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[l]http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/784671[/l]
Rockets to look at future tonight
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle


MINNEAPOLIS -- Rudy Tomjanovich said it again the other day. "Look at the Timberwolves," he instructed, varying only slightly on his frequent theme, "Look at Minnesota."

The Rockets were in the painful depths of a losing streak. The frustration of a team that considered itself too talented for such pain had begun to show. Like many coaches in similar situations, Tomjanovich fell back on familiar ground.

"Look at the Timberwolves," he said. "There is a lesson learned there. It takes time. Sometimes we forget that. We want it now. I've been guilty of that. We've got to do the right things, work hard, stay positive and learn from experiences."

OK, nobody will argue that. But when asked why the Timberwolves, whom the Rockets will "look at" in person this afternoon in the Target Center, have become Tomjanovich's personal favorite example of developing NBA maturity, Tomjanovich was at first stumped.

It was not until he looked closer at the Timberwolves that he saw the comparison to the Rockets that he must have sensed before but never really considered when lauding the virtues of patience.

Steve Francis almost never has met Kevin Garnett off a court. Their communications barely have extended beyond handshakes before Garnett wins each night's first jump ball. They are different players playing entirely different positions and representing almost utterly different franchises and cities.

But Tomjanovich knew the start of his and the Timberwolves' rebuilding shared the common starting point of the acquisition of a young, charismatic potential superstar, unique to most of the rest of the league but similar in many respects to one another and in their importance to their teams' future.

"They love the game," Tomjanovich, who coached Garnett for six weeks with the U.S. Olympic team, said. "They're emotional. When they do something well, there is jubilation. They can't help but show it."

But the comparisons do not end there. Just as the Rockets hope Francis, 23, leads them back from the lottery to perennial playoff status as Garnett, 24, has led the Timberwolves, those that know both see a great deal of Garnett in Francis and Francis in Garnett.

"They're both crazy as hell," Rockets trainer Keith Jones, also one of the Olympic team trainers, said. "They're playful as hell and competitive as hell. They'll stay in the gym all day if you let them."

While any upper-deck fan can see freakishly rare physical gifts in Francis and Garnett, their similarities are even more obvious to those with a more personal vantage point.

They both mix cheerful exuberance and serious work ethic, heavy doses of on-court charisma and competitiveness, showmanship and determination. Both will delight in a spectacular moment but anguish in defeat.

"They can clown around and be serious when it's time to be serious," Rockets assistant coach Mike Wells, an Olympic team video coordinator, said. "They're young guys, be-bopping along, be-bopping along. But they know how to be serious. They can just turn that on.

"Kevin has no fear and he doesn't care what anybody thinks, even what teammates think. He just wants to win games so badly, he doesn't care. He can cuss guys out, call them names. He just cares about winning. And he comes to play every night."

Francis, in just his second season, shares much of that. Though Francis did not jump directly from high school to the NBA as Garnett did, he did arrive needing to learn much of his craft at the highest level having never played his NBA position, point guard, regularly on any level. He played only one season of major-college basketball after two seasons at two junior colleges, and just one high school season.

"But he's 6-11," Francis said. "That's a big difference right there. He demands the ball. I'm a point guard. I have to make sure everybody gets it. He's on the top of the ladder.

"But he came out of high school and a lot of people doubted taking a high school guy. He proved himself with a lot of hard work. I think I'm going to prove myself by working hard. He's emotional on the court and I am, too. He'll say what he feels and I'm pretty sure I will, in fact, I know I will. I think he came along and made it easier, more acceptable, to be like that."

Though Garnett began his career as a much more raw talent than Francis did, the Rockets would like to see Francis grow as a player as Garnett has. Garnett has increased his scoring average in each of his six seasons, averaging 23.6 points per game this season. Francis is averaging 18.4 points per game.

Because they play such different positions, the rest of their statistics are difficult to compare. But Francis and Garnett are both among the league leaders (top 20) in four statistical categories.

Both are such unusual talents, clear so early in their NBA careers, Tomjanovich cannot help but consider their similarities as attractions and foundations on which to build.

"Kevin is a special player and guy," Wells said. "He's amazing. If they want to promote young guys, stars in this league, Kevin Garnett is No. 1. And Steve is the same way. We see it every day, how competitive he is, the way he plays. There's a lot of similarities."

There are enough for Tomjanovich to see his team and offer a glimpse of the next step with a "look at the Timberwolves."




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