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.

Artest sinks teams like a rock

How are the Sacramento Kings going to get rid of Ron Artest?

Certainly it’s the right thing to do right now.

When the Kings brought him in as value for trading away Peja Stojakovic, it was another step away from the team that had pushed the Lakers dynasty to the brink of elimination.

The trade signified a switch. They had enough offense to win, but they needed defense and a little toughness — something that wouldn’t fail them in crunch time.

Peja was a major part of a team that had peaked, but when the pressure tightened, so did his shooting wrist. On the court it was a coup for the Kings. Here they were able to land a player who could score regularly enough to lead the team on some nights and there were able to add one of the leagues premiere defensive players along with it.

But off the court it couldn’t have been any worse.

One of the reasons the Pacers wanted to get rid of him anyway was his leading role in the Motown basketball riot of 2004. He had also asked management for some time off at the beginning of the season in order to promote his record label. He wanted to take a month off.

The move out to Sacramento put him closer to prime destination for his entertainment business interests and he seemed to fit in well with the Maloof brothers, the owners of the Kings, who had entertainment interests of their own to worry about outside of the NBA franchise they owned. If anyone would understand what Artest has to go through to promote his record label, it would be those two.

It also made sense because with the way the Western Conference was headed there was no way the Kings were going to be a team that could make it to the NBA Finals by outscoring teams like the Mavs and Kings. They would need someone to beat them up. With Artest and Brad Miller, two of the hottest heads in the league, the Kings weren’t going to get pushed around.

Three seasons later the Kings have failed to win as many games in a season as they did without Artest and now people are starting to realize the 6-7 small forward from New York City is infected with the same thing that Stephon Marbury. It neutralizes their talent on the court and makes their team struggle to win games.

The Kings were 50-32 the year before Artest showed up. They won 44 games in Artest’s first year with the team, and that number dropped to 33 the next year. Last year Sacramento won 38 games and the it was enough for them to venture further away from win-now mode by trading veteran point guard Mike Bibby.

Artest is the next player that needs to go. A youth movement is ready to start in Sacramento. This is Kevin Martin’s team and the young kid from rural eastern Ohio, doesn’t need the boy from New York City flexing his East Coast attitude.

The Kings are in need of a point guard and, with Artest’s departure, a small forward. They have a couple of tough guys at power forward and center and have third-year pro Shelden Williams to groom.

That’s why a deal to the Pistons makes sense for them. Ron Artest for Tayshaun Prince and Chancey Billups. The Detroit Free Press reports that Detroit is interested.

He would give Detroit a psychopath to guard Lebron James.

But it’s not worth it.

Anyone that takes in Ron Artest is destined for failure.

Bulls shouldn't penalize Deng and Gordon for bad season

Before the start of last season it was all good in Chicago.

General Manager John Paxson and the rest of the front office thought they had something special -- and they did. The Bulls were coming off a season in which they swept the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs and then gave Detroit a serious scare after falling behind 3-0 in the series.

“We’re close,” the Bulls thought. “Next year is our year.”

Knowing that two of their key pieces, small forward Luol Deng and reserve guard Ben Gordon, would soon be unrestricted free agents, the Bulls offered them both five year contracts. Over that five years they wanted to pay Deng $57 million and Gordon $50 million.

Deng was shaping up to be a top five small forward in the league. He had averaged a little over 18 points per game and seven rebounds during the regular season, and he had upped his averages in both categories in the playoffs. Against the Heat and Pistons, teams that were coming off Eastern Conference final appearances, Deng raised his averages to over 22 points and eight rebounds. With his bulk, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince didn’t appear to phase him. This, the Bulls thought, was something they could use. They would be one of the few teams that had a player that could play well against Prince.

Gordon was instant offense. In a sixth-man role he averaged 20 points per game during the regular season and 18 points in the playoffs. Sure, he was short, too short to start, but he could score. As long as the Bulls had a player like Gordon to come off the bench they wouldn’t have to worry about an extended scoring drought.

“Here you go,” the Bulls said. “We want you guys around for awhile.”

The Bulls had already locked up point guard Kirk Hinrich and had brought in Ben Wallace to anchor the defense and be the enforcer. Wallace appeared to still have a few good years left. A young power forward in Tyrus Thomas added athleticism and more rebounding. If he didn’t work out, rookie Joakim Noah provided insurance, a young version of energy.

But Deng and Gordon didn’t sign their offers, and who could blame them? Another season like the one they had and teams would be knocking down the door to sign them.

They didn’t the disastrous season on the horizon.

The Bulls fired coach Scott Skiles 25 games into the season. Noah started spouting off at the mouth. The veterans spouted back. Reserve guard Chris Duhon started pouting over playing time. Wallace left in a trade to Cleveland. There was a different starting lineup nearly every night. The record fell into the gutter. No one respected lame duck interim coach Jim Boylan.

And now Deng and Gordon have to pay for it.

They still have the talent and Gordon is only 25. Deng is 23. They can still be part of a bright Bulls future, which includes No. 1 overall pick in Derrick Rose, a Chicago native. The Bulls are not a better team without Deng and Gordon.

A smart move for the Bulls would be to extend Gordon and Deng the same offer they did a year ago. Let bygones be bygones and don’t penalize them for what happened last year.

That would be a sign of fairness. All people want from their employer is to be treated fairly.

With a satisfied Deng and Gordon, along with the nice mix of young players and veterans, the Bulls will have something special to work with once again.