Rockets now in championship mode

The Rockets are looking to welcome the mercurial Ron Artest to their locker room as soon as they can get the trade finalized, which has been reported to be happening Aug. 15.

When the 6-foot-6 forward arrives in Houston, he will bring with him an expectation that will have the franchise looking to bypass the next step.

A lot has been said and written about Tracy McGrady never making it out of the first round of the playoffs, including the last four seasons with Houston, but for him to simply do that next season with the addition of Artest won’t be enough for the fans and media to be content.

Artest gives the Rockets a trio of stars that rivals any other team in the NBA, Boston included. They now have three players capable of averaging more than 20 points per game, and Artest is tough defender that is stronger on the boards than most power forwards and better at getting steals.

The Rockets are getting a top-five small forward in the league. The only one that’s clearly better is Lebron James. After that he could be the next best one, or at least it’s up for debate.

Then you add in factors like Yao Ming, who is arguably the best center in the league, certainly the most complete offensively and McGrady, who might only trail Kobe Bryant as the league’s best shooting guard. This is a star studded team.

Even with all that offense, over 60-points per game’s worth, tt’s going to be tough for the other team’s swingmen to score on the Rockets next season. When Artest comes out of the game, coach Rick Adelman can turn to Shane Battier, who has earned a reputation in the league for his defensive pressure.

Only making it to the second round of the playoffs is no longer a viable goal for the Rockets. Maybe before it would have been an acceptable, viewed as another step in the evolution of Yao Ming, but the Rockets are on another level now.

They are in championship mode. Expectation starts with getting to the second round.

A big question is how Rafer Alston’s game is going to vibe with Artest’s addition. He’s a point guard that was the third scoring option on the team last season. Now he’ll be the fourth option on a team that really doesn’t need him to score anymore. The Rockets might be better suited finding a pass first point guard if they want to go all the way.

That’s the next step now.

The Rockets should be right up there with the Lakers, Jazz, Spurs and Hornets, but off the court is going to be what decides if the Rockets join ranks with those other teams, which were working harmoniously last summer. That’s where Adelman comes into play most.

His style on the court stresses the value of team play.

His off-court style is going to have to do the same thing.