Chron: Van Gundy seeks consistent efforts

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2411862

As Kelvin Cato observed, it became "just another day" for the Rockets, save for the fact they were asked to return to Toyota Center on Thursday evening sporting tuxes with their tennis shoes for the team's charity gala.

And the annual fashion faux pas seems a perfect metaphor for the recent-vintage Rockets, under Rudy Tomjanovich and now Jeff Van Gundy. Glaring inconsistencies of behavior and appearance are exactly what we've come to expect of them. One night they're black tie all the way; the next we're lucky if their sneakers have laces in them.

But what we've seen is what we'll continue getting, at least in terms of Houston's cast of characters. The NBA's trading deadline came and went with nary a coming nor a going involving the Rockets.

Cato is still here, as is Steve Francis. Both swore they never gave the myriad rumors a second thought. Although we suspect they're fibbing, the point is moot. Van Gundy will have to live with them, and they with him. The coach intends to make the best of the status quo. He's hopeful his charges are inclined to do likewise.

"It's not really about, `Do I feel comfortable with them?' '" Van Gundy said of the Rockets collectively. "They're all nice fellas. It's not like we have a lot of problems. But we've got to win. We're judged by results, as you should be, so we've got to improve. It's not about my comfort level with them. It's about the results we get together."

Recently, the results have been -- dare I say it? -- encouraging. Since that frightful effort in Phoenix, when Van Gundy told Francis to stay home after he missed the team flight Super Bowl Sunday, the Rockets are 5-1. The only loss was by three points to San Antonio, and they've won their two subsequent games by 41 points, ripping a good team, the Lakers, and a bad one, the Wizards.

Still, considering they've played just once in the last eight days, and Washington offered negligible resistance, it's a reach to suggest the Rockets finally have built some momentum. But the opportunity beckons with six games in nine days starting Saturday in Dallas.

By March 3, when the Lakers drop in for another visit, we should have a clearer notion of the Rockets' sincere intentions for the rest of the season, one that has to be judged an abject failure if Van Gundy doesn't prod them into their first playoff series in five years.

Asked if the hectic patch could be "a turning point," he chuckled.

"We keep turning all right -- in circles," Van Gundy said. "We need to take a direction that's lasting. Not that you're never going to have any setbacks along the way, (but) I just want everyone to know, `OK, the Rockets are playing tonight. They're gonna do X, Y and Z. Maybe it's not good enough to win that night, but they won't beat themselves. They're well-prepared. They're highly energetic. They're unselfish. They play to their strengths.'

"It's an exciting time of the year. We're within striking range of our first goal, which was to make the playoffs. Whether we take advantage of it and finish strong over the next 54 days, that should be fun to watch. Can we sustain? Everybody has winning streaks, but who can sustain? Hopefully we're going to see lasting improvement."

Although, privately, Van Gundy probably would admit he would settle for a mere eight quarters worth of same on the weekend, when the Rockets meet the Mavericks and the Hawks. Those are vastly different kinds of tests, but each result will be telling.

The Rockets face monumental matchup problems against the Mavs, evidence of which can be found by perusing any of the previous five game tapes. (Seven of the last nine, for that matter.) Since autumn 2002, Dallas has kept the Rockets in a headlock, winning by an average of 16 points. These Mavericks aren't playing up to their 60-victories, Western Conference finals level of a year ago, but they've shown no discernible drop-off at home, where they're 23-4.

"I'm really looking forward to going up there, to challenging ourselves to play well against a really good team," Van Gundy said. "All their strengths are where we struggle. To beat them, we're going to have to be very good and highly energetic. It's going to be great to see how we respond."

The coach's curiosity will be piqued if the Rockets dazzle him in Dallas. Their pattern, of course, has been to punctuate the most inspiring victories with some seriously deflating follow-up efforts. Remember Denver-Memphis to start the season? Lakers-Nuggets at Christmas? New York-Boston in early January? Minnesota-Memphis in mid-January?

No, don't. It's better to forget.

Beating the Mavs "would be a good response," proof positive they are evolving, Van Gundy said.

"But once you start thinking you don't have to put in the same amount of work the next night, that's when you struggle," he added.

Van Gundy, then, can't savor the Rockets' best shot in Dallas without a tasty chaser back at the downtown Toyota showroom Sunday night. He might be new here, but he knows this team only too well. And, effective 2 p.m. Thursday, it's the team he's stuck with.