Asik had reportedly asked for a trade only to have the Rockets assure him that playing with Howard will benefit him. When talk of Howard came up during his time answering questions for the Rockets media event, the Turkish born big man evaded questions about his trade demands and gave a "we’ll see how it goes" towards questions about playing with Howard.
“You guys can ask as much as you can (about the trade demand), but I’m not going to say anything about this,” Asik told USA Today. “I think (Howard) is the best center in the league, and that’s a great addition for the Houston Rockets. So we’ll see how it goes, starting tomorrow.
“I’m a basketball player. I’ll do whatever the coaches say. I’m just going to be ready for the training camp, be ready (for) changes. … Whatever I can do, we’ll see. Defensively it will be really good — two good rim protectors. We have to figure out how to play first. This is basketball. It’s just a business. There’s no emotions in it. You just have to be ready (for) changes. That’s all I’m thinking about right now.”
Asik is a pretty good ball player, and averaged 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds a game last season. If the Rockets can provide him the right amount of minutes and a role that will allow him to flourish with Howard, Houston could present a formidable starting 5 out West this season.
This article was written by Glenn Erby. Follow him on Twitter here and read more of his work here.
