Chron: Rockets trying to light fire

I saw this thread for Richie Frahm, but didn't see this article posted...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3731951.html

Team has 'a lot to play for' even as playoff chase appears pointless

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

In the language of the season, the teams that are fortunate to still be playing, those little long shots dreaming of unlikely March miracles, do challenge the big boys for awhile.

Most have a star that carries them toward those upset bids.

Most stubbornly deny the inevitable. Some even break through for a win, maybe two.

In the end, the Winthrops, Pacifics and Albanys usually give it a good run but fall far short of the dream finish.

For the Rockets, The Road to Secaucus begins here.

Barring a few upsets to spur hopes of a run, the Rockets' NBA draft lottery destiny is now somewhere between likely and certain. For now, the Rockets' hope has become to at least challenge the teams planning to play into April.

"It's like, if we can play with confidence and passion, everything can be a turning point, but we (haven't) the past two games," Rockets center Yao Ming said after a 3 1/2 -hour team video and practice session. "More important (than) basketball techniques, it is on us mentally ... right now.

"That's your choice. Do you want to be a good team in the NBA or a bad team like every year has in this league. I don't think anyone wants to make the second choice, though."

If the difference between good and bad teams can be defined by the line that separates teams in the playoffs and in the lottery (May 23 in Secaucus, N.J.), the Rockets don't have much chance to escape the label that comes with their downward spiral since they began playing top teams last week.

They gave the Spurs a run in San Antonio, but the Nets and Mavericks slapped them aside at Toyota Center the past two games. The Rockets go into today's home game with the Spurs as the only team winless in its division. They are 13-20 at Toyota Center, the worst home record in the Western Conference.

Playoffs seem far

At least for now, the playoff chase seems beside the point.

"Truly I don't think in those terms," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of the Rockets' chance to make up the 4 1/2 games needed to make an improbable run to a playoff spot. "But if I did, I would have to say it is the longest of a long shot because of the schedule we are facing, how we've played the last two games and how many teams (three) we'd have to jump over to get there.

"We have a lot to play for, regardless. A lot of our guys are at the crossroads of their careers. Some know it and some don't. Individually and as a team, we have a lot to play for regardless of where we stand in the standings. But more so, we owe it when people pay to come see us. Some of our guys may not be shooting the ball particularly well and no one tries to miss. We got good shots and we missed. I can live with that. But some of the other things we can't live with."

He didn't mention the injured players — Tracy McGrady and David Wesley — the Rockets would have to make that run without. For now, he said it would be an improvement just to play with the passion of those upset-dreaming March underdogs.

"I know we haven't played well enough or near hard enough the last two games to play well enough to have a chance against two first-place teams, and obviously not well enough from a shooting standpoint," Van Gundy said. "But every player and every team is going to go through the ability to make or miss. That's why you need to have other parts of your game that are consistent, individually and as a team."

Collective effort

As difficult as it would be to overcome the Rockets' horrid shooting around Yao — 33.5 percent since McGrady went out, with Wesley joining him a half-game later — Van Gundy said the team has not come close to doing the things that have nothing to do with shooting.

After 3 1/2 hours, the message seemed to get through.

"This is about a team," guard Luther Head said. "As much as everybody wants to put everything on themselves to try to do more, it's about a team. We have to do it together. We have to fight together.

"We got Yao on our team. Any team can win with Yao. We give Yao the ball. We play through Yao. If we start making some shots and doing some things defensively, yes we can win."

At least, that remains the long-shot hope of this time of the season.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

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ROCKETS SUMMARY

Swift in a slump

The Rockets have been looking for an offensive spark since Tracy McGrady was hurt. They have not found it in Stromile Swift.

In the past three games, Swift has scored a total of seven points. He played 22 minutes in San Antonio on Sunday, but just 14 against the Nets and seven against the Mavericks, when Chuck Hayes played 12 minutes, most when the Rockets made their run.

"I feel like I can do more, once I'm given an opportunity," Swift said. "I'm a little (surprised), but I can't fuss too much about it, because when I've been in there, I didn't play as well as I can. It's a little surprising, but I have to play through it. I understand."

Carelessness costly

With the Rockets so offensively challenged without Tracy McGrady, their 16 turnovers against the Mavericks were even more damaging and, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said, unnecessary.

"Of our 16 turnovers (Wednesday), a lot were from being irresponsible and careless," Van Gundy said.

The Rockets also had an unusually high number of turnovers on plays that could have led to offense, with guards getting inside but not connecting on passes to big men under the basket.

"Some of our guys have poor hands," Van Gundy said. "Other guys (receiving passes) were not in the right space. It was too tight a quarters.

"Other times, they were not as good a pass as you would like.

"You have to catch them. You can't say, 'I'm not going to make a dish pass to a guy under the basket' or you limit yourself far too much. And if you have a weakness, it's up to you if you value your career to come in and work on catching inside. That's where you have to care more about your career than anyone else would possibly care about it."

The video review of the turnovers had a lot to do with the Rockets' 3 1/2 -hour video and practice session Thursday.

"There was a lot to talk about," forward Stromile Swift said. "The effort we gave, it just was very poor. We weren't happy with it. We weren't happy with it as individuals. We just had to sit down and talk about it and watch film. We watched the whole game. We watched every possession, all the turnovers. We just wanted to sit down and see where we were. He told us it was a poor exhibition we put on and it was not acceptable."

JONATHAN FEIGEN