Big Trade Hasn’t Helped Houston . . . Yet

The Houston Rockets made the biggest trade of the year, dealing half of their Twin Tower combination, Ralph Sampson, and two other players to Golden State for center Joe Barry Carroll and guard Sleepy Floyd.

The trade was expected to bolster Houston’s ailing backcourt and take pressure off Akeem Olajuwon, perhaps the most dominating center in the game, and turn the Rockets into immediate NBA championship contenders.

Instead, the December deal has turned into a near disaster. The Rockets have been unable to develop into a dominating team. And in February, Olajuwon criticized both Coach Bill Fitch’s system and the play of Floyd.

While the Rockets are statistically better, it appears they are in a worse situation than they were before.

“It’s no secret that we need to play better . . . we’re not doing well now,” said Rockets forward Rodney McCray after Houston lost a 110-97 home decision to Denver April 5 that dropped the Rockets five games back of the leaders in the Midwest Division and further weakened the team’s chances for gaining a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re lacking the execution we need going into the playoffs,” he said. “Right now, we’re not playing well enough to be a factor in the playoffs. You’ve got to be worried this late in the season.”

Added Purvis Short, who also came to Houston via a trade earlier this season with Golden State: “If the playoffs started tomorrow, we’d have to be a lot better.”

While Fitch has come under criticism, owner Charlie Thomas said he is behind the coach who guided Houston to the NBA finals in 1986.

“I feel terrible about it,” Fitch said of the Rockets’ situation. “I feel bad, but I’m not going to give up on these guys. It’s my team right now. I don’t know if we’re as good as everybody expects us to be.”

Houston lost its first three games after the trade and by April 5 was 30-22 overall since the deal. For the season, Houston was 41-30, compared with 36-38 a year ago.

The Rockets have outscored opponents 110.2 to 107.4 while previously they and their opponents were averaging 102.8 points per game, so Houston’s offensive output has increased.

But the guard situation is puzzling. The weakness in the backcourt was especially exposed in the 1986 finals, and it cost the Rockets a shot at beating Boston.

Floyd, who developed into one of the league’s premier point guards, supposedly was the answer. Last season, he was second in the NBA in assists, averaging 10.3 per game, and was among the top 10 three-point shooters. He was expected to flourish with Olajuwon and McCray.

But Floyd, averaging 15.7 points and 7.3 assists per game, played only 24 minutes against Denver, including just 10 in the critical second half. He finished with 10 points and five assists while Allen Leavell, a mediocre guard at best, played 29 minutes.

Jim Peterson, who was a backup to both Sampson and Olajuwon before the trade, became the starter after Sampson was gone, but never developed into a dominating inside player. Carroll has now moved into a starter’s role, and is contributing, but he also wonders what is wrong with Houston.

“The playoffs are going to be our second season,” Carroll said. “I don’t have any answers. If I did, I’d share them with the team.”