Chron: Shot blockade a Griffin forte

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/1620585

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

PHOENIX -- They came in a flash and without warning, as the best of blocked shots do.

The path to the rim seemed clear, and the league's reigning MVP held the ball so high above the court he almost seemed able to reach the plaque commemorating Hakeem Olajuwon's status as the NBA's all-time blocked shots leader. Eddie Griffin was not in the picture.

But with the night careening toward one of those typical work-on-things preseason finishes, valuable only to rookies trying to earn a job and veterans working their way back from injuries, Griffin flew into view and gave the Rockets a jolt of eye-catching, scene-stealing momentum.

San Antonio's Tim Duncan was in the middle of a typical roll when he took off for the rim only to have Griffin meet him at their highest point and swat the shot away as Duncan began to punch home a dunk. Griffin then caught Duncan from behind for another block. He closed in on Speedy Claxton to smack another shot away.

In a streak of 4 1/2 minutes, Griffin blocked four shots, and he finished Tuesday night with five. He had three blocked shots, two to snuff out apparent dunks, in Memphis last week. An unimpressed Griffin has become such a consistent shot blocker that he assumes he will get a few.

"Last year, when I was getting people's shots, I was so happy to block any," he said. "Last year, when I got Shaq (O'Neal) or Tim Duncan, I was so excited. I expect that now."

But most of Griffin's blocked shots have been unexpected in that he came from the weak side to suddenly appear in scorers' paths. By most measures, other than shot blocking, the Rockets were among the NBA's worst defensive teams last season. But coach Rudy Tomjanovich said an emphasis on weak-side help and communication as well as contesting passes into the post already have been responsible for improvement in the preseason.

"I was very pleased with our defense, especially our post defense," Tomjanovich said. "We did not allow direct passes in. I want that to be our trademark: When you play Houston, they're not going to let you catch the ball down there. It takes control away from the offense, where they have to react to you, instead of playing behind them and letting a good player catch the ball and now you have to react to them.

"Our guys were battling. It takes a lot of energy. It's not easy. Nobody practices catching the ball over their head and then getting in their move. Over the course of the game, the tension and anxiety it causes the other team has got to knock their efficiency down.

"In the first half ... I had to check to see if there was super glue on the weak side and our feet got stuck. But our guys made a conscious effort to get over there. To me, that's the key. Being alert, vision and communicating are all important."

The slow erosion of an opponent's shooting touch would constitute improvement. But there still is something special about the sudden flash of a blocked shot to inspire a team.

"It got me fired up," Tomjanovich said. "I think those things are worth more than the `1' you get on a stat sheet. You got one blocked shot, but it does something psychologically to that player and to the other team, where they start thinking there is no free ride inside. And then it's a double plus, because it pumps you up, you get that roar from the crowd, and you usually get on a break. They are big plays."

Last season, Griffin's knack for shot blocking was an entertaining novelty. He averaged 1.8 per game, which, though promising, was too few to change the Rockets' mentality. At least for a night in the preseason, a few moments rubbed off on Griffin's teammates.

"It gets everybody excited," forward Glen Rice said. "When you have a guy out there shot-blocking, it makes you bring the defensive pressure as well. You don't want him to be doing it on the defensive end by himself."

That might be the most valuable contribution Griffin could make. But as much as defense comes down to consistent, thankless intensity, there was something stirring about that flash of a split-second when shot blocker meets shot maker.

"I think it is something that gets the team going, gets the crowd going," Griffin said. "It makes a statement to the other team to let them know it's not going to come easy inside. And when I come from the weak side, guys usually don't see me coming. I try to stay in their blind spot. So when you get there, everybody gets excited."

With that, Griffin revealed that all appearances to the contrary, he could be included among the excited.