[CHRON] Coach pursues right mix

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3416480

Van Gundy keeps rotation close to his vest, pushes to have Rockets play well
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Perhaps Jeff Van Gundy would like to put his opening-night starting lineup on the court, play the rotation he has in mind and consider this week's preseason back-to-back a dress rehearsal.

He might like to call an end to checking out different combinations of Rockets in favor of putting the players together as he will next week. He might like these last two games — tonight against the Utah Jazz and Wednesday at the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets — to be as much like the real thing as he could make them.

But then, not a lot has gone as he would like this preseason. He might trot out his opening-night starters tonight, but then again he might not. He might substitute as he will when the regular season starts Nov. 2 against the Sacramento Kings, but he just doesn't know.

Instead, he just would like to see the Rockets play well, something he said they have not done in winning five of six preseason games. So for now, he's not ready to show his hand while still figuring out how to play his cards.

"We're just trying to play better," Van Gundy said. "It might not (be the opening-night rotation), or it might. I'm not willing to say that."

On Sunday, Van Gundy said he had a pretty good idea what his rotation would be but would not discuss it publicly because he had not told the players. But he said the details are not important to him yet.

"That's not how I look at it," he said. "I'm just trying to get a balance of everything, offense, defense, rebounding, size, shooting, everything that you need to have balanced to win. It's not about who's best, or who's a better player between guys. I just want to get a group that plays well together."

Rockets players, however, have said they can use as much time as possible playing in the combinations they will use in the regular season. Most said practices serve to increase familiarity from timing passes to Yao Ming in the post to knowing where Tracy McGrady likes the ball when he curls around screens.

Rockets players also made the case that game time together can help.


Get it together
"I'll be happy to be on the floor to participate with them, get used to where they like the ball, how they like the ball and how we're going to play together," said Rafer Alston, who is expected to start at point guard but has started just three Rockets preseason games.

"You have to be able to deliver where guys can catch and shoot. You don't want to take them off the target. So we're always preaching that we make a nice, crisp pass. I got to know where everybody's going to be and where they're supposed to be so I can put them there and direct.

"David (Wesley) may come off quicker than Tracy. It's all timing. It's getting reps with your guys. You get used to things. Like (former Miami teammate) Eddie Jones likes to fade. I would throw it over the top for Eddie. And sometimes, Eddie likes to dance around, so I would hold it longer and wait. Here we've got catch-and-shoot guys. The timing is different."

To Derek Anderson, also new to the Rockets' rotation, the adjustments that needed to be made can come in practice.

"I've been in the league long enough I can adapt," Anderson said. "We say 'KYP': 'know your personnel.' I've learned to adapt. You just have to be patient. I have a better feel for this whole team. You got to know what you got to do as far as your strength and their strengths."

But whether chemistry is built at practice or in games, the Rockets felt that playing their presumed rotation might be nice. They also said just could not worry too much about intangible, subtle growth when so many more obvious improvements still needed to be made.


Execution lacking
"At this point, I think we need to do that, but it's not so much about who we're playing with as we're not executing, we're not doing the right things," guard Job Barry said.

"Getting to our rotations, playing the game like we're going to play in the regular season might help. Who knows?"

Van Gundy would like to find out. But for now, he would be happy to see any combination of Rockets play well and figure out who plays with whom later.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com


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ROCKETS SUMMARY

Get used to it
The Rockets finish their preseason tonight against the Utah Jazz and on Thursday at the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. It will be the third back-to-back of the preseason, but the Rockets might need to grow accustomed to playing two games in as many nights.

"We looked old (Sunday)," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "The past two (games) we looked old. Hopefully, we'll get a little bounce to our step. The thing that has bothered me is each time we played back-to-back we looked very old.

"A lot of our guys had trouble last year with back-to-back games. We've got to find an energy and a life to us. We play 19 sets of back-to-backs."


Hayes, Langford cut
As expected, the Rockets waived forward Chuck Hayes and guard Keith Langford on Tuesday, reducing their roster to the maximum 15 players.

"They have some good NBA qualities about them," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Unfortunately for them, we took no injuries. They would have been in much better shape if we had taken an injury or two. There's a lot of guys that can be NBA players. The biggest thing is once you get waived is to be mentally strong and persevere, be disappointed yet not discouraged so you can fight back."


Glover may play
Forward Dion Glover, who had practiced just once since spraining his right knee on the first day of two-a-day practices, went through Tuesday's three-hour practice without difficulties.

If he does not develop problems because of Tuesday's workout, he would be available to play for the first time in the preseason tonight against Utah.

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said he would be willing to look at Glover tonight or Thursday.

JONATHAN FEIGEN