Better without T-Mac? Are you guys drunk?
Better without an injured T-Mac? That sounds better.
Rockets right now lack a closer. Yao Ming relies too much on perimeter guys getting him the ball. Plus, with a healthy T-Mac, the Yao Ming-Tracy McGrady Pick N' Roll is killer (unless Yao is playing a smaller, quicker, more atheletic person because for some reason they give him trouble...).
Ron Artest is now trying to do what Tracy McGrady was doing for us in earlier, and he just isn't very good at it. Dribbling out 20 seconds of the shot clock is bad (both for T-Mac and Ron Artest), but when Tracy does it, his dribbling ability (being much more superior to Ron's) makes it less likely for turnover and at least a shot is attempted (sometimes shooting fouls).
Right now, the Rockets are better with this team than the McGrady-Yao teams in the past (except maybe the 2004-2005 season), not because Artest is superior to McGrady, but because of the development of the role players. McGrady - Yao haven't really had a reliable supporting cast with exceptions of maybe past two years (injuries are a bitch).
Couple Thoughts: Yao sucks against the Jazz. Artest > McGrady? Hell no. Rockets making it out of the First Round this year? Fortunate for fans and organization. Unfortunate for Tracy McGrady (who would've been in the 2nd round if it wasn't for Tim Donaghy).