Rockets plan to tap veteran's eager versatility By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Jim Jackson would have much more to say about the decision if he had even the slimmest of an opinion. Jeff Van Gundy could share a lot more answers if he only had some. This much they know: With Tracy McGrady in the Rockets' starting lineup and Cuttino Mobley out, Jackson will match up against shooting guards. He will be isolated against Kobe Bryant. He will chase Richard Hamilton around screens. He will venture out to the 3-point arc to challenge Michael Redd. Unless he doesn't. Van Gundy said making Jackson his two guard, at least defensively, is a possibility. It is where Jackson has worked through training camp. But there could be matchups with some teams that put McGrady on the shooting guards and combinations of the Rockets' lineup that put Jackson at forward. How the position shakes out could be one of the keys to the Rockets' season. Just as evident is that Jackson seemed about as concerned about the issue as he was about the invitation to talk about it. "As long as I get on the floor, I don't care," Jackson said. "I played the four before, as long as I got on the floor, I was able to do what I needed to do. "I don't have a preference." Still, there would seem to be a serious adjustment. A year ago, Jackson played defensively in the frontcourt while Mobley had his best defensive season matched up against shooting guards. "There's a lot more running off screens as opposed to defending post-ups," Van Gundy said. "It's a big adjustment, but one that I think he will do well, and we'll figure out with the guys we have what the best matchups are for each game." But when asked about that big adjustment, Jackson said it was no big deal. "Last year I had to guard a lot of twos, not that I needed a lot of repetition because I've been doing it my whole career," he said. "I played the three (offensively) and had to guard the two, or played the two or had to guard the three. It didn't matter. "You just prepare yourself to play." Still, defense at the position will be an important question in the preseason. It became an even greater issue when Bob Sura's back surgery put him out until mid-December. "Coming into training camp, everything's open. But I would have expected that Sura would have been the starter at the point and then our backup at the two," Van Gundy said. "Sura's versatility was one of the things defensively we felt better about after we lost Cuttino. Losing Sura to injury was like a double blow. "It's unfortunate for him. I feel badly for him. I don't feel badly for us. If you look at Boki (Bostjan Nachbar), Tracy, Jimmy and Ryan (Bowen), I would suspect they all guard threes better than twos. But we're going to guard twos well. We just have to figure out how we're going to do it." Assignments flexible With Sura out, it would seem likely the 6-foot-6 Jackson would defend shooting guards when Nachbar or Bowen play. But when Jackson and the 6-8 McGrady play together, the assignments are unpredictable. Van Gundy said McGrady "can be a premier defender as a perimeter defender." That might not necessarily match him up against guards, Van Gundy said. "Who (McGrady) actually guards, twos or threes, I think it's all going to be depending on who we're playing," Van Gundy said. "But I don't have any doubts we're going to defend that spot well." That will have to be worked out, but on the other end of the court, if McGrady draws taller defenders, Jackson could be sent back to the low post where he excelled as a low-post scorer. Jackson will have to be an outside shooter to provide spacing for Yao Ming inside or McGrady penetrating. He likely will spend plenty of time in that weakside corner again. To play's the thing But any player with Jackson's body of work would seem to love the idea of posting up and getting the ball and scoring chances. "It doesn't matter," Jackson said. "I'm at a point now in my career, I'm just here to do my job. If I'm posting up, I'm posting up. If I'm spotting up, I'm spotting up. The way I prepare myself is to do a little bit of everything. If I have to make adjustments, I'm comfortable doing it." OK then, what is his best thing? "Being on the court," Jackson said. His favorite? "It doesn't matter." Shooting guard or small forward? You don't have to ask. Van Gundy doesn't know and Jackson doesn't care. But they did not sound worried. jonathan.feigen@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rockets Summary McGrady rests back Rockets guard/forward Tracy McGrady sat out most of Thursday's practice as a precaution after his back stiffened. "From my rookie season, every training camp my back would do this because we do so much running and stopping," McGrady said. "The disk in my back has been a problem, but it's nothing too serious. When we stop all this running and stopping, I'll be fine." Said Rockets trainer Keith Jones: "His back just tightened up and got sore. Coach ( Jeff Van Gundy) just told him to sit. We figure everybody is going to get sore from time to time. His back got sore, so Jeff just told him to sit it out." Camp Van Gundy Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has a definite opinion about what he considers the benefits of training camp. "You want to ingrain in them what you expect of them as players, as teammates, what your practice habits have to be like," Van Gundy said. "You try to get down when you want to lift. If you didn't meet your (fitness) goals, when you ride (exercise bicycles), how long. "All those things sort of go into setting up an environment. To start, you want to make sure your culture and your environment are right. Then you get your attitude and demeanor right, and then you can focus in on how you play as you go along. That's your team building. Not to walk across on a rope and I won't let you fall. That's not team building in the NBA." Finding his way With eight new players, it is natural that some adjustments are going to have to be made by the Rockets. Center Dikembe Mutombo struggled with one of his own Wednesday, although his problem occurred after he left Toyota Center. "I have to find my way around," Mutombo said. "Yesterday, I got lost for two hours trying to find my apartment from the arena to get back home. I think I got it now. I think I can get home. I'm not trying to find too many places so I get lost again. This city's too big." This from someone whose previous season was spent in New York. -- JONATHAN FEIGEN
I wish I could man. I hope TMac's back doesn't become a problem, however, he's had the problem for a while, and slipped disks in backs are bad news. On a lighter note, imagine Deke lost in the city. That's got to be hilarious to see, 2 HOURS!! I know a man has his pride, but just ask for some directions.
And you think they are gonna drop him because he had the loosen disc problem? I don't think so. McGrady said he has that problem since his rookie season.
Umm.. YES! If i was gonna sign a player to a MAX contract for 7 years i sure as hell am going to make sure he doesn't have any LOOSE anythings in him. I don't care if hes Mahamat freakin Ghandi!
I don't know what Ghandi has to do with anything. He can't play basketball. He's too much of a shorty. (Uh oh. Here we go again.)
Damn, all some ppl do is *****. Houston was not going to veto the McGrady trade because of the back problem that he has had since his rookie year and he somehow managed to still lead the league in points over Iverson/Kobe/Shaq and others. Just be happy people please!!
Ok so after some Googling, turns out Tmac has had stiffenings in his back as early as 2000. I know his back problems of the last 2 years has been well documented, but 2000? When he was like 20? Well, we could take this with a positive spin. Like he said, he has had some problems with his back for YEARS now, its nothing new, no big deal. Or. He has had some problems with his back for YEARS now. The end. Eek. Having back problems since 20 years old can not be a good thing. But I'm no medical expert. Can someone explain the severity of this? I mean what the heck is a disk anyways? I have a Spine in my back... but i don't know about a disk. I mean when i lift and do back extensions, sometimes it gets really sore and i can't stand up straight. Is that what this "stiffening" is about? Usually i just sit down for 5 mins and it goes away. Some one enlighten me about disks and what not.
Calm down. I was answering a question. IF he had a bad back thats gonna affect his career, of course i'm gonna tak that into consideration. But if its some minor problem thats just off and on, which we all hope it is, then thats no biggie. BTW Its hard to be happy cheery when the best player on my team sits out of practice, and he haven't played a game yet. Its not b****, its called concern. For players I care about.
Tmac needs a Tback. His back is the only thing that holds back my hopes for the season. I bet he won't play every game in the whole season.
Yes, that's basically what happens to McGrady. I've been a T-Mac fan since his 2nd year in the league and have followed his back situation very closely. McGrady doesn't have "back problems" persay as if it's a real injury. How you explained your lifting and then getting sore is actually everything that happens to McGrady. McGrady being a perimeter player for one - and then having the length that he does puts a lot of pressure on his back more than the average player can say. If you do a lot of running, then stopping, then running again - it's going to make some part of your body sore. It happens to be McGrady's back that it hits the most. Like the trainer said, everybody is going to feel soreness, but I bet that with the situation of McGrady's back being a publicized case in his past, he sat out for "precautionary" reasons. Back "injuries" are those that can sideline you for months at a time. Larry Bird or Scottie Pippen come to mind in that case. McGrady gets back "soreness" that can flare up for a bit, and then go away in a little while go away like you say. Basically like a jammed finger or something. It eventually will go back to normal.
I think what JVG is saying is that if the SG is a natural "off of screen" classic type of 2 guard, JJ will see a lot of the floor time defending those type of players to lessen the energy McGrady would have to spend chasing them around. If they are a Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Jason Richardson type of shooting guard that does more with the ball to create - McGrady will guard the 2 position.
thanks 4Shoposite it was good to read that. i do not worrie to much about T-mac's back, but it is always good to hear it isn't a serious problem
To my surprise, JVG has said more than once that Sura would have started at the point had he not gotten injured. I wonder how JVG is envisioning the PG position after this year. It's possible that the rotation at PG will be Sura and Ward for the next two or three years. Personally, I hope we sign a PG next year that starts in front of Sura and Ward.
Heard of a Frisbee? Think Frisbee's in your back, between the vertabrae, but little ones, like the Munchkins might throw. Keep D&D Civil!!
