Dampier Launch Scratched

Potential good news for Vipers fans. The Rockets are not signing Erick Dampier after all.

I say potential good news because I'd been reading that Jermaine Taylor would have to be traded to make room for Dampier, meaning one fewer potential Rockets-assignee to the Vipers.

Of course, right now, the Rockets aren't in a position to be assigning guards. In fact, they need all hands on deck. Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry are both dealing with injuries, meaning Ishmael Smith not only started at point guard, but played 41:31 tonight. Taylor played for the first time all season tonight as the Rockets picked up their first win of the season. He played well, hitting 3-of-4 shots in 7:35 off the bench. Of course, that doesn't really surprise me. Taylor played well when given time down the stretch last year. He just needs playing time.

I'm not saying it's good that the Rockets aren't getting Dampier, but how many teams do you know of that carry four centers? The Rockets need all the depth they can get at the guard position right now. This is a good non-move by the Rockets. No need to hit the panic button, despite a 1-5 record buy jettisoning a potential big piece of your future for one-year of a #2 center. Yeah, Yao's limited, but he played well and made a big impact in 16:55 tonight. Jordan Hill's been playing well. The real key is to get Brad Miller going. The Rockets have two years of Miller, so rather than burying him on the bench this year by signing Dampier, it makes some sense to try to get Miller going.

All in all, I'm not concerned about the Rockets' "slow" start. They could just as easily be 6-0 as 1-5. True, the difference between contenders and pretenders is the ability to win close games, but losing close games early in the season means you have a good team and you're just a few adjustments away from turning the corner.

The Rockets are going to be there at the end of the season. Don't worry.