Players owe Tomjanovich their best (By DALE ROBERTSON)

March 19, 2003, 12:59AM

Players owe Tomjanovich their best
By DALE ROBERTSON
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
The news could have been worse. Much worse. But it could have been a shade better, too. The doctors already assumed Rudy Tomjanovich had a cancerous tumor in his bladder before the cystoscopic procedure and subsequent biopsy, and now they know for certain.

They were, to be sure, holding out hope of finding something inconsequential, something that would merit only watching. But the tumor's nature would be termed "superficial," meaning the cancer was confined to the lining of the bladder, and he won't require surgery, just infusions of cancer-fighting agents. Rudy T left the hospital Tuesday morning, no worse for wear save for a bit of post-anesthesia grogginess, and he'll probably be with the Rockets at Golden

·Tomjanovich diagnosed with treatable bladder cancer: Page 1A.

State on Friday night.

Will his mind be totally on coaching after this little scare? Considering everything Tomjanovich has been through, from a nearly fatal injury to a mysterious blackout to alcoholism, we assume he'll soldier on once more, like it's nothing. Certainly, compared to having his face crushed by Kermit Washington's fist, it is nothing.

Except he's 54, and he never has really stopped to smell the roses. Although he has enjoyed the occasional day at the beach through the years, his life has been basketball, basketball, basketball, a seamless progression from playing to scouting to coaching. It has made him a rich man and, until recently, a universally revered one.

Once you have been told you have cancer, though, no matter how quote-unquote superficial said cancer might be, the tendency is to take stock, to ponder the alternatives, to explore the possibilities that maybe there are other things you might like to enjoy, experience or accomplish.

Just in case.

With Tomjanovich having won two NBA championships, continuing to coach basketball surely approaches being a been-there-done-that deal for him. He'd like to win another title with a fully turned-over team, thereby answering the critics who contend he has lost his grip, and he'd love to preside over Yao Ming's emergence as a superstar, but does he need to accomplish same to feel whole? It's his call.

Bear Bryant retired and was dead of a heart attack in a matter of weeks. Coaching was Bear's sustenance. Dean Smith retired, and six years later, his days are as full as a man's can be. He has become a cantankerous advocate for causes that matter to him -- from fighting the death penalty to arguing against the Iraq war to pushing the NCAA to cut its student-athletes some financial slack -- and he doesn't appear to miss hoops at all.

For Tomjanovich, the next couple of days might become a time for soul-searching. As he kicks back on the couch, perhaps he will begin to wonder, assuming he hasn't already, if the cacophony of external second-guessing and the daily frustrations of dealing with the inflated egos of the wealthy men-children in his charge remain sufficiently counterbalanced by the heady moments of euphoria, when everything works just like it was drawn up during practice or in the timeout huddle.

Lots of people in Houston think Rudy needs to move on, and too often his players perform as if they are secretly in cahoots with his shrillest critics. Their dumb mistakes and patches of seeming disinterest reflect on him as much as them, which is why coaches get fired. So whatever is running through Rudy's mind, what should be going through the Rockets' -- assuming they care as much about the man as they say they do -- is lots of solemn reflection upon the frequent error of their ways.

A fair criticism of Tomjanovich is that he's not mean enough, that he avoids confrontation with the players when they need to be slapped upside the head, at least verbally. It's human nature -- the bad side -- to take advantage of those kinder than ourselves, and a good many of the Rockets do this on a frequent basis with Rudy, consciously and unconsciously.

The coach's skirmish with cancer, albeit minor until further notice, needs to be a wake-up call, putting the Rockets on notice that they must now accept responsibility and show maturity. For the time being, Tomjanovich will have concerns that extend far beyond the baselines, and the players should do everything they can to take extra weight off his shoulders.

They don't need to win for Rudy. That's a ridiculously hokey notion for a bunch of mercenary professional athletes. Chances are, as tough as their current West Coast trip is, even perfect focus and total resolve the rest of the way figure to gain them, best case, a 2-3 conclusion after Tuesday night's near-miss 100-94 loss at Seattle. But they need to put forth an honest effort from start to finish each night. And when things go badly -- as they always do at some point in every NBA game -- they must stay poised, which they didn't always do against the Sonics.

The less consternation they cause their coach, the more effective his treatments are likely to be. Studies show sick people can be made sicker by stress, and no matter how optimistic the prognosis for his full recovery might be, Rudy will be a cancer patient until the doctors pronounce those mutant cells vanquished.

The Rockets have an obligation, equal parts moral and contractual, to help him get well soon.