What does acquisition of Artest mean for Hayes' role with Rockets?
Chuck Hayes' summer had proceeded according to plan: a week-long big-man camp in Las Vegas, an appearance at Tayshaun Prince's clinic in Lexington, Ky., and, of course, daddy time with 16-month-old son Dorian.
What was unplanned was a text message from Houston Rockets teammate Tracy McGrady.
"It said, 'We got Artest,' " Hayes said. "I thought at first it was a joke. Then I thought, 'We had to trade somebody. Was I involved?' "
Hayes, 25, remains a Rocket, though his role surely will change now that Ron Artest -- the notorious ex-Sacramento King -- switched teams last month. Artest, a versatile scorer and one of the NBA's premier shutdown defenders, makes the Rockets a potential three-headed monster with Yao Ming and McGrady.
Where it puts Hayes, however, won't be known for a few months.
Here's what we know about Modesto's connection to the NBA:
He's one season into a four-year contract worth $8 million.
He's started 87 games over two seasons, a remarkable feat for an undrafted player who parlayed a 10-game contract in January 2006 into full-time NBA employment.
He's an undersized 6-foot-6-inch power forward who was forced into even more thankless work as a center last season following the foot injury to Yao. Hayes averaged 20 minutes, 3.0 points and 5.4 rebounds while fighting through dramatic size and height disadvantages.
He'll adapt to any situation.
Like Kentucky said about him in its All-American promotion four years ago, "All he does is win."
Sure enough, he carved himself a place in the NBA against all odds. Who's to say he won't survive in the Rockets' brave new world with Artest?
Besides, Hayes likes the Artest trade. He may not love it if he loses his job but, for now, he -- like the rest of the NBA -- thinks the Rockets have upgraded dramatically.
"He will bring skill, leadership and an attitude that we need," Hayes said Friday during a telephone interview. "He'll take a lot of pressure off Yao and T-Mac, and now Shane (Battier) doesn't have to guard the other team's best scorer every night."
As for the ex-Modesto Christian High Crusader, he'll accept whatever assignment coach Rick Adelman hands him. After Yao went down last season, Hayes logged time in the post in a three-way rotation with rookie Carl Landry and Luis Scola.
All of that changes this season. Suddenly, the Rockets' roster is overloaded with forwards, a glut they partially corrected last week by trading Steve Novak to the Clippers. The Artest acquisition means the Rockets will try to win right now. They won 107 games the last two seasons but twice fell in the first round of the playoffs.
"I'm all for this trade. We have one of the top big threes in the league with Tracy, Ron and Yao. You can't get much better than that," Hayes said. "I don't think we can creep up on people, but we can be one of the top teams in the West."
That said, Hayes' dance card is full. For all his attributes as a solid defender and a master of all the unsung duties that must be done to win, he's also labored on offense. Foul trouble and poor free-throw shooting also dog him.
Now that the Rockets have committed to a major playoff push, they'll demand more from Hayes.
"I have to stick with what I do. If I have to be a little less unselfish with the ball, I'll do that," he said. "I really want to be consistent. Last year, I'd have a good game and then I'd fall off the next three games. I want the team to know they can depend on me every night."
I'm guessing here, but I think Hayes sees himself as an island of reliability on a potentially combustible team. Picking up Artest accents that chemistry. Yao hasn't finished a season in three years. McGrady is pushing 30. And Artest is, well, Artest. The Rockets could either fly to the moon or blow up on the launch pad.
"He (Artest) is a pro. It was fun to play against him. He had his moments against me, and I had mine. Whatever happened to him in the past, he's been around for a long time," Hayes said. "He's made mistakes, and he's owned up to them. He's a different man now."
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