[CHRON] Bowen gets 'A' for effort

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Bowen gets 'A' for effort
Forward goes all-out to improve Rockets' plight


By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Through the first month of the season, what the Rockets were obviously missing was the superstar talent of Tracy Mc- Grady to make big plays, to bail them out when things got tough.

For the past several weeks with Rafer Alston on the shelf with a stress fracture, what the Rockets also have been missing is a genuine point guard to run the offense and keep things in line.

But through all of the nights of poor shooting and poorer hustle, the games when they collapsed in the fourth quarter or simply didn't show up in the first quarter, what the Rockets had perhaps needed as much as anything is that dose of chaos.

Ryan Bowen is to a basketball game what a bowling ball is to a china shop. You'll know he's there. The 6-9 forward doesn't just step onto the court, he crashes all over it. He doesn't merely play, he sends pieces flying to all corners of the room.

It was one thing to see McGrady stroking silky jumpers and elevating above the rim Tuesday against Boston, pouring in 35 points in a 91-73 win. But it was just as significant to see Bowen playing the role of the match that lit the flame.


Inspirational player
Within the first two minutes of the game, Bowen already had grabbed two rebounds, slammed into a handful of bodies and left a large amount of his epidermal layer on the floor of Toyota Center. By the time he finished with just two points, but also eight rebounds in 29 minutes, the Rockets all seemed to be standing a little taller.

"He goes at it," said Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. "There's no better effort player in the league. You would have to be comatose if you're on his team and you're not inspired by his play."

For all of the reasons the Rockets can point to the injured list and difficult schedule as culprits in their barely crawling start, Van Gundy has let it be known a lack of commitment, an absence of hard work also has been at the root.

Now the Rockets start tonight in Sacramento on a six-game trip that could make or break the season against teams that will want to push the pace and force the Rockets to play with a high level of energy.

Which is where Bowen, 30, can be just as critical to the mix as McGrady or Yao Ming.

"I think McGrady gets inspired when he sees a guy like Ryan," Van Gundy said. "Tracy's one of the smartest basketball players I've ever been around. He understands the impact of that type of hustle and pursuit and effort on the game.

"That type of effort and quickness and pursuit covers up for Yao's greatest weakness — a slower reaction. Maybe Mc- Grady is beaten on a drive and Ryan flying to the ball prevents what could have been a fifth foul. I think McGrady's very inspired by that."

T-Mac simply smiled and nodded his head.

"When (Bowen) is out there on the court, we're a different team," he said. "With the energy that he brings, just that extra effort that he gives. He goes all-out.

"I think when you see a guy playing that hard, you have no other choice but to carry on and give that type of effort. It's great to be on his team. I just sit there and laugh at him sometimes. Because there are times when he gets out of hand and guards damn near everyone on the court on one possession."

The Rockets are a team — with Bob Sura shelved long term and Jon Barry sidelined again — does not have an abundance of fiery personalities.

"The compliments are great coming from the head coach, especially from a guy like Jeff," Bowen said. "I'm not a real rah-rah type of guy. I'm not jumping in guys faces. I'm just trying to do anything that I can to have an effect on the game. If guys get inspired by what I do, OK. I'm not going into the game with that in mind."


Pell-mell on offense, too
The opponents can and will take advantage of the lack of range in Bowen's offense. But on a team with McGrady and Yao that is a sacrifice that can be made if Bowen is being a booster to the Rockets' engines.

"The other day coach was telling me on offense: You look like you're running around like a chicken with its head cut off out there," Bowen said. "I guess that's good on the defensive end, but on the offensive end I need to get to the right spots and do the right things. ... He's trying to show me how much better the effort will be when I'm doing things the right way."

For now, the Rockets will settle for just doing more things his way.

"He makes me laugh with the things he does and makes me play harder," McGrady said.

Inspiration from a bowling ball.

fran.blinebury@chron.com


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ROCKETS SUMMARY

He'll follow the son
T-Mac is back, but for how long?

After his third game in the lineup following his bout with a strained back, Tracy McGrady is off with the Rockets on the start of a five-city, six-game, two-week trip that could be shortened by the arrival of a newborn son.

"When I was in Orlando, I was on the same kind of six-game trip," he said. "You get to the 10th day and you're ready to just call it quits. It might be cut short for me because my son is due at any time. Who knows? I might be coming back home."

The injured list continues to be the center of so much of the Rockets' action this season.

After his return from bruised left foot lasted all of two minutes Tuesday, Jon Barry remained in Houston for rehab on a strained right calf. He could catch up to the club later in the road trip. Rafer Alston, who has missed nine games with a hairline stress fracture of the right fibula, also did not accompany the team to Sacramento.


Where there's a will ...
Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy admitted that it was good to finally see Tracy McGrady in fine form against the Celtics after struggling to recover from back problems.

"I don't get into 100 percent," he said. "If you go out there, you're capable of playing. I think he will always lead us every game and (against Boston) he led us in a very, very positive direction as far as his will to win. Even if the shots had not gone as much as they did (14-for-20), his will to win was evident."


Leaving him in stitches
Before leaving the locker room Tuesday night with
eight stitches and a bandage over his right eye, the result of an elbow by Boston's Brian Scalabrine, Yao Ming was asked how he felt.

"Fine," he said. "Why do you ask?"

No headache? No pain?

"I can take it," he said, grinning.


Tough act to follow
The Rockets' combined record last season in the five road arenas they will visit on this trip was 8-3.

They were 1-1 at Sacramento; 2-0 at Portland;
1-1 at Golden State; 2-0 at Seattle; 1-0 at the Los Angeles Clippers; and 1-1 at the Lakers.

Before beating the Kings last season on March 13, the Rockets had lost 11 straight games in Sacramento.

FRAN BLINEBURY