http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2350642 Van Gundy laments team's lack of progress Tonight's matchup against the Washington Wizards is officially the Rockets' 37th regular-season game, but as far as coach Jeff Van Gundy is concerned, it might as well be their season opener. Because for all the defensive improvements the Rockets made while winning four of five games over the last two weeks, Sunday's setback to Boston re-emphasized how little they have really progressed this season. The turnovers are still there. The offense remains sluggish and mistake-prone. And much to Van Gundy's displeasure, the intensity level has mainly kept the Rockets grounded. "We played a lazy game; we've played many lazy games," Van Gundy said Monday morning at Toyota Center. "We've played as many lazy games as I've seen on tape from previous years. "The most disappointing thing is our unwillingness to change. It's not hard to see (that) we haven't changed much. You watch us turn the ball over, lack of energy, bad shots -- there are a number of things you could go to. That's how we play." As the Rockets prepare to open a back-to-back set tonight starting with the Wizards -- the short road trip concludes Wednesday with a rematch against the Celtics -- Van Gundy pointed toward a host of problems and offered few answers. He knows teams have noticed the Rockets' lack of mobility at power forward, exposing the weakness by spreading the Rockets out offensively and defensively. He's considered shuffling the starting lineup but so far has settled for making in-game tweaks when he sees something he doesn't like. Against Boston's fronting low-post defense Sunday, an ineffective Yao Ming was pulled at center in favor of Kelvin Cato with 9:41 remaining in the game. Later in the fourth quarter, Cato was himself pulled for little-used Scott Padgett, who promptly sank back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Rockets within three. The offensive outburst might have carried the team to victory, except for Problem No. 2. The Rockets' defense, so strong of late, failed to guard any Celtic and even allowed a season-high 21 points to center Walter McCarty, who was a last-minute insertion into the starting lineup. The Celtics posted 97 points and made 47 percent of their shots, including 11 of 22 from 3-point range. "If you're going to defend a team like (Boston) effectively, it starts with making multiple efforts on many possessions," Van Gundy said. "We didn't even get a first effort. If you need multiple efforts and you don't get a first effort, it makes it very difficult to defend. You end up hoping they miss instead of making them miss." Washington doesn't figure to test the Rockets as much defensively. The Wizards rank as the league's worst shooting team, alongside Miami. But considering Problem No. 3, the Rockets' less-than-enthusiastic starts, the team's two-game stint on the East Coast offers plenty of traps, especially given the Rockets' knack for emotional letdowns. "We didn't come out with any energy," said guard Cuttino Mobley. "We had spurts of times where we played well and times we didn't play well. You've got to get yourself out of that situation. You have to prepare yourself before the game as a team. Individually, do your job. You try to get yourself out of it, but it's got to be collective, not one or two guys." Added forward Maurice Taylor: "We feel we have a good team, but having a good team and having talent don't mean nothing if you're not consistent. Everybody in the league has talent. We just have to get better. We're not playing good basketball right now." Rockets Summary 3 spree The flip side of the Rockets giving up a season-high 11 3-pointers to Boston? The Rockets themselves set a new standard for baskets made beyond the arc. They nailed 12 3's on Sunday night, surpassing their previous high of 11 set Thursday against New York. Jim Jackson led the Rockets with six treys, the most 3-pointers he has made in a game since 1996, when he was with Dallas. "We're fifth or sixth in the league in 3-point shooting, so when we play well, we've shot the ball fairly well from 3," said Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, whose team ranks third in the NBA in 3-point percentage after Sunday's 12-for-25 performance. "We've got to play well enough to win, often enough. Anybody can play well occasionally. Most teams in this league play well occasionally, that's why they win occasionally." Home woes The term "home-court advantage" hasn't applied much to the Rockets these days. Though the team began the season by winning eight of its first nine games at Toyota Center, the Rockets have gone 4-4 since. This weekend's loss to the Celtics was especially discouraging since Boston hadn't won in Houston -- or Texas, for that matter -- in almost three years. And the Rockets' vaunted, top-ranked defense was a virtual no-show. "They came into our home arena and did whatever they wanted to do," said Rockets forward Maurice Taylor. "We're supposed to be the best defensive team in the league, and (on Sunday) you wouldn't have known that. If you looked at the game, you wouldn't have said we were a good defensive team. That's what's embarrassing about it." Reality check The Rockets never considered themselves NBA royalty, but the season's strong start likely had them thinking about playoff seeding. Now the team is worried about just making the postseason, which has gone on without them the last four years. "It's not early in the season, it's late," Taylor said. "We're at the halfway point, so we're going to have to pick it up. We are in the seventh, eighth spot, and that's not good enough. There's five teams fighting for that spot, and we're just one of those. "We're not one of those teams in the upper echelon, who's sitting pretty and waiting for the playoffs. We're going to have to fight to get in; we're going to have to fight to get better and improve. And right now, we're not doing that." Yao surging Yao Ming is making a strong run at Shaquille O'Neal to be the Western Conference's starting center at the NBA All-Star Game next month. Fewer than 24,000 votes separate the two in the third set of totals released by the league Monday. O'Neal leads the center vote in the West with 1,115,881.
Oh, but...but...they're still learning a new system! We have to have patience! (I hope the "rolleyes" smiley wasn't need, but for the slower board members. ) I've never been more disgusted with a Rockets team as I have with this year's. Simply horrible. Where's that mushroom cloud pic when you really need it?
I agree...I went to the Boston game when I was in town Sunday and it was freakin' pathetic...I remember when Mo left his man wide open for an easy two before halftime...No D what so ever...
ATrain, as you may or may not know, I am boycotting the Rockets for the time being. I am not watching them, listening to them, attending games, buying Rocket's merchandice, or anything Rockets until they make a SIGNIFICANT change in personnel. Many have apparently joined me. I only come to this site occasionally to see if anything significant has changed. This is one of those rare times. I haven't posted since the back to back Spurs disaster. What I really want is for Steve Francis to leave Houston. He isn't the only problem, but I believe that he is the MAIN problem. Being part of the LOYAL OPPOSITION, I will continue to wait for a REAL Rockets team to return to Houston. The Franchise era (flash without substance) has never, IMO, represented the proud Rocket' s tradition.
I wish i could argue w/ you on this point, but i dont have any matterial to back me up becuase you're pretty much right.
If they don't show some significant improvent, the organizaton will have to make a tough decision this offseason- blow up the team and trade Steve, or try again with the some tweaking (i.e. trading Cuttino).
The article speaks for itself and apparently so does the coach. You want to blame players for not following his great coaching and instruction and this is what we get? Maybe you should rethink your position....
I don't see why I should rethink my position when the players are clearly screwing up on the court, just like they did last year. I doesn't matter who is coaching them, Rudy or Jeff, the problems are the same. Coaches aren't miracle workers.
This sounds so familiar. Hasn't this happened once last week when we lost a game... and the week before last week when we lost a game... and the week before the week before last week when we lost a game? Talk pretty but play ugly.
The screw up I saw was the fronting of Yao and weak side help. If they take that option away there has to be an offensive set or plan to take advantage of the extra defense on him. That is play calling and the coach's direction. I didn't see players not executing a plan to take advantage of that. There wasn't one... That's the coach's fault first, then players if they don't execute. Don't blame players that didn't execute what wasn't even attempted.
I find it hard to believe that JVG doesn't know how to deal with a fronting defense. It is a lot more believable to think that the same cast of characters can't consistently break down a new defense, just like they haven't been able to the past 4 years. They couldn't get the ball to Yao under Rudy, either.
I guess JVG might want to watch how USSR's national basketball team played against such defense. Most of the time when Sabonis was on court, he was sandwiched by two opponent defenders before he got the ball. Shrimpie
I'm surprised to hear this type of blanket condemnation of the whole team at this point. What is Van Gundy going to do? Fire the whole team? This is the type of statment that you hear from a coach on his way out the door. Is Van Gundy throwing in the towel? Desiring a return to being an always right TV analyst? If Van Gundy keeps this up, and the team doesn't respond quickly they will tune him out. I would then fire him and try someone like perhaps Calivin Murphy who seems to have communication skills that extend beyond punishment and blaming others.
I don't agree with that not getting it to Yao under RT, or even JVG. When they let Yao front and shoot from mid range he is effective. It is when they structure him in plays down low and try to force it inside that they have problems. That isn't players so much as spacing and ball movement - a counter play. That is in the plans, the playbook, the practices the teaching. That's the coaches direction and plan. I'd be the first to say it was Steve or yao or whoever but that's not what I saw in the Celtics game....
I say fire Van Gundy's ass out of here. He brings too much negativity and bad vibes all around. I'm sick and tired of looking at his sorry ass face during games as well. He's got to be one of the ugliest NBA coaches of all time. Stop criticizing your players and do something about it! Talk is cheap, coach. If they aren't listening, send them packing via a trade. Has he said one good thing about any of his players since the first few games this season? This is what he should be doing for the rest of his career.
Hey at least steve plays well when he is national tv! Plus he is on sportscenter like every night. Isnt that enough?
Dfoolz, Francis has built his reputation on the "highlight" reel, and while he scores more on national tv, his poor passing, high turnovers, poor playmaking, and overdribbling continues. He has duped many fans, but basketball people know better. Has he ever been on the All NBA team? Is he a future Hall of Famer? Gag me with a spoon!!! All I want for next Christmas is for him to be on another team. The Franchise? More like the Fraud!
