[Chron] Bowen is Rockets' Ignored Man

Opponents loosely guard him to help on stars

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

SEATTLE - There could be an element of insult if Ryan Bowen chose to look at it that way.

In a sense, he does share something with the Rockets' scoring stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. He is the key to opposing teams' defensive game plans.

He is treated differently, though. He is ignored so that the defender loosely assigned to him can instead help against Yao and McGrady.

They leave him alone and in effect dare him to shoot. It might not be the most respectful treatment. But the same thing that causes teams to leave him so open gives him scoring opportunities of an NBA player's dreams.

"I know Yao and Tracy are obviously going to be double teamed," Bowen said. "It would be nice if I could hit the open jumper. That would take a lot of pressure off the offense. But at the end (of Wednesday's 111-105 overtime win at Golden State), I went on the baseline more and got better position around the basket, and I got some shots, and I made some.

"I've been struggling on the outside and even on some of the short ones, so it's nice to make some of my layups."

Many Rockets games begin not with McGrady or Yao shooting, but with Bowen taking the open shots teams give the offense and that Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy expects him to take. He has not made many.

He has made just enough open outside shots, putbacks and layups to be hitting 34 percent of his shots this season, though he has made nine of 18 attempts in the last three games, including Thursday's 104-98 victory over Seattle.

"My point has been for him to make them," Van Gundy said. "He is a good shooter. He works at it."

Opposing teams, however, will insist he demonstrate that.

"I look at it as an opportunity," Bowen said. "I would like to start hitting a couple of those jumpers. If I hit a couple of those, they won't do that anymore, and it will change the way teams defend."

But even if he hits a couple of jumpers, that will not be his primary job. Van Gundy moved Bowen into the starting lineup for defensive energy and rebounding at the start of each half.

That worked well enough for Bowen to get eight rebounds (five on offense) against the Warriors. When he finished effectively around the rim, he scored all 13 of his points in the second half and overtime.