1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

  2. Live Rockets Discussion
    Jalen Green looks like a legit star, Amen Thompson is shining and the Rockets have found something without Alperen Sengun. Clutch is talking about the 10-game winning streak at 11:00am as we talk Rockets live!

    Talking Rockets - LIVE!

Sports Illustrated Rockets article

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Milos, Sep 27, 2004.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Milos

    Milos Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2001
    Messages:
    1,237
    Likes Received:
    1,138
    State of the Rockets

    By Kelly Dwyer, Special to SI.com

    Rockets At A Glance
    Head coach -- Jeff Van Gundy
    2003-04 Season -- Record: 45-37
    Key Additions
    SG Tracy McGrady (Magic)
    PF Juwan Howard (Magic)
    SG Bob Sura (Hawks)

    Key Losses
    PG Steve Francis (Magic)
    SG Cuttino Mobley (Magic)
    PF Kelvin Cato (Magic)

    Projected Lineup
    Starters Reserves
    PG T. Lue C. Ward
    SG T. McGrady B. Sura
    SF J. Jackson B. Nachbar
    PF J. Howard M. Taylor
    C Y. Ming D. Mutombo

    It's hard to call a trade involving three former All-Stars "overlooked," particularly when it gets bandied about in the press, agreed upon and finally consummated following a month-long process. But lost amid the Shaquille O'Neal trade, the Kobe Bryant trial and the Carlos Boozer free-agent shenanigans this summer, the Houston Rockets traded for Tracy McGrady. This is huge. This is Kobe and Shaq-huge, with even more potential (Yao Ming is taller; McGrady's game is more potent).

    Also looming large, though, is the fact that the Rockets have gutted their team, while remaining over the salary cap in the process, a scenario that won't allow for much fiscal flexibility any time soon. A crew of older, limited athletes who don't scare anyone will surround Yao and McGrady. But this swings both ways. The supporting cast may be unimpressive on paper, but it's reminiscent of Bryant's and O'Neal's time in the sun, winning titles with Ron Harper, Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, A.C. Green and Horace Grant. After such a radical overhaul, not even the Rockets can begin to anticipate how this will turn out, but they do know this: At their relationship's worst, Yao and McGrady will never develop 1/10th the simmering enmity that Kobe and Shaq shared for each other.

    Masterminding this retooling has been Coach Jeff Van Gundy and GM Carroll Dawson, who have done remarkable work in their short time together.

    Patience is not, as of yet, Van Gundy's "thing." He is your typical micro-manager -- he'd trade players during TV timeouts if he could -- and this is rarely a good thing. Van Gundy needs someone to stand up to him, to give him a sense of perspective. Dawson could be that man, but it's too early to tell. Together, though, they have nearly eviscerated the 2000-01 Rockets team that won 45 games and still missed the playoffs, as only Maurice Taylor remains. And, believe me, those are just remains.

    That was the last year of the Hakeem Olajuwon Era, and the beginning of the end for beloved Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. After the team wisely let the quickly-diminishing Olajuwon walk at the end of the year, Rudy T. was exposed as a soft touch when it came to his two firebrand guards, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley. Both were allowed to dribble their way into oblivion, freelancing to tough loss after tough loss. By the time Tomjanovich's health became an issue in '02-03, it was clear the team needed a new direction. Goodbye, players' friend; helloooooo, creepy know-it-all.

    Van Gundy hasn't exactly polarized Rockets fans -- that rarely happens when you lead a team to the playoffs for the first time in five years -- but Houston knows its hoops, and it's dubious. It remembers Van Gundy's '97 Knicks, it remembers how Van Gundy's persistent pessimism invaded the psyche of those Knicks, and it's doubtful it (or any fan of the game) wants these Rockets to rekindle memories of those Knicks. It may be too late, though, for a Rockets team that averaged only 89.8 points per game last season.

    But Rockets fans may find the aesthetic price a cost worth bearing if it results in winning, and that's what Van Gundy does. He holds players responsible for their actions, and if the players prove irresponsible, then they're on the next plane out. This is why Charlie Ward may start at point guard for the Rockets this season and why Francis is in Orlando (except on Feb. 5, 2005, when he'll be in Jacksonville for the Super Bowl). This is why the roster will be littered with players who had their best seasons some eight years ago, why the rotation will remain short and why the Rockets could be the surprise of the West in '04-05.

    Which brings us back to the original idea: What would be surprising about a team featuring Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady performing well? Oddly, plenty.

    The only thing that can stop Yao is ... Yao
    Yao improved as expected in his second year. In just under 33 minutes a game, he averaged 17.5 points and nine boards and two blocks while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and 81 percent from the line. Nice. He played aggressive, sound basketball, while heeding Van Gundy's demands that Yao insist on getting the ball. Consequently, Yao took 12.5 per game last season, an improvement over the 10 shots he took each night his rookie season, but he needs the ball more. Great things happen when Yao is given the rock in the low post: He can see over any defender and make decisions that belie his age and position. All in all, he is a sublime player and a joy to watch.

    But his durability is a concern. Yao played all 82 games last year and filled his obligations to the Chinese National Team, a hectic and heavy schedule that has injury written all over it, though if any pair of legs can take it, it's probably Yao's. Van Gundy again may watch his minutes as he did last season, but if Yao is ever going to become that 25-point-per-game scorer, he'll need the ball and 40-minute runs. It seems only a matter of time before Yao's low-post game fully rounds into form and his improving jump-hook make Yao unstoppable.

    I never thought I'd say it, but the Rockets will miss center Kelvin Cato, who had a career-year at the perfect time for the Rockets last season. He was able to play both big forward and center and performed well enough to be an important cog in the trade that brought McGrady over from Orlando. In the aftermath, Dikembe Mutombo was acquired to give Yao some rest. But Mutombo is on his sixth team since February, '01, and he's more or less done.

    Bet you didn't know Juwan Howard's a Rocket now. He's been a lot of things, so it's hard to keep up. Howard's brought solid stats and a great attitude his entire career. Save for a fluke season with the Bullets and 12 months with the Mavericks, Howard has spent his time playing the professional for horrendous teams. This season promises to be a welcome change of pace.

    Howard's contract, as it's always been, is worth mentioning. If he comes close to his production from last year (17 and 7), he'll be a relative bargain at just more than $5 million this year. But he'll be around for a while -- '09 to be exact -- and the salary eases its way up a few million. If he can find proper spacing around the hoop and around Yao, he'll work but he's going to have to pay more attention to the boards than he ever has before

    Home at last
    After plying his trade for nine different teams over the course of his 12-year career, Jim Jackson may have finally found a comfortable fit for his services. It helps to be playing for a coach who lives for players who do the little things. Jackson specialized in that last season: logging heavy minutes (39 per game), shooting accurately (40 percent of his 405 3-point attempts), rebounding (six a night) and most importantly for this team -- a willingness to pass the ball into the low post. Injuries and 33 years on the planet have sapped Jackson's ability to drive and sky, but he's still one of the stronger guards in the league and will be given the tougher defensive assignments. And as a third scorer, Jackson's 13-points-per-game should be just what the overbearing coach ordered.

    While Jackson has often found himself discarded from previous teams at the first sign something better is available, that isn't the case in Houston, where his backups include Scott Padgett and Bostjan Nachbar. Many observers were high on Nachbar coming out of the '02 draft, but he hasn't shown much in two different offensive schemes under two completely different coaches. Padgett is what he is: an accurate shooter who has a hard time getting his shot off and someone who does his best work on the glass and on defense.

    Maurice Taylor and Clarence Weatherspoon will back up the other forward spot -- a plan that will cost the Rockets $20 million in '04-05.

    I love you. You're perfect. Now change.
    McGrady is it. Ironically, though, that means he'll have to completely change his game this year while still coming through with the same stats he's always produced. That makes absolutely no sense, but McGrady is the one player on this club capable of altering his game to fit the Rockets' needs. Dig: There are several players on the Rockets who can create their own shots, but none are as creative as McGrady, who needs to get open shots for his teammates if the Rockets are going to be dangerous. Howard has to get lay-ups in the lane, Yao needs open baseline jumpers and Jackson and Bobby Sura need open threes.

    It won't come easily for McGrady considering he has spent the past few seasons as the Magic's lone weapon (i.e. he can't pull that sort of 1-on-4 set stuff in Houston). He's going to have to keep his teammates involved, keep their hands warm and still find a way to get 25 a game. It's a bugger of a responsibility, but it's what maximum-contracted players should do, isn't it? McGrady's stats last year fit the bill -- 28 points, six boards and 5.5 assists a game -- but, even though his teammates in Orlando were scarcely of NBA quality (sorry Juwan, Tyronn), he didn't make anyone better.

    He can, and he should, this year. The fans will keep him interested. Yao will keep him interested. Winning will keep him interested. And Van Gundy will be on him, exhorting him not to take plays off, keeping his ears burning if he dares to launch anywhere near the almost eight 3s a game he chucked last season.

    Van Gundy offenses don't rely on point guards, good news for a team whose point guard situation is pitiful. Lue and Ward are smart players -- overachievers -- but the Rockets will not take that next step until this position is upgraded significantly. Sura can play a little bit of point and make the fancy pass, yet he can barely stay in front of opponents while at shooting guard, much less Tony Parker. Lue should start, though Ward will see as many minutes as his legs will allow.

    For better or worse, this is Van Gundy's team, and it'll only go as far as he lets his own players take him. Van Gundy needs to create an atmosphere that will inspire his two All-Stars to grow as players and leaders. He needs to demonstrate that he knows when to back off and let the men take care of business. If Van Gundy can find a way to do that, Houston won't be an easy out come this spring.

    Center: Yao Ming -- Praying that his body holds up and McGrady wises up when he sees a 7-5 center with skills on the left post.

    Power Forward: Juwan Howard -- His game never relied on athleticism, so as long as the Rockets give him touches, Howard will put the ball in the hole.

    Small Forward: Jim Jackson -- Seems capable of keeping this "dirty work" thing going for awhile.

    Shooting Guard: Tracy McGrady -- Has a lot of making up to do after last year; here's hoping he gets it right.

    Point Guard: Tyronn Lue -- Diminutive and active but quite limited.

    Reece Gaines -- Looked good in Orlando last year, and he was about the only one (two of the others are on the Rockets now).

    Dikembe Mutombo -- I'm still upset that we were cheated out of a press conference welcoming Cookie Monster -- er, Deke -- to either Chicago or Houston.

    Bostjan Nachbar -- Jackson should be the perfect mentor, but Nachbar is running out of time to make an impact.

    Scott Padgett -- Has leveled off but a useful forward to have off your bench.

    Vassilis Spanoulis -- I enjoyed a nice glass of Riesling with my Vassilis Spanoulis last week, but they put too many pine nuts in the sauce.

    Bob Sura -- Single-handedly ruined the raise-the-roof gesture for Caucasians everywhere.

    Maurice Taylor -- Has his moments, but you can tell he's not really what you'd call a "basketball fan."

    Clarence Weatherspoon -- Still works with what little he has. Yeah, 6-7, 270 isn't exactly "little," but you get where I'm coming from.

    Charlie Ward -- We hear that Internet conversations between a certain "JVGcoach67" and a "HeismanWard1717" sometimes approached the five-hour mark last season. It wasn't pretty. Glad to see that they're back together.
     
  2. Milos

    Milos Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2001
    Messages:
    1,237
    Likes Received:
    1,138
    Sorry Mike,

    I'm r****ded.

    Waiting for lock...
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

  • About ClutchFans

    Since 1996, ClutchFans has been loud and proud covering the Houston Rockets, helping set an industry standard for team fan sites. The forums have been a home for Houston sports fans as well as basketball fanatics around the globe.

  • Support ClutchFans!

    If you find that ClutchFans is a valuable resource for you, please consider becoming a Supporting Member. Supporting Members can upload photos and attachments directly to their posts, customize their user title and more. Gold Supporters see zero ads!


    Upgrade Now