Marcus Camby dodged a bullet. Sort of.
Upon being traded from the New York Knicks to Toronto Raptors, the 17-year-veteran went from being a member of a contender, to a lottery team. Camby was able to negotiate a buyout, though, leaving him free to play for the team of his choosing.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears, he has chose the Houston Rockets, a move that is puzzling for a number of reasons.
At 39, Camby isn’t a starter. The oft-injured center hasn’t appeared in 60 games since the 2009-10 campaign, so it’s not like he gave up the opportunity to start somewhere else. No team would have made that promise.
Almost two decades into his career, it’s clear he wants to play for a contender as well. Although the Rockets have been wildly overvalued since signing Dwight Howard, they are most definitely a threat with both him and James Harden in the fold.
There are also worse spots to be in than backing up Howard. He’s the best center in the NBA, capable of logging between 35 and 40 minutes, limiting the amount of responsibility Camby will have to carry. Pushing 40, that’s a pretty comfortable position to be in.
But what about Omer Asik?
The big man’s future in Houston has been up in the air since the Rockets landed Howard. He started in Houston last season, emerging as a double-double machine. Now he’s most likely going to come off the bench. We think.
Starting him at power forward is certainly an option—except it’s not. Like Howard, his range doesn’t extend beyond three feet of the basket. In an age where stretch forwards are king, Asik isn’t even fit to man the 4 as a traditional power forward.
Also, Howard had trouble coexisting next to Pau Gasol while with the Los Angeles Lakers. Playing next to Asik isn’t going to be any easier, It’s going to be more difficult. Much more difficult.
Assume, then, that Asik is going to come off the bench behind Howard. And that his playing time is going to be cut significantly. Where does Camby fit into all of this?
Just as Howard and Asik aren’t equipped to play next to each other for too long, Camby is no different. Beyond inept offensively, his skill set isn’t one that fits alongside either of Houston’s current towers. I can’t imagine there being consistent playing time for him. That is, unless the Rockets ultimately trade Asik.
With Camby donning red and white, Houston has a backup center who can rebound and block shots. If he’s healthy, it may make it easier for the Rockets to trade Asik without demanding a second-string big be sent back in return.
Or it could not, in which case Camby’s signing is confusing on the part of the center himself.
Per Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets, Camby elected to sign with the Rockets instead of the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat, citing his desire to play for a complete team as the driving force behind his decision.
To be sure, Camby forewent an opportunity to sign with two teams that could provide him with more playing time in addition to a better opportunity at winning a championship.
Derrick Rose is set to return next season, rendering the Bulls that much more dangerous. And the Heat still house LeBron James. They’re once again going to be favorite to win it all.
And yet, Camby signed with the Rockets. Who are still new to each other. And will be lucky to win 50 games. And who already have two big men that will eat up most or all of the minutes at the 5.
Make sense? Right now, no. Down the line, perhaps. But only if the Rockets part ways with Asik and/or prove to be a more legitimate title threat than any of us imagined.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
