Houston Rockets: The All-Star Quest

Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets are in pursuit of All-Stars. The Rockets are willing to move, release, and trade players in order to achieve the funds necessary to get that All-Star. Rockets general manger Daryl Morey wants, and needs, that All-Star. He needs that All-Star because there is no way to win a NBA title without tat least two All-Stars.

The last team to win a NBA Championship with only one All-Star was the Houston Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon) in 1994. Sam Cassell  a rookie in 94′ went on to become an All-Star in 2004, ten years later.

In 18 years no NBA team has won a title with only one All-Star.

You might as well add another year to the record if the Miami Heat, play the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals. Both teams have four All-Stars, if you count Ray Allen, and Tracy McGrady.

News recently is all about one All-Star with a ton of baggage, Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard is going to be a free agent, and once again the Houston Rockets are a team Howard is interested in. Houston went through this exact same scenario last off-season, but of course that was before the Houston Rockets acquired James Harden.

I am a native Houstonian, I love Houston, and for anyone in Dwight Howard’s tax bracket Texas is a wonderful state. I have also lived in Los Angeles, and the thought of Howard turning down $120 million for 5 years to stay in Los Angeles, and moving to Houston for $90 million and 4 years is a fantasy.

In any profession you choose Los Angeles and $30 million for 5 years over Houston, $30 million less, and 4 years.

You can argue that the Rockets have James Harden and Chandlar Parsons; two young starters that will help make Howard’s 4 year lease fun, and competitive. Compared to the current Los Angeles Lakers roster that started a D-League MVP in the Playoffs, the Rockets look amazing. There is no way of telling when Kobe will return from his achilles injury, but you can be sure it will be earlier then later, and that he won’t appreciate a roster that can’t help him to the Finals.

There are only a few All-Star’s in the 2013 Free-Agency class.

• Dwight Howard
• Chris Paul
• Josh Smith
• Andrew Bynum
• Chauncey Billups
• David West
• Manu Ginobili
• Jerry Stackhouse 
• Tracy McGrady

Of course Ginobili will re-sign with the Spurs, and Chris Paul wouldn’t desert his newly found twin Cliff Paul in Los Angeles. Jerry Stackhouse is an assistant coach, David West and Chauncey Billups are too old, and NBA teams will avoid Andrew Bynum like the plague. No need to mention Tracy McGrady, but that leaves Josh Smith.

Consider hist stats: 17.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.8 blocks, for a 27-year-old combo-forward with no injury history, high versatility, and phenomenal defensive skills. In 2008 Josh Smith signed a $58 million dollar contract with the Atlanta Hawks. If the Rockets give him the same deal its $30 million less then the proposed deal to Howard. Josh Smith would love the Rockets tempo, and the amount of shots he could get up.

Plus this is accetable:

Daryl Morey will not rest till he has the All-Star the Rockets so desperately need.

The hunt for the All-Star continues…