dallas.

4. BILLY HUNTER AND DEREK FISHER

With report after report coming out about NBPA union head Hunter's shady, nepotistic dealings and questions arising about Fisher's own role in dealing with NBA owners behind Hunter's back during the lockout, this off-the-court scandal could prove to be more exciting than the playoffs themselves!

5. STEVE NASH AND THE PHOENIX SUNS
The Suns are on this list for squandering the last few great seasons from Nash. Nash is on this list for his stupidly stubborn loyalty to a franchise as awful as the Suns.