AP: Rockets pleased with Yao but still can't make playoffs

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/5656046.htm

Posted on Thu, Apr. 17, 2003

Rockets pleased with Yao but still can't make playoffs
MICHAEL A. LUTZ
Associated Press

HOUSTON - Even with the acquisition of Yao Ming and bolstered by a bold assessment from owner Les Alexander, the Houston Rockets missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

The arrival of 7-6 center Yao last October moved Alexander to proclaim that the Rockets had formed one of the best teams ever assembled, destined to return to the playoffs and the glory days of their NBA championships.

It failed to happen again this season, as the Rockets fizzled down the stretch, leaving Alexander to consider an offseason of deciding the future of the franchise, including revered coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

"Every year, I've done the same thing," Alexander said. "Every year I've evaluated everybody. This year I will evaluate everybody including myself."

The Rockets have a difficult salary cap situation with heavy contracts still due. Reserve center Kelvin Cato is signed through the 2005-2006. He'll earn $7.3 million next season. Yao will get $4.1 million.

"When you don't make the playoffs, you obviously haven't played the way we are capable of playing," Alexander said. "I want to win very badly. I have to make hard decisions about players. I haven't made those decisions yet."

Alexander declined to emphatically say that Tomjanovich would return next season. Tomjanovich, who has spent his entire career as player and coach with the Rockets, is on leave while under treatment for bladder cancer.

Tomjanovich stopped by the Rockets practice facility Thursday and said he was eager to continue as coach.

"I've talked to Les a couple of times in the last couple of days," Tomjanovich said. "I've got a contract for two more years and I talk about scouting and he says, 'Yeah, go do that.' I'm not reading anything into it. I'm going out and doing my job."

Does he need Alexander to say he's the coach next season?

"I don't need it. I've got a paper that says it," Tomjanovich said, laughing.

The Rockets 15-victory improvement over last season didn't satisfy anyone in the organization and the players are quick to defend the coaching staff. Guard Steve Francis expects Tomjanovich to return next season.

"I'm not thinking about that (coaching change), it ain't going to happen," Francis said. "It's not their fault, it's mine and the guys on this team. It has nothing to do with the coaching staff. I still think we have the talent to be good."

Yao far exceeded expectations in his rookie year. He quickly answered critics, who thought he would wilt against the overpowering centers. It's true Yao couldn't match muscle with Shaquille O'Neal and the other beefy centers in the league. He still found ways to be impressive.

General manager Carroll Dawson's only surprise was how quickly Yao adjusted.

"He was a factor in us winning quicker than I thought he would be," Dawson said. "That's the only surprise.

"By December, everybody in the league was double-teaming him, which was good for us. They felt they had to get it out of his hands to beat us. So he was a factor in other teams' game plans pretty fast."

Yao was a starter for the West in the NBA All-Star game and he led NBA rookies in scoring (15.5), blocks (1.74) and double doubles (27).

Describing his first NBA season, Yao said "I use an old Chinese expression: pain and happiness exist together."

The pain was finishing out of the playoffs after such glowing expectations.

The return of Maurice Taylor and Glen Rice from injuries to mix with the youthful Francis, Eddie Griffin and Yao, was supposed to be the Rockets ticket back to the playoffs.

They still had hopes of slipping into the playoffs as the No. 8 team in the Western Conference until they fell flat on back-to-back games against Portland and Utah, shooting a combined 30 percent from the field in both games.

"I'm 26 and I haven't been in the playoffs and that's going to be something that I have to hear," Francis said. "But I'm old enough to be able to take that. So far, I think individually, my career's been OK but until we get over that hump. ....."