Rocket star power
In the NBA, championships are won with stars. The Detroit Pistons did their best to disprove that theory with their recent title, but in all probability, Detroit was the exception and not the rule.
Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves (and Shaquille O'Neal's team – whichever that is) will be the favorites going into next season because of the superstar factor. And with Tuesday's trade for Tracy McGrady, the Houston Rockets now can be added to that list.
Sure McGrady is not Michael Jordan, and his competitiveness has been questioned by many NBA experts. But there's no doubting that he is one of the top five talents in the league. And he will join Yao Ming, the soon-to-be best center in the world, to form a lethal one-two combination.
Houston has other holes to fill – especially in the backcourt – but coach Jeff Van Gundy and company will worry about that later. In the meantime, Van Gundy will concentrate on bringing out the best in McGrady. If any coach can stoke McGrady's competitive fire, it's Van Gundy.
The forgotten man in this trade is Juwan Howard. He will be a wonderful third option for Houston, and his professionalism and work ethic are top notch.
As for the Orlando Magic, the deal brings them two talented guards, albeit ones who are fond of dribbling. Steve Francis has star quality, but the knock on him is that he really is a shooting guard in a point guard's body. He and Cuttino Mobley are explosive, but Houston always wanted to break them up, feeling that they were too much alike. Now Orlando inherits them both, and their task will be to nurture young Dwight Howard.
The trade appears to be a steal for the Rockets, but there's no doubt that the Magic will be better than they were a year ago. Of course, as bad as they were, that shouldn't be too difficult.
