High apple pie in the sky hopes

Whether it was the trade of Tracy, the acquisition of some fresh young talent, or the marvelous mustard-catsup alternate jersey I bought, I left the 2009-2010 season with my head held high and matching hopes for the next few seasons. I’m not going Prokhorov it and forecast a championship next year (although I’m not disclaiming that), but I do acknowledge that the Houston Rockets are in the midst of a rebuilding stage and GM Daryl Morey and company deserve some credit for not letting things spiral too out of control before getting a handle on the situation.

I begin with the end of the T-Mac era. After talking to many friends I realize this is a sensitive subject for some, and to those of you I say with my deepest sincerity… frankly, it was 3 years overdue. I lost my faith in Tracy during the 07-08 season when he was plagued from a string of injuries. From a banged up shoulder to a gimpy knee, it was improbable the former scoring champ would ever be able to produce as he once had. And finally, in mid-February a 3 team trade was made giving hope that Houston will finally be able to get over that hump and become a dominant force in the league. The addition of a scorer like Kevin Martin, 2 future 1^st round picks, and the blossoming of the league’s most improved player, Aaron Brooks, should be reason enough for Yao not to submit his name in this summer’s stellar free agent class; but just in case it isn’t allow me to speak on behalf of all Rockets fans when I say, “请阻止 Yao.”

-Vinnie