<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3058383> Feb. 26, 2005, 12:07AM James happy to headline for Rockets Guard goes from 'other guy' status to linchpin of deal; will start Sunday By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle He has been the new guy before. He has packed his bags and moved, learned a new system and a new set of teammates before. Mike James has been in the big trade-deadline deal before. But that was different. That was the Rasheed Wallace trade. James' name was in fine print. This is the Mike James trade, and there is an enormous difference between headlining a deadline deal and simply being a part of one. Last season, James was another guy in the three-team, seven-player, one-draft pick trade that moved Wallace to the Pistons. He was not an insignificant addition and had a place in the rotation that won the NBA championship. But he was not the reason the trade was made. This season, the Rockets desperately needed a healthy point guard and went after James. But they had coveted James' quickness and toughness since last summer, nearly landed him in December and have plans short-term and long-range for him even after Bob Sura returns from a back injury to be the starter again. "I knew they inquired about me," James said. "It always feels good to be in a place you know you were wanted. I'm excited to know they're bringing me here to not just be another name, another player, (but) to be a piece to their puzzle to get to another level. I've been on the back burner all my life. (The public) doesn't have to know who I am, as long as I know and my teammates know what I bring to the table." He brings enough that Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has said James will start Sunday against the Jazz. "We have to throw him in and win, somewhat similar to when Sura came back from injury the first time," Van Gundy said. "There wasn't really time to monitor minutes and ease him in. We're just going to throw him in. We need to make it work." It might help that James, 29, has made similar adjustments the past few years. The Rockets will be James' fourth team in the past two seasons. But the team he played for before those four teams, the Miami Heat, uses a style and terminology similar to that of the Rockets, offering a familiarity James and Van Gundy said could make the transition easier. "He's been coached well along the way," Van Gundy said. "He's played for a lot of teams. ... That being said, in 48 hours (after the trade) he's going to be playing in a game and have to play well, so we have a lot of work ahead of us." But James would seem to fit well enough to slide in smoothly, offering many of the qualities the Rockets desperately needed when Sura was hurt to start the season, and since he was forced out of the past two games — and the next five — by a sore back. "What we liked is what we missed at the start of the year," Van Gundy said. "We were a very slow team and he has great quickness, quickness with the ball. He's got a scoring mentality, which is similar to Sura. That's not a bad thing. ... There's been many guys that won championships who were just along for the ride. He had a significant role. He did it well. I think it says a lot about him." The Rockets would like that experience to become valuable for them, too. For now, they hope his familiarity with making the rapid transition to a new team will help them. James did not seem too concerned. He cited the improvement from the Bucks' lottery status to the Rockets' loftier aspirations. He spoke of the advantages that come with playing with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. He even had the added perk of getting traded to his wife Angela's hometown. "It's an easier transition to go from a team where you didn't have a superstar to where you have two," James said. "My job isn't that hard. I don't have to put pressure on myself. All I have to do is play off these guys. "In Milwaukee, our goal was just making the playoffs. Here, the goal is to try to get as far into the playoffs and trying to win a NBA Championship. It's exciting. The best part is being part of a team that wants to win a championship." Of the current Rockets, only James has won a championship. If this deal works as well as the Rasheed Wallace trade, the Mike James trade could become as memorable as that one. jonathan.feigen@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rockets Summary Sura sits, but not happily The doctor ordered guard Bob Sura off the court for at least 10 days to rest his sore back. That would keep him from starting to work his way back until March 5, out of at least three games and almost certainly four with the Rockets facing the Mavericks on March 6. Sura had a different schedule in mind, and wasn't happy with the Rockets' decision to put him on the injured list Thursday, forcing him to miss at least five games. "I'm good. I feel really good," Sura said. "I was a little concerned. I thought it was going to be worse than it is. ... I'm a little unhappy they put me on the injured list. I feel I'll be ready to play before that." Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said he expected Sura to try to come back more quickly than his doctor's wishes, but that the team would be careful to follow the doctor's instructions. "You never know about Bobby," Dawson said. "He's just like he is on the court as far as getting back. He goes at it full-time so he can be back who knows (when). We're going to go by what the doctors say, but he'd probably tell you a different story. But that's what I love about the guy. He has a can-do attitude." Asked if he thought the team put him on the injured list to force him to obey doctor's orders, Sura said: "There may be some validity to that. Whatever, I have to deal with it, but I'm not too happy about that." -- JONATHAN FEIGEN
Wow, I am just glad Sura's status is real. It's really not that serious! I thought his 10-14 days status was just a filthy trick that would give us a better trading position. Now I am just happy that it is true that Sura's injury actually wasn't that serious. He's even trying to come back before that.
i love freaking bob sura. i totally think putting him on the injured list was to keep him from arguing about coming back sooner. he may miss a game or two more but the extra rest has got to beneficial for the last month. with james in the fold we should be ok until then.
Listen to Sura. Dude is genuinely pissed the team is making him rest. Tough as nails. It will pay dividends though in the playoffs.
You're right, IR means you have to miss atleast 5 games. I like this move, I'd rather have Sura sit now and make sure his back is okay.
So I guess that means he's eligible to come off the IL for the game in Phoenix. They can survive without him til then, but they'll need him at full strength if they wanna win that one.
Exactly what I was gonna say, couldn't have said it any better. Remember how concerned all of us were about the PG position not too long ago and all the criticism from analysts? The situation sure does look a lot better now. It's gonna be great with both them playing in the same game.
I can see Van Gundy, at times, playing Mcgrady at the 4 and going with a three guard line-up of Sura, James, and Wesely. Think about the defense on the peremiter with James, Wesley, and Sura pressuring guards and getting up on them tight. And then the offensive capabilites of a line-up like that with its speed and the three point shooting can be out of this world. Some may not have noticed but the two games before the all start break van gundy was playing Mcgrady at the 4 spot and running a three guard lineup for a 5 minutes or so when we played the wizards with Jamison, the blazers with Miles. Now with James and when a healthy Sura comes back and when we go up against dallas, phoenix, seattle, sacramento, the idea is going to be real tempting.
IMHO, getting players with the ability to play multiple positions has been a goal of the Rockets since VG became coach. And even those players with the same "position" often have different skill sets. Taking your James-Sura-Wesley-TMac "small ball" option in the opposite direction, Vin Baker has a better back to the basket game than any other current Rockets' PF and I'm waiting to see Yao in the HPost with Baker in the blocks. The current roster presents some great mismatch opportunities.
