Maybe Swift's offcourt dedication is the reason he is not getting starter minutes. Clearly he has more talent and potential than Howard. Yet he has twice been suspended this year for being late for practice. Contrast this to Yao who is in the TC gym hours before the start of practice, or Tracy who used to work out after each grueling game. While I am no JVG lover, he is one of those coaches that demands a lot of his players in practice. Unless Swift is giving his all in practice, he is not going to see significant minutes. Plus, Howard's reputation is that he is a consummate professional, always giving his all in practice. Just read "Justice's" glowing articles about Howard. This is my belief why JVG favors Howard. In real world terms, Swift seems to be a straight 9-5, no more, no less. I believe that JVG realizes that the Rockets would be a better team with Swift starting. However, designating Swift a starter without him earning it, would go against all JVG beliefs in. This would undermine his authority and credibility. There seems to be two viable outcomes: (1) Swift changes his work habits, is loved by JVG, and becomes the player we all wish he could be; or (2) he gets traded. Unfortunetly, the latter seems to be the most probable outcome.
