In order to gain as much perspective as we can about the recent trade involving Kevin Martin and Carl Landry, Mike Kerns of The Rocket Dunks Blog and myself have conducted a little five question Q and A session to try and gain as much information as we can about our new players from a fans perspective. Here are my questions to Mike along with his responses on what to expect from Carl Landry in a Kings uniform:

Kings Kingdom: Carl Landry was largely used off of the bench in Houston. How do you think he will adjust to becoming a starter?

Rocket Dunks: I think it was well past time for Carl to start. He was just a real spark plug off the bench for Houston. He was playing so well this season that all the “Sixth Man of The Year” talk had me believeing that perhaps he SHOULD be starting. This is a great opportunity for him and I know he will succeed with that young nucleus of talent in Sacramento.

Kings Kingdom: Landry is very undersized for a power forward. Do you think he was brought off of the bench to protect him from being exposed for his lack of size and do you think that defenses will regularly exploit his lack of size?

Rocket Dunks: His rebounding went down this season, but many (like myself) believe this was a testament to his increased duties on offense. His height has been a knock on him since college, but he makes up for it with explosive leaping ability and grit.

Kings Kingdom: What is the general vibe coming out of Houston on the trade? Are most people excited about it, or was Landry such a fan favorite that many are upset? What are your thoughts on the deal?

Rocket Dunks: Lots of people are still angry. Not too many of them have heard of Kevin Martin and Carl Landry was probably the biggest fan favorite in this town since Sam Cassell. Much like when Sam was traded, lots of people are threatening to give up their loyalty to Houston. After his shooting incident last season, he became the most beloved player on the Rockets roster. I mean, they just had a Carl Landry bobblehead night less than a month ago.

I am still mixed on the trade. Kevin Martin’s durability is a serious concern for me after dealing with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming’s injury history the last 4 years plus. And Carl Landry was my favorite Rocket. I believe that you can’t get something for nothing. And this is part of basketball. Sometimes you lose someone that no one wanted to see go. But Daryl Morey hasn’t disappointed me with a move he has made yet. So I guess it is still up in the air.

Kings Kingdom: What do you think are Landry’s best attributes having watched him on a regular basis? What will Kings fans learn to like about his play? 

Rocket Dunks: What Rockets fans, and real soon Kings fans are going to love about Carl is that he NEVER takes a play off. He is 100% all the time. He has a heart the size of a small country and never gives up. Add to all of that that he is just a terrific human being. A high character guy that would be part of a great nucleus on any team. You guys are going to grow to love him real fast.

Kings Kingdom: What are his key weaknesses and are there areas that we should be concerned about?

Rocket Dunks: The only thing about Carl that had concerns this season would be learning to pass out of double teams. He had become Houston’s “closer” in the 4th quarter this year. Second leading 4th quarter scorer this season, by the way. So, when teams caught up to this fact, they started doubling him and he struggled being able to pass out of it. It still needs improvement, but a guy with the high basketball IQ like Landry has, he’ll get it worked out.

There you have it from the perspective of a Rockets fan. Thanks to Mike Kerns for participating and look over at the Rocket Dunks site for my take on Kevin Martin. As always, thanks for reading.