I didn't see this posted today and wanted to share.... http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5186689.html ROCKETS SUMMARY By JONATHAN FEIGEN and FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Scola no mountain man For all the change in style in the Rockets' first training camp under Rick Adelman, the adjustment is by far the greatest for rookie forward Luis Scola. It also has been the most welcome. Asked what is different about training camp in the NBA and in Europe, Scola said: "Everything. The teams I have been playing (for) in Europe, we usually go up in the mountains and stay there for a couple weeks and work just physically outside, running up and down the mountain many times. "It seems much nicer here. Everybody starts the same day. You have your media day. Then you have your friendly matches, preseason games. It's not like there (in Europe). You just do whatever you want, whenever you want it. "It depends on the coach. Some days, we do three-a-days. Sometimes we do just two." For the record, Scola said he doesn't miss the mountains. "I like to stay on the basketball court," he said. Shooting stars Former Rockets sharpshooter Matt Bullard gathered guard Aaron Brooks and forward Steve Novak, winners of the past two NCAA 3-point shooting contests, with him for a shootout for a Fox Sports Net feature that was filmed after practice. Asked if he won, Brooks said: "Of course." Novak drew raves for his shooting touch at last season's camp, with former teammate Scott Padgett saying Novak would never lose a 3-point shooting contest. "He probably didn't know about me," Brooks said. "A 3-point competition, if it's not a girl, I'm going to win." Brooks, like Novak the year before, lost when pitted against the women's 3-point shooting winner at the Final Four. Wells makes progress Bonzi Wells is still being watched closely because of his strained groin, but he increased his level of participation in Wednesday's practice. "He actually did a good number of things today, more than I originally expected," said Keith Jones, the Rockets' head trainer. "He was able to run up and down the floor and go through the five-on-none drills. The only thing I definitely wouldn't let him do is anything where he has to react. That means none of the five-on-five stuff, the situations where he doesn't know in advance where he's going and has to make a sudden move." Wells suffered the groin pull three weeks ago when he slipped in his bathroom at home. He wound up on the floor, almost doing a full split. "This isn't like a couple of years ago when I tore the groin," Wells said. "I'm OK here. It's not like I'm really injured. Everybody's just being extra careful." Jones said he might permit Wells to run in the five-on-five scrimmages in the second of Friday's scheduled two workouts.
Does anyone remember when Kenny Thomas suffered from a bunch of off the court injuries? I think he suffered an eye injury when a door hot him and was bitten by a dog by one of the Rocket coaches. I mean it was strange, he was getting so many off the court, strange injuries.
T-mac seems too nonchalant about work ethic. Joking that bonzi is "lazy as hell"... come on man, have SOME sort of serious work ethic. good thing yao and francis and other rocket's newcomers don't think like this... We shouldn't need all this talent just to get past the first round.. Why does T-mac never learn??
Things come easy to Mac because of how gifted he is and I suspect he hasn't had to work as hard as a lot of NBA players. That's why you see a guy like Jordan who had all the talent in the world but also understood that the game is won in the 4th Q when most guys are winded. Jordan had that extra gear that champs have. Mac may never learn that if he hasn't by now I mean he's been in the league for a decade.
