Laws for Sale

Since it’s no secret that American companies are clamoring for a life preserver to buoy them from the whirlpool of economic recession, there is a need for policymakers to expand their thought process beyond the concept of billion dollar loans and extensive borrowing.

While it is important to consider the consequences of an industrial collapse, the idea of floating loans now will result in an exponentially greater financial setback down the road. Neither on a macro or microeconomic level have we as Americans grasped the idea of spending within our means, so if we’re transferring the balance on our massive federal debt, it’s unreasonable to assume that the next generation will have learned to do anything except attempt to pass the debt onto their children and grandchildren.

If automakers are in need of over $25 billion in loans, the financial markets require a $700 billion cash injection, and countless other groups are lining up on the Capitol steps with their hats in hand, it’s apparent that more drastic measures should be considered.

One such concept to consider is the open sale of nonviolent, borderline ethical laws by private citizens. What if Bill Gates and Warren Buffet pooled together $30 billion of their own money in exchange for fewer restrictions on stem cell research? Or maybe a team of casino owners could team up to write a $25 billion check that allows for relaxed gambling laws nationwide. Certainly there could be a number that Coors, Anheuser Busch, and Miller Brewing Company would be willing to pay in order to drop the minimum drinking age to 20, and maybe an even greater number to lower it to 19.

Whether you agree or not on the aforementioned issues, tough economic times can lead to a reconsideration of our morals. After all, how many people would be willing to ban abortion if they were offered $1000 in cash on the spot? How many people would be willing to allow abortions if they were offered the same amount of cash? Remember that many of our laws are already for sale with lobbying groups as the salesmen, so why not consider the same idea on a different scale?

The Lebron Block

It begins so unsuspectingly with the makings of an open court layup. But while that dribbler has his eyes on the rim, his previously assumed uncontested layup gets swatted off the glass from behind by a defender. This move is arguably the most exciting type of blocked shot available to the viewer because it manages to combine the excitement of an outlet pass so perfectly tossed that it leaves the basket wide open, but compounding that scenario with a defender that is racing back in pure desperation, makes for either an exciting block, or a flailing rocket of arms and legs right into the crowd.

Until the 2008-2009 season, successful attempts at blocking a fast break layup from behind were few and far between. Some people remember the image of Tayshaun Prince successfully chasing down Reggie Miller in game 4 the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. But that play was only possible because Tayshaun is built with arms hanging down to his ankles. It’s very hard to chase down a dribbler while also maintaining any sense of trajectory on where the ball is headed.

Fortunately for Lebron James, he is ambidextrous, usually faster than his opponent, and can certainly jump higher, so he stays balanced while beating the dribbler towards the rim. Mr. James showed promise at this move a year ago, but this season has become an absolute hawk. The Cavs’ increased pace from last season has inevitably lead to a reciprocation of fast break attempts, but Lebron is smart enough to see the break develop, and quick enough to block several shots from behind each game.

The propensity of Lebron’s hands getting to the rim before his opponents’ has helped add another layer to the Cavaliers. Their defense has received some aggressive tweaks and twists from head coach Mike Brown in order to take advantage of Cleveland’s desire to push the ball more. But Lebron’s ability to hunt players down in the open court is a perfect complement to his aggressive offensive style, and makes him considerably more dynamic as a player. It’s also arguable that Lebron is already the greatest ever at this move. Michael Jordan was certainly a predator on defense, but he feeded more on his opponents ballhandling skills in order to force steals. And Bill Russell was certainly a better shotblocker in the half court, but he never possessed Lebron’s speed and leaping ability needed to hunt down speedy guards.

It’s imaginable that ten more seasons of Lebron protecting the rim from half court will result in “The Lebron Block” being standard nomenclature. But sports writers are sometimes slow to accept a term until it takes place in a climactic enough scenario, such as an NBA Finals game, or several NBA Finals games. And maybe that is deserving. If Lebron is truly the greatest fast break shot blocker ever, the opportunity for him to prove how far he has come on defense will eventually present itself.

NBA after week 1: Cleveland Cavaliers

After one week into the NBA season, it’s become rather clear that a completely healthy Cleveland Cavaliers team is, at worst, the second best team in the Eastern Conference.

For the first time in his career, Lebron has a real team

Offense

Anyone who has seen the Cavs play at any point prior to this season knows how anemic and underdeveloped their offense has been. Most play sets revolved around Lebron running an isolation play at the top of the key, waiting for a big man to come out and set a screen, before he gallivants towards the rim, violently drawing contact and either finishing from up close, or violently drawing contact and kicking the ball to an outside shooter. But not this year.

The addition of Mo Williams would not have been a dealbreaker for most teams, but Williams is an excellent fit with Lebron not just because he can shoot, but also because he can take over ballhandling duties, allowing Lebron to receive the ball in other places besides 30 feet from the basket.

The Cavs have James playing about 8 minutes per game at power forward, which not only gets him the ball in scoring position, it has also been an attempt to cover up their low post scoring deficiencies. So far this move has worked very well, as James is fast enough that he can beat his man down the court, and get into an advantageous position on the low block. Plus he’s strong enough that opposing big men can’t simply back him down on the other end.

Moving Lebron to the 4 hasn’t been the only change for Cleveland this year, as it’s pretty clear that Cleveland emphasized ball movement and passing during training camp.  Making the extra pass has been a priority, and so far, the Cavs rank second in the east in field goal shooting percentage, third in scoring per game, and first in the east in points per shot.

Almost down to a man, Lebron’s supporting cast has improved from a training camp of offensive coaching. G Daniel Gibson has developed a nice catch-and-shoot move from the corners of the foul line, G Delonte West’s field goal percentage is over nine percent higher than last year , and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is taking a greater advantage of his 7′3″ height, which has improved his passing considerably. But the biggest improvement has been made by Anderson Varejao, who has lost at least 20 pounds, and can now finish around the basket with considerable force, shooting over 60% from the field; a 14% improvement from last season. He has developed his jumpshot as well, to the point that he is able to bring his defender out to 17 feet, which clears up the lane to either put the ball on the floor, or pass to a cutting Lebron.

Anderson Varejao has improved on offense

Defense

The Cavs have continued to defend well by outrebounding their opponents (5th in the NBA), rotating well, and cutting off the three point shot. Their rebounding differential is +4.4, and their point differential is +6.6, which ties them with Boston for 5th in the league. The major difference between this season and last, has been the aggressive use of Mo Williams as an on-ball defender. Head coach Mike Brown is still in the process of teaching Williams how to use his quickness to consistently pressure the ball, but so far, the 7.9 steals per game that the Cavs are putting up, is higher than the 7.1 from a year ago.

And although Lebron has been playing 4.4 fewer minutes than last season, his rebounding numbers have gone up, and his defense has gone from very good to elite. He’s now one of the 10 best defenders in the league, and has become extremely difficult to score on, due to his size, and his ability to swat layups off the glass from behind.

Intangibles

Lebron sacrificed a summer of mid-range shooting practice in order to win a gold medal with the USA olympic team, but the mental fortitude gained from training and watching game film with the likes of Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant has helped James understand the role that an MVP must play on his team. So far, Lebron has been getting his stats, but he’s been effective at “managing” his team; content to let his teammates score when the offense is clicking, and taking the game over when they need him. This has resulted in a 5-2 record, with the only two losses coming on the road in Boston and New Orleans.

So unless an injury derails this Cavs team, it’s a safe bet that the Detroit Pistons switching out their starting point guard will result in enough transition losses for Cleveland to swoop in for their first division title in over 20 years. And considering that the Cavs have improved, all it takes is for a slight slip by Boston for Cleveland to claim its second Eastern Conference title in three years.

NBA Trade Alert: Billups to Denver, Iverson to Detroit

Allen Iverson lays it all on the line, for better or worse, in every game

Detroit Pistons PG Chauncey Billups and PF Antonio McDyess were traded to the Denver Nuggets today, in exchange for G Allen Iverson. The deal, which is expected to be finalized later today, provides the shakeup that Pistons GM Joe Dumars had promised earlier in the summer, after Detroit was eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dumars, apparently convinced that his core group of Billups, G Richard Hamilton, SF Tayshaun Prince, and PF/C Rasheed Wallace had reached its ceiling in terms of success, has found a trading partner in Denver that makes over the playing style for both teams.

Allen Iverson will be able to step in and provide a higher scoring average and a deadly crossover that has kept the lightning quick guard a step ahead of his defender for 13 NBA seasons. Billups, on the other hand, provides the Nuggets with a more stable half-court option, as well as a refined all-around game. But while there are advantages for both teams, there are also disadvantages as well.

Chancey Billups: Floor General

Denver

Pro: At 32, Billups is coming off of an excellent year in which he shot over 40% from three-point range, and over 90% from the line. Billups is a master at drawing fouls late in the game, and is a strong, savvy defender, which has made Detroit one of the hardest teams to catch in the fourth quarter. He is also a better passer than Iverson, and doesn’t turn the ball over. Additionally, because Billups can shoot, and is tall for his position, he will likely be effective for the duration of his contract. In general, “Mr. Big Shot” may be the most complete two-way point guard in the league today.

PF/C Antonio McDyess, despite being included for salary purposes, is an underrated addition to Denver’s bare cupboard front line. Since the 2004-2005 season, Denver’s front line of Nene and Kenyon Martin have played an average of 34 and 50 games, respectively per season, so adding a competent big man who can knock down a mid-range jumpshot will help the team transition into more of a half-court offense.

Con: Billups plays fewer minutes per game than Iverson, putting some additional pressure on backup Anthony Carter. Billups’ contract also runs three years longer than Iverson’s, with about $38 million being owed to him after this season. This development is detrimental to Denver’s previous trade, that sent starting center Marcus Camby to the LA Clippers for nothing other than cap relief. Had the Nuggets retained Camby’s services, they would be competing with Utah for the Northwest Division crown, and subsequently, a top-four playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Detroit

Pro: Despite being an eyelash over 6 feet tall, Allen Iverson brings a big time scorer’s mentality to a team that has been getting its points by committee. Iverson is quicker and better in transition than Billups, meaning he will be able to create more open looks for Richard Hamilton. Iverson and Hamilton are likely the quickest backcourt in the NBA, and should result in a faster pace than what the Pistons are used to. This move also carves out a larger role for G Rodney Stuckey, whose size will be utilized more on the defensive end.

Con: Iverson’s defensive acumen is based on his elite quickness, while Billups could always use his strength to prevent bigger guards from posting him up. Whenever Billups would get burned by a quicker guard, Rip Hamilton would simply slide over to the point. Now the Pistons run the risk of losing the strength battle on the perimeter, while also losing the rebounding battle.

Conclusion

It’s hard to find a more complete player than Chauncey Billups. He’s a good player on both ends, can play on or off the ball, and is the only elite point guard to have played a significant role on a championship team. He won’t beat Allen Iverson one-on-one, but he’s stable as a table, and is going to provide the outside shooting and defense that Denver needs.

Detroit is receiving an injection of energy with this trade. Iverson’s scoring can keep pace with anyone, and his lack of size won’t be as much of an issue in the East, as the Celtics and the Cavaliers start point guards at or around Iverson’s height. Plus, even if Iverson and Detroit are a bad fit, the two can part ways at the end of the season, with the Pistons having successfully cleared the way for Rodney Stuckey, having jettisoned an expensive guard in his 30s.

This trade is interesting, because it involves the swapping of philosophies, but the lingering fact is that Denver and Detroit are on opposite ends of the offensive spectrum when it comes to how they get their points. Detroit plays one of the slowest paces in the league, and they’re adding a guy who has spent the last few years on a team that tries to run its opponents off the court. And because Iverson needs the ball in his hands in order to be effective, there will likely be some hiccups along the way as the rest of the members of Deeetroit basketball learn to push the pedal to the floor.

The upshot to this trade is that the infusion of Iverson into the Pistons’ starting lineup will cost Detroit some wins, and likely the Central Division crown. Denver, on the other hand, is still at best, in the lower half of the Western Conference, likely meaning a first round playoff series on the road, and far less cap relief to rebuild over the offseason.

Funny Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween! Unlike most holidays, Halloween is great because it’s all-American, great for parties, loaded with processed sugar, and gives ladies a free pass to dress like prostitutes. It’s also one of the few holidays that doesn’t make any grandiose or righteous claims, and is out of the closet about the fact that it’s popular because of its commercialism (I’m looking at you Christmas). Halloween joins New Years Day, and the July 4th as great holidays because you can act like a fool and have a good time with friends, without the obligations that come attached (I’m looking at you again Christmas).

Listed below are some funny costumes I found while googling far less important items:

1. Giving Birth: The Costume!

Pro: Brilliantly disturbing, good teamwork.
Con: Hard to drink your beer, logistical nightmare getting around the party, it’s a vagina, not a clown car.

2. Bioshock Costume

These things are a little too creepy to look this realistic

Pro: Incredibly realistic to the fictional game…if that makes sense.
Con: This looks like it took a disturbing amount of time and welding.

3. Naughty Ghostbuster Costume

Pro: Finally, fighting ghosts is sexy again! Includes tiny proton pack and massive boobs.
Con: Since when was ghostfighting sexy in the first place?

4. Alien Baby Costume

Pro: The look on this baby’s face…priceless.
Con: Aliens murdering babies was more of a 2007 trend.

5. Shark Eating Man Costume

Pro: Good work on the legs. Real-life scary.
Con: Scary, but not spooky. Dangling legs hinder vision/drinking.

6. Greenman!

Pro: Any chance to include a plug for the brilliant show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is a chance I’m willing to take. For information on ordering one of these guys, check out this link.
Con: While it’s hard to drink, this costume is so cool that there is no real con.

7. Kissing Booth

Pro: Clever way to get some kisses from the ladies. Plus a few from the lads.
Con: Herpes. ‘Nuff said

8. Fart-O-Meter

Pro: None
Con: A whole night of people farting in your face? Just remember, you brought this on yourself.

9. Barrell of Monkeys

Pro: Adorable and warm. Ladies, it’s cold on Halloween. Eventually you’ll see somebody wearing this, and begin to regret wearing your slutty bumblebee costume.
Con: Probably not as much attention from the opposite sex as the slutty bumblebee is getting.

10. Barbie Doll Costume

Pro: Clever and attention grabbing.
Con: Good luck doing anything in this costume, including drinking a beer, getting through doorways or going to the bathroom.

11. Outhouse Costume

Pro: Unique. It’s unlikely anyone else will be an outhouse.
Con: There’s a 50/50 chance someone will try to poop on your chest.

12. Facebook Costume

Pro: Clever, instantly recognizable
Con: As if human interaction didn’t already have enough facebook

Barack Obama is a US Citizen

Barry-O versus the volcano...of ignorance!

Watch out USA, because despite the “facts” and “information”, Barack Obama is actually a Muslim Kenyan Jew who was really born in Indonesia.

I talk to a lot of people who refer to Obama as “Osama Obama”, and make the claim that the Illinois Senator needs to provide proof that he is actually a US citizen. These calls would be a lot more humorous if I knew that these woefully ignorant individuals weren’t dragging themselves out of their caves every November in order to vote. Note: those I refer to come from people outside of Georgia’s 10th district.

You see, it’s not the Democrats, the Republicans, or even the candidate that deserves blame for being able to win over the mush of pork scraps and trimmings that calls itself a constituency. Disparaging a political party for accepting votes from ill-informed beings would be like blaming someone for finding free money on the ground. Instead, the blame rests on the shoulders of the voters.

Any number of people could open an actual newspaper, be it the Washington Post or the Washington Times, and see no reference towards the allegations that Barack Hussein Obama is not a US citizen. Even the AM radio folks, who love a good argument, keep these allegations at arms length, asking only for the truth. So it’s impossibly difficult to tell me that the media moves and steps in such unison as to suppress a goldmine of a story such as the possibility of an impostor making it this close to the presidency. Breaking information like that would be a career piece. Not just a career “I just got my own office” piece, but a Bob Woodward “every word that leaves my mouth turns into a best-selling book” career. Considering the decline of the print news industry, it would be impossible to keep an aspiring journalist from breaking rank on this.

It’s worth an admission that there is a sliver of truth to these allegations, simply because I wasn’t there to see little Barry Obama bursting out of his mother’s womb onto Hawaiian soil, but Factcheck.org, the same group to dispel allegations against John McCain’s lack of US citizenship, released photos of Barry-O’s birth certificate, as well as his birth announcement that had been published in the Honolulu Advertiser on Sunday, Aug. 13, 1961.

There is also a sliver of truth to the Kenyan citizenship allegations. Because Obama’s dad was Kenyan, Obama had dual citizenship as an American (because that’s where he was born) and citizenship of the UK, because Britain had control of Kenya. This changed after Kenya recieved its independence from the UK, but because Kenyan law dictates that people over the age of 21 cannot hold dual citizenship in Kenya and any other country. Obama would have had to swear his allegiance to Kenya, and renounce his citizenship to the US, which he possibly could have done, but you’d need some hard evidence, such as witnesses for that. Here’s a good link to explain all of this.

But seeing as web surfers could have viewed Obama’s birth certificate on his campaign website at any point, I’m inclined to suspect that there will consistently be people who will remain skeptical of Obama’s citizenship no matter what. And compounding their skepticism is a complete lack of evidence on their part. There isn’t a single person who has come forward with any evidence of any kind, other than the “fact” that the Obama campaign hasn’t bent over backwards to appease their concerns.

It stinks that people are devoting so much of their lives towards the spread of misinformation. Imagine if all the skeptics on both sides focused their energy on helping out at soup kitchens, building a house with Habitat for Humanity, or even spending more time with their kids. Wouldn’t that improve America far more than what they’re doing now?

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship at birth to almost all individuals born in the United States or in U.S. jurisdictions, according to the principle of jus soli. Certain individuals born in the United States, such as children of foreign heads of state or children of foreign diplomats, do not obtain U.S. citizenship under jus soli. Certain individuals born outside of the United States are born citizens because of their parents, according to the principle of jus sanguinis (which holds that the country of citizenship of a child is the same as that of his / her parents)

Guitar Hero

If there is ever a singular moment to indicate that the Guitar Hero franchise has hit the mainstream, it’s the new commercial for Guitar Hero: World Tour.

Sliding in “Risky Business” style, are four of the 10 most successful American sports figures of the last 20 years, all wielding Guitar Hero controllers. Alex Rodriguez, the greatest shortstop of all time (except he’s now a third baseman), and Michael Phelps, the current greatest swimmer ever, coast in on guitar, Tony Hawk, the greatest skateboarder ever, rolls in on the drums, and Kobe Bryant, one of the two best basketball players alive, is the frontman for a supergroup to silence all other commercial supergroups.

The cost of simply putting these four athletes in the same room would dwarf the entire operating budget for the first game, so I can only hope that the original Guitar Hero creators are getting a taste from the franchise that they worked so hard to create. People forget that musical video games used to stink worse than a dirty diaper full of moldy egg salad, so credit is due to Harmonix and Red Octane for cleaning up the entire genre.

But even after the face value of four mega athletes fake-singing in their underwear, Guitar Hero World Tour is the first game in the series to be unbound by song licenses, by including master recordings of every song. Artists such as Michael Jackson, Van Halen, the Eagles, and Jimi Hendrix carry hefty price tags to their recordings, and the previous games simply didn’t have the budget. But now, there doesn’t appear to be a single artist that can’t be afforded.

It’s great to see a deserving franchise succeed on all fronts. But like a quality band that made it big, it seems that the minds behind the original Guitar Hero games have been phased out by investors. Because after all, what the hell do Michael Phelps, A-Rod or Kobe Bryant have to do with a music video game?

Hot Gay Sex

Does this honestly affect you negatively in any way?

When considering a political candidate, I am often compelled to assess his or her stance on gay marriage. Regardless of whether one views homosexuality as a choice or something you’re born with, there is a simple fact that a politician (in this example being a male) either would like to have sex with a man or he would not like to have sex with a man. So he’s being asked to view this issue without a full comprehension of both sides.

In general, there seems to be three mainstream ways of looking at gay rights. One, homosexuality is a choice made by confused and misled individuals, whose demand for equal rights is the by-product of a mental ailment, so efforts should be made to help reform their choices.

The second argument is that homosexuality is a characteristic that has endured so much persecution over the course of time, that no one in their right mind would ever make that choice, so we have to accommodate them.

The third argument is that homosexuality may have its place in society, but allowing homosexuals to marry is infringing on the beliefs of other groups of people who hold the idea of “marriage” to a standard of high spiritual significance. By this viewpoint, awarding the middle ground to one side is a sign of denying rights to the other.

So if the word “marriage” is the problem, why not call gay marriages something else? “Civil union” is a term being tossed around, and if the term awards the same rights to a gay couple as “marriage” does to a straight couple, then it’s a step in the right direction. If we toss out the term “marriage” altogether, and “civil union” becomes the federal definition of awarding spousal benefits to any couple, gay or straight, then we can at least pry the door open wide enough to let every consenting couple through.

But the problem with designating “marriage” as a religious term is that no one religion can stake a claim to it. Islamists, Christians, Catholics, Unitarians, Jews, and Pagans have “married” couples in their respective congregations, but there is a vastly different viewpoint on allowing gays to marry, as well as the general definition of marriage across these different spiritual beliefs. In other words, the Pagans can’t just claim their definition of marriage should be the one final definition.

This boils down to a number of groups who fear their own beliefs will be tread on by people whose lifestyles are illegitimate when placed into a room with their own. But if every couple is civilly unionized under the eyes of the federal government, then we can at least localize the quibbling to what goes on inside your homes and places of worship.

So whenever I hear a politician make a reference to the “morality” of homosexuality, or prophetizing the collapse of the “institution of marriage”, I fear that person is unqualified to make a level-headed decision when it comes to domestic policy. There are plenty of decisions to be made that fall outside of one’s upbringing. And enforcing a mindset on the way things should be, without factoring in the different paths that Americans sometimes walk, is indicative of a shepherd who cannot lead his flock.

McCain-Obama III: The Legend of McCain’s Gold

The final presidential debate between senators Barack Obama and John McCain concluded with a combination of body blows by Mr McCain that connected, but failed to knock out Mr Obama.

While both sides made strong and weak arguments, It’s assumed that because neither man broke into tears and conceded the presidency, both campaigns will claim victory.

For months, Barack Obama has been the grand marshal of an extravagant parade of a presidential campaign, decorated with promises of change, new ideologies and record smashing fundraising totals. By comparison, John McCain has been chugging along in a Dodge Stratus of a campaign; simple, albeit unremarkable, calmly trying to steer his way around Obama’s sweeping rhetoric.

Mr McCain has been unable to steal the spotlight from Obama for any extended period of time, and last night, he embraced the reality that only an aggressive offensive would be the most effective way of letting the air out of Obama’s tires. He offered retorts on the claim that his policies overlap with George W. Bush’s, criticizing Obama’s predilection towards a federalized health plan, and tried to pin his opponent on specifics regarding the junior senator from Illinois’ affiliation with ACORN.

Unfortunately for McCain, once he had the debate focused on Obama’s affiliation with ACORN, he allowed his opponent to wiggle free, leading to Obama landing a solid 30 seconds to calmly address his affiliation with ACORN and his relationship with William Ayers. This injection of at least partial truth was a catastrophic backfire for McCain, whose honor and general respect for the common man has clouded his ability to be a ruthless fear monger, a tactic that worked three separate times for the Bush family.

After following this campaign season closely, I sometimes wonder if I’m the only spectator who believes that either candidate would make a far better president that George W. Bush, let alone John Kerry. But in a way, the process of running a presidential election is like Andy Dufresne escaping in the “Shawshank Redemption”. You have to climb through 300 yards of narrow sewage pipe to make it to the other side, and afterward, you and your opponent will never look or smell the same.

So unless Barack Obama falls victim to a horrifyingly high amount of closet racists, most polls point to him winning this election over McCain. So since this debate did little to change the polls, it’s assumed that the last few weeks of both campaigns will be largely ceremonial.

NBA Preview: Houston Rockets

Will T-Mac and Yao finally make it out of the first round?

The Houston Rockets began last season as my dark-horse team to win the championship, and they managed to top my list of dark-horse contenders this year as well. On paper, they possess an elite big man in Yao Ming, a top notch wingman in Tracy McGrady, and an extremely efficient and defensive supporting cast that is also quite experienced.

Strengths: Defense

New arrival Ron Artest is still one of the ten best two-way players in the NBA, and joins Shane Battier to provide two elite defensive stoppers. But even without these two guys, the Rockets are capable of winning games entirely on their defense, because they work well together and they crash the boards. Last season, the Rockets finished among the top ten in the league in rebounding, points allowed, defensive three-point field goal percentage, and defensive field goal percentage. When your team defends consistently, it’s usually enough to beat more than half the teams in the league on any given night, even when your own shots aren’t falling.

Weaknesses: Health

The two best players on the Rockets have a lot of trouble staying healthy. Yao hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the past three seasons, and McGrady is entering this season with an arthritic shoulder and a surgically repaired knee. Neither player is expected to undergo a major turnaround in terms of health, as McGrady has never played a full season, and Yao appears to be enslaved by the Chinese government’s demands that he play for China in every international tournament. With the Beijing Olympics in the rear-view mirror, it’s possible that China may ease up on Yao and let him use his off-seasons to rest his 7′5″ frame, but extremely tall centers are historically injury prone anyway, so it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing Yao on a full time basis.

Underrated: Undersized power forward

Despite Yao’s annual trip to the injury list, the Rockets possess a good deal of depth at the 4 spot. Luis Scola, Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry are all good defenders and rebounders. Scola and Landry, despite usually matching up against taller players, are also excellent inside scorers. Once you include Ron Artest, who is build like a truck, and put up some of his best numbers playing power forward, the Rockets are adequately covered for when Yao collapses from his next injury. The only question mark is how rookie second-round draft pick Joey Dorsey will fare as the replacement for Dikembe Mutombo, who may or may not climb out of a coffin around mid-season to lend a shot-blocking hand.

Question Mark: Guard play

The Rockets have succeeded in developing a solid rotation of versatile, low-cost forwards, but have whiffed multiple times at using their first-round draft picks to draft a solid ball-handler to take some pressure off of McGrady. Rafer Alston starts at point guard, but he’s more of a fourth option type of player, as his best skills are spot-up three-point shooting and on-ball defense. Luther Head and Aaron Brooks appear to lack point guard skills at this point, and their respective heights preclude them from spending significant time at the shooting guard position. Newcomer Brent Barry was once a very good guard who could shoot, handle the ball, and play solid defense. But Barry turns 37 in December, and his declining athleticism and lack of strength has begun to show on the defensive end. His outstanding shooting percentage and low turnover rate will put him on the floor in late game situations, but don’t be surprised to see head coach Rick Adelman yank him once the other team gets the ball.

Expectations:

Fourth Quarter Lineup:
G Rafer Alston
G Tracy McGrady
F Shane Battier
F Ron Artest
C Yao Ming

The Houston Rockets’ defense and rebounding will assure a playoff berth, but getting past the first round, let alone the NBA finals, hinges on the health of Yao and McGrady. Yao always starts strong, before succumbing to injuries, so it may be worth it for the Rockets to simply rest their franchise center for the first two months of the season. Artest’s size, defense, and underrated ballhandling will take some pressure off of T-Mac, and allow him to stay on the court for any lineup that Rick Adelman decides to employ. But unless McGrady and Yao stay healthy, the Rockets are likely to fall before the Lakers, Hornets and Jazz.