[CHRON] Wesley puts new spin on defense

Wesley puts new spin on defense
Van Gundy gets what he wanted out of addition
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy's obsession with defense has jumped to a whole new level. Now, instead of constantly harping on "team defense," Van Gundy is trying to devise "David Wesley defense."

During Wednesday's 105-92 victory over the Chicago Bulls, Van Gundy was looking for a way to have Wesley guard Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich and Chris Duhon at the same time.

"I'm trying to devise a defense where Wesley can guard everybody on the perimeter, and if I come up with that, I know we'll be good defensively because he's a hell of a defender," Van Gundy said. "He is doing a great job guarding points and twos. He has been our most consistent defender, by far."

Knowing such compliments — especially from Van Gundy and especially regarding defense — are rare, Wesley said he was "flattered."

Wesley goes into games these days expecting to guard anyone. He even scouts the big guys just in case their number gets thrown his way.

"One of those jobs he has given me is to be on 'that guy,' the one we need to slow down just a little bit," Wesley said. "I just get out there and fight as much as I can."

Wesley was better known for his offense when he arrived in Houston from New Orleans on Dec. 27. But it hasn't been until the past week that he has been able to put both aspects of his game together.

In his first 18 games with the Rockets, Wesley hit only 34.0 percent from the field and 33.8 from behind the arc. But the numbers have changed drastically since he tweaked his shot recently.

In the past four games, Wesley has hit 76.5 percent (13 of 17) from 3-point range. He also has made 52.6 percent of his field-goal attempts.

"I had to change some things," said Wesley, who finished with 13 points Wednesday. "It's a different style — standing and shooting, catching and shooting, waiting and shooting. It's a different thing.

"I've had people come up to me and say, 'Bend your knees. Get lift. Bend, bend.' All that is easy to say until you figure it out and it finally clicks that I was shooting everything short. I just had to get it up over the front of the rim. Mostly in my mind, I'm saying shoot long."

The small change has made a big difference. Wesley averaged 8.7 points in his first 18 games with the Rockets. In the last four, he has averaged 14.5.

"I've been waiting for him to show up consistently since the trade, so it's about time he finally started making shots," Rockets point guard Bob Sura said, laughing.

As much as Wesley's recent burst of offense has been appreciated, his defense is hardly going ignored in the locker room. Tracy McGrady said watching Wesley suffocate opponents fires up the rest of the team.

"You see a guy that's been in the league and is a veteran player, it kind of rubs off on guys such as myself and it carries over," McGrady said.

The Rockets definitely followed Wesley's lead against the Bulls, helping to hold Chicago to 36.8 percent shooting from the field. It was the first time in nine games that the Rockets held an opponent under 40 percent shooting.

I LOVE THIS PART!!!

"We talk a lot about it," Wesley said. "Every day, every minute, every time (Van Gundy) talks to us. You know, if defense doesn't come out of his mouth, then he must not be talking."

megan.manfull@chron.com