Houston Rockets center Omer Asik has requested a trade from the team after being taken out of the starting lineup and after playing center in every game last season, the team signing Dwight Howard clearly has affected Asik's playing time and chances on the court and now the Houston Chronicle is reporting that he has requested a trade from the team.
The team is not looking to trade Asik and no deal is imminent, but reports now say that Asik has asked for a trade from the team and this comes after he averaged a double double last season. Asik played only four minutes against the Sixers and his numbers have basically been cut in half and he also is averaging just 22 minutes per game after starting all 82 games and developing into one of the best centers in the league last season.
Asik was one of the most consistent players in the league last season at his position while starting every game for the Rockets and averaging double digits in points and rebounding for some career high numbers, but after signing Howard, many wondered how the two would co-exist. After the team brought in Howard, many speculated that the Rockets would trade Asik and reports from ESPN said that the center himself asked for a trade from the team. Kevin McHale and Daryl Morey didn't exactly confirm or deny that over the summer, but they basically said that the two could and will get the chance to play together.
McHale spoke about certain sets and tried different lineups in the preseason with both players on the floor at the same time and so far, the results have not been so great. Howard has been fantastic for the team, averaging just under 15 rebounds per game and he also has been over 20 boards multiple times this season, while Asik has been solid while averaging under 10 per game, but he has only been in double digits once and that could be an issue going forward for the Rockets. Now reports have come out from the Houston Chronicle that the team may decide to ditch the Asik and Howard on the floor at the same time plan, as it has not materialized the way they have wanted.
Howard and Asik have helped the team rank first in the league in rebounds per game, but McHale has said that it might be time to switch things up again. The team has Jeremy Lin playing very well after scoring 31 points in the win over the Toronto Raptors, while Howard was ferocious on the boards again, snagging 24 in the contest while James Harden led the team with 10 assists. Daryl Morey mentioned that the team wants to dominate on the boards and while Howard has done that, the combination has messed up the spacing between the two when they are on the floor together and that could spur a trade.
While the team has Jeremy Lin at point guard, clearly there are some questions about him after he was benched in favor of Patrick Beverley and that could mean a deal for Rajon Rondo from the Celtics. Yes, this deal would be very hard to pull off, but the Celtics need some size down low and the Rockets need a legitimate point guard that can help lead them to a championship and while Rondo is injured, he could be worth snagging.
