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Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Icehouse, Oct 21, 2003.

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  1. Icehouse

    Icehouse Contributing Member

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    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&id=1643167

    Editor's note: ESPN.com is once again visiting all 29 NBA teams during training camp and the preseason. The tour continues with a report on the Houston Rockets.


    New head coach Jeff Van Gundy wants the Rockets to pay attention to details.
    HOUSTON -- The Rockets had just beaten the Kings for their first exhibition win in four tries under Jeff Van Gundy when John Amaechi approached Houston's new coach. Amaechi wanted to know if he could catch a ride with a friend back to the team hotel rather than take the team bus.

    "Sure," Van Gundy said.

    A minute later, free agent Peter Cornell came up and asked if he could ride back to the hotel with his family. "Of course," Van Gundy said.

    This is how it has been since the Rockets signed Van Gundy in June to get the most talented team in the league -- according to owner Les Alexander last season -- to a slightly higher perch than a fourth consecutive trip to the lottery. Van Gundy has an entire catalogue of rules, but they all follow one premise: there's a certain way Van Gundy wants everything done.

    For the first time, Rockets players had to pass a conditioning test at the start of training camp. All-Star point guard Steve Francis bulked up to 212 pounds over the summer, only to find out that Van Gundy wanted him to report at 209.

    The playbook is as thick as the New York yellow pages and is as dedicated to defensive alignments as it is offensive sets. In upgrading the collective professional demeanor, he has banned vintage jerseys as suitable wear on the bench or while traveling.

    In his effort to toughen Yao Ming, he's even kidded his 7-foot-5 center about sitting with his legs crossed. And in attempting to improve team solidarity, he has Yao's translator sit in the coach's office with access to Yao through an earpiece during locker-room meetings.

    "There's just more detail," says Francis. "I'm not saying Rudy didn't give us detail, but this is just ... more. He'll go over it for hours and hours."

    Ask anyone with the Rockets to compare what it's like now under Van Gundy vs. his predecessor, Rudy Tomjanovich, and the litany is the same. "I'm not saying Rudy didn't ... " or "I love Rudy, but ... " or "I certainly don't blame Rudy, but ... " are the prequels to every statement. The reasons are three-fold: one, Tomjanovich is, and will always be, as beloved as anyone in franchise history; two, he's still with the team as an advisor; and, three, Houston still might've made the playoffs last year had he not been struck down by bladder cancer. Let it suffice that Van Gundy demands a far higher degree of discipline and dedication than the current Rockets have ever experienced.

    "Everybody showed up on time and in shape, for the first time ever," backup point guard Moochie Norris said. "Or at least, since I've been here."

    Norris, who is in his fifth year with the Rockets, is a case in point. His weight rose to nearly 220 pounds last season, but having heard through the grapevine how tough Van Gundy's practices can be, he bought a treadmill and as of the Kings' game weighed 184.

    "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Norris said. "Guys talked about it being murder."

    As much improvement as the Rockets may have made, it's a long way from what Van Gundy seeks.

    “ Do we have enough talent? We have enough talent. But every team in the league has enough talent. Attitude, chemistry, spirit -- now in those things there's a wide difference. The question is, do we have enough team? And that's what we're going to find out. ”
    — Jeff Van Gundy
    "I think we're probably further behind any team I've seen," he said. "We're really behind as far as intensity and mental mistakes. If this were football, what we're doing is the equivalent of 30 pre-snap penalties every game. Do we have enough talent? We have enough talent. But every team in the league has enough talent. Attitude, chemistry, spirit -- now in those things there's a wide difference. The question is, do we have enough team? And that's what we're going to find out."

    The process of discovery is one reason the Rockets lost their first four exhibitions by an average of 18 points before their haphazard 82-78 win over the Kings in Sacramento. Adjusting to unprecedented team rules off the floor and a highly demanding system of execution on it, the Rockets have looked uniformly tentative at times. That's OK when asking about getting back to the hotel, but when the task is stopping the opponent from scoring it results in wide-open 3s and uncontested backdoor layups.

    "The biggest challenge is the intensity level in practice," said Kelvin Cato, who has been singled out by Van Gundy as one of the few Rockets who have shown the desired degree of concentration and effort. "It's more intense than games. I'm not in Jeff Van Gundy shape. But you can't help get in shape or you're going to get left behind."

    The free-agent additions by general manager Carroll Dawson since Van Gundy arrived -- Jim Jackson, Adrian Griffin and Eric Piatkowski -- reflect the new blueprint: surround Francis and Yao with tough-nosed, intelligent role players. All three have their various strengths and weaknesses, but they're all consummate pros in the way they practice and prepare.

    Which brings us to third-year forward Eddie Griffin, who missed the team's flight to Sacramento and made no attempt to contact team officials or catch a commercial flight, as Van Gundy's rules of conduct insist a player should. If Van Gundy's new approach is to be incorporated, the Rockets have no choice but to punish Griffin as harshly as possible or simply trade him. Then again, Van Gundy is aware how easy it is to lapse into old ways. As he outlined the team's game plan on the locker room board before the Kings game, he wrote "NY Offense" at the top and didn't notice the mistake until Francis whispered in his ear.

    "Oh, Jesus Christ!" Van Gundy said, hurriedly erasing the "NY" and replacing it with "Hou."

    He continued writing out the game plan before turning to Francis, who was making himself a sandwich at another Van Gundy nuance, the healthy pre-game locker room spread.

    "Old habits," Van Gundy said, "are hard to break."

    But break them he will. Griffin might be the first, but certainly not the last, to find that out.
     
    #1 Icehouse, Oct 21, 2003
  2. sun12

    sun12 Member

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    #2 sun12, Oct 21, 2003
  3. Nero

    Nero Member

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    #3 Nero, Oct 21, 2003
  4. SoSoDef76

    SoSoDef76 Contributing Member

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    http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1643231

    Mobley has starting status, but different role
    By Terry Brown
    NBA Insider
    Tuesday, October 21
    Updated: October 21
    2:11 PM ET

    Super-slick all-star point guard . . . check.

    Savvy veterans at shooting guard, small forward and reserve . . . check.

    Combination power forwards with offensive and defensive specialities . . . check.

    Physically dominant all-star center . . . check.

    But if it was really that easy to get into the Western Conference playoffs, then the Houston Rockets wouldn't have had to drag Jeff Van Gundy out of retirement to put the sum of these parts into one greater whole.

    Houston Rockets
    Point guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes
    Steve Francis 4 6-3 21 ppg, 6.2 apg
    You go from the scoring column to the assists to the rebounds to the game-winning shots to the steals and you wonder how you're going to tell this kid that he's actually got to do less in the statistics for the Rockets to win more in the standings. But, then again, you can always point out that the only thing he hasn't done in this game yet is win.

    Moochie Norris 6 6-2 4.4 ppg, 2.4 apg
    It's hard enough to find a reliable sub to pick up the crumbs for a player who does it all. It's even harder to keep that backup around for too long. Well, Moochie's entering his fifth season with the Rockets and everything seems copacetic.

    Mike Wilks 1 5-11 3.2 ppg, 2 apg
    Series of 10-day contracts end with bench gig in Houston.

    Shooting guard Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes
    Cuttino Mobley 5 6-4 17.5 ppg,4.2 rpg
    Averaged 16 a game as a sub for the Rockets until he became a part-time starter averaging 19 before becoming the full-time starter and averaging almost 22. Won't score that much with both Francis and Yao Ming in the lineup now but isn't it nice to know he can when needed.

    Eric Piatkowski 9 6-7 9.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg
    Did a nine-year stretch with the Clippers and still came away shooting 40 percent from 3-point range in over 1,835 guarded attempts.

    Small forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes
    Jim Jackson 11 6-6 7.7 ppg,4.2 rpg
    Jim Jackson hasn't started in four years but when he did, 16 a night was easy. Once averaged 25 a game and still sports a 15.5 per game career average. And remember, last year's starting small forward was named Glen Rice. He lasted only 62 games at nine per contest. Jackson could do that without coming off a single screen.

    Adrian Griffin 4 6-5 4.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg
    CBA, USBL and Italian League veteran could teach these young kids a thing or two about the blessings of playing in the NBA and in between lessons log some important minutes.

    Bostjan Nachbar 1 6-9 2.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg
    Left groin strain. That's his story and he's sticking to it.

    Power forward Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes
    Eddie Griffin 2 6-10 8.6 ppg, 6 rpg
    From what we know, the young, able-bodied power forward on the Houston Rocket roster blessed with uncompromising athletic ability (see 154 triples and 245 blocks in two quarters time over 150 games) no longer wants to play basketball . . .

    Maurice Taylor 5 6-9 8.4 ppg,
    3.6 rpg . . . while the bulky veteran with skills galore (see 17 ppg average in last 100 games before signing with Rockets) is already prepared to add to the 145 missed games he's amassed to injury.

    Center Exp Ht '02-03 Stats Notes
    Yao Ming 1 7-6 13.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg
    Never has a savior had it this easy. Now comes the encore where 1.79 blocks per game simply will not suffice. The fact that he is already the second-best center in the NBA already says as much about he state of centers in the league as it does about Yao. But he is big, he is smart and by all indications he is willing, the last part making him most endearing.

    Kelvin Cato 6 6-11 4.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg
    Once scored 27 points against Boston and grabbed 17 boards against Indiana and blocked eight shots against Utah. I keep saying that to myself every time I see him on the bench or on the floor twiddling his thumbs.

    John Amaechi 5 6-10 2 ppg, 1.5 rpg
    Could go the entire season without having to wash his uniform whether he actually plays or not.
     
    #4 SoSoDef76, Oct 21, 2003
  5. SoSoDef76

    SoSoDef76 Contributing Member

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    http://proxy.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&id=1643225

    Tuesday, October 21, 2003

    By Ric Bucher
    ESPN The Magazine

    Editor's note: Here's a glimpse of the good -- and the bad -- that could happen to the 2003-04 Houston Rockets.

    If he does get to play again, Eddie Griffin must accept a complementary role.
    Best Case Scenario
    These three things have to happen for the Rockets to make the playoffs and take their first step toward the title-contending future owner Les Alexander envisioned with the acquisition of Yao Ming.

    1. Get comfortable with the program. Jeff Van Gundy's level of accountability on every front has a team that's used to rolling free and easy now feeling a little locked up. Cuttino Mobley, Eddie Griffin and Maurice Taylor all must grasp -- and quickly -- that the team now consists of a two-man showcase and their role is to polish the brass, take tickets and man the velvet ropes. In short, Steve Francis and Yao Ming are the decision makers and everyone else is expected to get them the ball, play defense and make shots when left open. It sounds easy and all three have demonstrated the ability to play such a role -- but only occasionally. Doing it, and doing it well, night after night, is a matter of discipline, not talent. Don't be surprised if one, or all three, are gone by next season should they struggle getting with the new program. Van Gundy believes in this quote he got from Lou Piniella: "Patience is a good thing. Too much patience is utter stupidity."

    2. Yao becomes as tough as his touch is soft. Yao has developed some particularly bad rebounding habits, perhaps from his years competing against centers smaller and weaker in Asia. He tends to simply go after a missed shot rather than use his body to create space and then chase the ball, a must for someone who isn't a quick leaper. His endurance also can't be an issue, as it was last year after playing a full summer with the Chinese national team and then conducting at least two interviews a day for most of the season. Van Gundy is certain to protect him from overextending himself off the floor and, although Yao showed last year he's already a disciple of the weight room, will make sure he's as fit as can be on it.

    3. Houston fans, media and ownership demonstrate the necessary patience. Van Gundy was asked after the Rockets' preseason win over the Kings if his team could take the Western Conference. What he said: "That's putting the cart before the horse." What he meant: "Are you freakin' nuts? Didn't you just see us shoot 5-for-17 and commit six turnovers in the fourth quarter?" But the clock began ticking with the arrival of Yao and no one seems to care that a roster built for Rudy T isn't necessarily what you want for Van Gundy. The Rockets should make the playoffs, but they will be a work in progress throughout the season and the roster will have to be reshaped to fit Van Gundy's style. In particular, they must deal for more perimeter shooting and a legitimate blue-collar defensive power forward of the Kurt Thomas-Tyrone Hill-Troy Murphy variety.

    Worst Case Scenario
    The Rockets will not make the playoffs if these three things happen.

    1. The Rockets are hamstrung by the players union from punishing Griffin or they drag their feet moving him in search of the perfect deal. A player missed a flight; so what, right? It happens. Wrong. Getting players to buy into a new system -- particularly a new, more rigid system -- is like building a dam: one leak or gap, particularly in the initial stages, and the whole thing will never stand up to the tougher challenges sure to come. Griffin, unwittingly, has given the Rockets the perfect means by which to drive home how important it is to be professional. It's understandable that personal issues will occasionally arise and get in the way of work. But the Rockets still didn't know where Griffin was or why he wasn't with them when he went AWOL before the Oct. 16 game against Sacramento. No phone call, no e-mail, no page. That simply doesn't fly, especially with career 38-percent-shooting power forwards. If Mobley, Griffin and Taylor all balk at their new roles -- and that's certainly not inconceivable -- this team doesn't have the depth or personality to overcome their defection.

    2. Yao's summer of labor for the Chinese national team causes him to hit the same wall as last year. Such a development would leave the Rockets to survive on the postup games of Taylor, John Amaechi and Kelvin Cato. Yao looks improved on all fronts compared to last season, but he will play more minutes and draw more attention. The West is tougher than ever and while Utah's anticipated slide opens a playoff berth, Houston won't be alone chasing it.

    3. Francis doesn't stay healthy. All the hoopla surrounding Yao and the fact that Francis played in 81 games overshadowed the fact that Francis played with a variety of injuries that would have sidelined a lesser leader. He is their go-to guy and the perfect counterpoint to Yao.

    Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ric.bucher@espnmag.com. Also, send a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
     
    #5 SoSoDef76, Oct 21, 2003
  6. AstroRocket

    AstroRocket Member

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    #6 AstroRocket, Oct 21, 2003
  7. Bag0b0y

    Bag0b0y Member

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    Isn't that the same link? Anyways i wonder if Jeff van Gundy will have the same effect as the "tuna" does for the dallas cowgirls? I recall in the beginning of the season how experts thought the cowgirls were considered a middle of the pack team, or even worse, a non- playoff team and adding bill parcells would only give them a couple more wins from last years record. Look at them now! 5-1?!? Now everyone in the NFL is raving about the cowboys because of the tuna's attention to DETAIL. Which leads me to Van Gundy. After reading the article about his attention to detail it reminded me of parcells in a way. Would that mean the Rockets could be the cowboys of the NBA? Because basketball experts generally place us in the middle of the western confernce and some even say we might not make the playoffs......in any case I think Van Gundy is doing a great job and i can't wait to see the season start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1:D :D
     
    #7 Bag0b0y, Oct 21, 2003
  8. a-rock

    a-rock Member

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    espn had the rockets in the playoffs the last couple of years...
     
    #8 a-rock, Oct 21, 2003
  9. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    Wow, Cato getting props from JVG!

    Kind of sad about EG. Just wonder what his value is if we trade him....
     
    #9 Rockets34Legend, Oct 21, 2003
  10. lancet

    lancet Contributing Member

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    Wow, nice articles! Some professional journalnism on ESPN! Who would thought of that after seeing Chad Ford's piece of crap ESPN insider...
     
    #10 lancet, Oct 21, 2003
  11. Roc Paint

    Roc Paint Contributing Member

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    Those were good reads. Thank's guys.
     
    #11 Roc Paint, Oct 21, 2003
  12. Deuce

    Deuce Context & Nuance

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    Good articles from Ric Bucher. No surprise that he was the one covering the Rockets training camp. I believe he is the writer that is working with Yao on the Yao book.
     
    #12 Deuce, Oct 21, 2003
  13. GocartMozart

    GocartMozart Contributing Member

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    While I agree about the attention to detail part, don't get to excited about the Cowboys yet.

    Combined record of teams played so far: 10-27
    Combined record of teams left to play: 35-30

    Cowboys will do well to play .500 rest of way and finish 10-6. That's probably enough to make the playoffs, but the 5-1 record is VERY misleading -- more of a scheduling quirk than an indicator of the true level of the Cowboys (IMHO basically a .500 team).


    Nice to see some good articles after the crap we've been seeing for the last week or so!
     
    #13 GocartMozart, Oct 21, 2003
  14. crash5179

    crash5179 Contributing Member

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    NYG, Philly, NYJ, ATL were all play-off teams last year. NYG and Philly have two of the best defenses in the league and the pokes still beat them and put up good offensive numbers. Roy Williams is the best football player in the NFL and still no love??:confused: :confused:
     
    #14 crash5179, Oct 21, 2003
  15. MadMax

    MadMax Contributing Member

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    last year was last year...this year, they've combined for 10 wins. impressive, to be sure.

    BUT...you can only beat those teams you're scheduled against...and i give the cowboys credit for doing that.
     
    #15 MadMax, Oct 21, 2003
  16. B-ball freak

    B-ball freak Contributing Member

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    um, what was this thread about again?
     
    #16 B-ball freak, Oct 21, 2003
  17. playahata

    playahata Member

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    "espn had the rockets in the playoffs the last couple of years..."

    So did most "experts"....and the majority of this board.....Why else do you think a coaching change was made? Because they overachieved the past 2 years???
     
    #17 playahata, Oct 21, 2003
  18. SLA

    SLA Member

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    Good articles...sounded like something someone here wrote...

    Mo Taylor is balking at his new role? I get it...if he balks at his new role, it will be not be tolerated...and he will be gone next season.

    Hmm..what is his role? He's too fragile! Score score score. I guess he will be like our instant scoring boost off the bench.
     
    #18 SLA, Oct 21, 2003
  19. bigboymumu

    bigboymumu Member

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    Good job J Dupree, I mean SOSODEF! Finally a very good thread. One stop to get all of the recent articles.
     
    #19 bigboymumu, Oct 22, 2003
  20. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Contributing Member

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    #20 Oski2005, Oct 22, 2003
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