Originally Posted by Extra Stout
They needed more speed in their backcourt. James is a decent player, but rather plodding. Plus, he did not get along with Tracy McGrady. Alston is a quicker player. With Bob Sura out indefinitely, they figured they needed to do something, since they did not trust James to be their starter.
Despite that, I admit that an Alston/Anderson backcourt is a stopgap. They need further upgrades at both guard positions.
Swift is a great fit as a role player to complement Yao Ming up front.
The Rockets at least have figured out that what they need is speed (and youth) in the backcourt, and athleticism with physicality up front (since Yao is so soft), and are pursuing those kinds of players. That is a marked change from the past, when they threw multimillion-dollar long-term deals at CBA scrubs to whom Rudy Tomjanovich felt loyal.
But executing their roster strategy will take a few years.