Chronic: Assessing the Rockets. Considering the future.

http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2007/05/assessing_the_r.html

If you take a step back and look at the two teams, the real surprise is this series went seven games. Utah simply is better. The Jazz got consistent offense from four players--Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko. Their fifth starter--Derek Fisher--made Tracy McGrady's life miserable on the defensive end.

In other words, the Jazz had five solid contributors in the starting lineup. Matt Harpring and Gordon Giricek played well off the bench. Paul Millsap looks like a player.

The Jazz have something more than talent, too. They have toughness and resilience. They're relentless on the defensive end. They challenge every pass, make every possession a war. If you're not prepared to fight for every inch, you're not going to beat Utah. I have no idea if Utah is going to beat Golden State in the second round, but Utah is a team that will not go quietly against. The Jazz do the NBA proud.

Perhaps the greatest compliment to Jerry Sloan is that his team played one way pretty much the entire series. The Jazz have a certain mindset. They play defense. They rebound. They make the extra pass. They don't waver.

The Rockets almost won anyway. They had a five-point lead with six minutes remaining. What happened after that? The Jazz made 6 of their final 10 shots. Okur hit three 3-pointers in the final 5:08. The Jazz missed just four shots and collected offensive rebounds after three of them.

Here's what the Rockets did during a 3 1/2-minute stretch: McGrady missed two jumpers. Juwan Howard missed one. Rafer Alston and Yao turned the ball over. The Rockets lost 103-99.

Both teams put the ball in the hands of the right players with the game on the line. The Jazz got big plays from their big players. The Rockets did not.


• • •
Thus begins an interesting off-season. GM Carroll Dawson is retiring. Coach Jeff Van Gundy has rejected two offers to extend his contract and seems to be considering a sabbatical from coaching. GM Daryl Morey will again attempt to convince him to stay. Van Gundy is very good. If you look at this roster, if you really examine it's strengths and weaknesses, Van Gundy isn't the reason the Rockets are exiting in the first round again. That said, he's a coach. He's replaceable. Please, Les Alexander, keep those thoughts of Larry Brown out of your head.


• • •
The tendency is to focus on the weaknesses of the stars. Yes, McGrady settled for too many jump shots. Yes, Yao was a turnover machine at times this season. They're not the problem, not nearly the problem. Going forward, there are three players to build around: McGrady, Yao and Shane Battier. But entering an off-season with 40 percent of the starting lineup in play is going to be a huge challenge for a rookie GM. We all know what should be done. We just don't all know what he'll be able to do.

Specifically, the Rockets need:

• A point guard capable of penetrating the lane and hitting the mid-range jumper. Rafer Alston shot 38 percent during the regular season and 34 percent in the playoffs.

• A power forward who'll contribute on both ends of the floor.

• A backup center.

The Rockets must get faster and deeper. Jeff Van Gundy essentially went to a seven-man rotation in the final games of the playoffs. That's life in the playoffs at times. Sloan also shortened his bench at the end.

Morey has a brilliant, analytical mind. He knows what needs to be done. Whether he can do it or not is the issue. Stay tuned. It's going to be an interesting off-season.