Is it me or has anyone been rendered more irrelevant in a shorter amount of time than Tracy McGrady? I’ve been watching this Houston franchise the last few years in the playoffs just roll over and die. And every year it’s the same pre-season spiel. Maybe this is the year that the Rockets put it together. Well this year it finally was. But it’s thanks to the selfless play of guys like RonRon and Battier, as well as a young roster who was ready to do into battle and fight with honor.
That wasn’t the point to this article though. I was looking moreso to talk about the Eastern Conference playoffs. Earlier Sunday afternoon, John Saunders said last rites over the Detroit Pistons 2008-2009 season. For those of you who don’t know, Cleveland ended the Pistons season in a particularly unspectacular sweeping motion. When I heard Saunnie proclaim the death of the Pistons today I thought he got it wrong.
The Pistons were dead the day they traded C-Bill for AI. C-Bill, as it turns out, was the heart and soul of this mini-dynasty they had kicking in MoTown. He took the big shots, he ran the show and he made sure all the egos enmeshed and worked properly. AI needed the rock more than made Rip an efficient player. Then he took Rip’s spot and it just seemed to put the team down.
That pretty much sucks, because you’re looking at a squad in transition. Tay still has a bit of fight left in him. At least enough to play the KG-ish role on another championship caliber team. Stuckey might be able to be the guy to lead a team in the right direction, so long as he doesn’t have to deal with Mr. WeTalkinBoutPractice and Mr. CTC.
I’m not bashing AI and ‘Sheed to make them look like the villains of the Western world. They’re two of my favorites and I think they can bring a lot to the table in the right situation. I think that situation exists for Rasheed. Off the top of my head, I don’t know where it is. I think he’d be a fine fit for somewhere that has a strong alpha male. I think Phoenix could be intriguing for ‘Sheed. They’ve got enough of the good guys to keep him in line. And he could be hella useful in a modified SSOL-system. (I had started to write that he COULD return to Portland, but there isn't enough of an Alpha yet up there to keep him in check.)
AI is a tougher sell at this point. Where can he go? A team like OKC isn’t even an option because he needs the ball too much and they have too many impressionable youths that he could outright ruin. I don’t think he’s willing to play second fiddle to anyone. And that’s the main problem for him. Charlotte might could work for him, but that’s assuming Jordan has anything to do with the Bobcats and would be around to impart some wisdom for Alley Eye. Memphis maybe would work because they’re just a side show at this point, same as Iverson.
Granted, upon further review, the Billups trade makes sense from a financial standpoint. Those last two come off the books this year to the tune of some $30M. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me nor do I know what Chauncey’s deal is worth. There is one thing that I’m willing to bank on though – Joe D’s knowledge of what he’s doing with his squadron. I’d go out on a limb to wager that he’s ready to hand the reigns over to Rodney, get a couple more good years out of Rip and Tay, watch Maxiell, Will Bynum and Afflalo grow, see if this Kwame Brown experiment pays dividends and let McDyess step into the big brother role. Then move on a big name this summer, coupled with a solid draft. Or hell even use the cash considerations to buy a lottery pick from a cash strapped team and develop the hell out of someone.
That thought process might not fit into the life plan of Richard Hamilton. But I think there is enough of a market for Rip that you can even move him despite his one year price tag of $11M+. He could be that guy who pushes a team thisclose over the edge. Imagine him on a one year rental in Houston, Portland or NO. I’m not going to consider anyone from the East because I don’t think Joe D wants to knowingly give a guy like Rip to a potential foe. Imagine Rip in Miami – I think Dwyane Wade would like that muy mucho.
What the hell was I saying? Oh yea, I was lamenting that the demise of the Pistons extended back to the original Billups trade. Today was merely the lowering of the casket and the last few months were an extended wake, allowing the rest of the L to see the corpse of the team that has contended for the Eastern Conference title the last 6 year running. Today we said goodbye to a friend that we really lost a while back when the cancer (Iverson) took over and became inoperable (taking Rip's spot). It was also so fitting that ‘Sheed just walked out after the game. No memorable quotes or nothing. He just walked out of the locker room, headphones at his temples. Good bye Rasheed, here’s to seeing you in the desert next fall…
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