http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3777739.html Consistent play remains elusive for Rockets forward as minutes decline By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle SAN FRANCISCO - The Rockets' early lead and poise were long gone when Stromile Swift found himself alone with the ball under the basket and no Los Angeles Lakers defender within range to bother him. Swift launched himself toward and above the rim, twisting himself around to throw down the sort of slam that looks so good on cable television, the sort of slam he completes dozens of times each season. But this time, the ball clanged off the rim. Swift stood for a moment, looking almost embarrassed to have added so much style to the pursuit of a much-needed two points. He also provided a moment to capture much of his — and the Rockets' — season. It had begun with such enticing possibilities, but in the end it misfired. The once-exciting prospects had been reduced to the unsatisfying lament of what could have been. The Rockets' celebrated summer free-agent signing had shown the abilities that still make him an intriguing talent, but had come up empty. "Not good, really," Swift said of his first season with the Rockets. "A lot of ups and downs, a lot of adjustment. I don't think of it as one of my better years. It's been a learning experience. I'll try to learn from it and do better." Door was open Swift had come to the Rockets hoping that a chance with a second team after five seasons with the Grizzlies would allow him to take his play to a greater level. He had been behind Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Pau Gasol in Vancouver and Memphis. The Rockets had Juwan Howard, but he was coming back after a knee injury and heart condition ended last season early, and they had no one with Swift's sort of physical talents. Swift, however, has been unable to reliably bring the Rockets more than he did the Grizzlies, offering instead a stunning talent that often seems capable of doing more. He has averaged 8.8 points and 4.5 rebounds this season, similar to his career averages of nine points and 4.9 rebounds. Beyond the numbers, he has fought bouts of inattentiveness, switching too late defensively or moving too late to get to loose balls. On other occasions, when he is more alert and energetic, his quickness becomes an asset. "It's been getting to me," Swift said when asked of the effects of the Rockets' loss of any playoff hope. "I don't think anybody on the team likes to lose, but if you think about it, it doesn't feel good to be on a team that you think is a good team but is losing." Swift says he's aware of his critics, but their opinions do not bother him as much as they once did. "Guys that say things like that, most of them are cowards," Swift said. "Most would never say things to your face or come in and talk to you. They won't even look you in the eye. It's fuel. You use it and try to prove them wrong. That's all you can do. Just try to play your game, as long as your teammates and you are working hard and they respect you, that's all you can do. "A couple years ago, (criticism) probably would have had me down. I would have been stressing over it. I hear it so much, I just try to stay focused. As long as I'm able to come here and be around my team and they know I'm out there trying to play hard to help the team win, and the coaches know I'm out there playing hard trying to help the team win, I don't really care what other people say. You hate to hear negative things, but it happens." Playing himself out In the first half of the Rockets' six-game road trip, Swift's playing time has slipped to 22, 15 and 10 minutes. He has seemed unable to generate much intensity, or even interest, in Seattle and Portland. "The one-on-one and pick-and-roll coverages have given him the most trouble, along with physical post-up players," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of the season in general. "That being said, he's played well at times. It's been a career-long quest to find a game and intensity level and focus so that ... so the word 'potential' is not always used in the sentence with him and he can reach some kind of consistency. It hasn't happened for him yet. But that doesn't preclude it from happening." The Rockets still need it to happen. For now, even Swift seems to agree with those who say the player he could be is much better than the one he is. "If I'm out there and I'm able to score or get rebounds, or blocked shots, even small things like setting screens, I'm trying to be more all-around, more consistent, more focused," Swift said. "I'm trying to be more ready, be more prepared and be more productive."
Stromile's problems seem related to physical strength and fear of contact. He can't finish many times because he's bumped out of position or he shoots without even looking at the target. What's the name of the guy who runs the "Big Man's School"? Bulk up and get some one on one coaching. Great talent; scant utilization. Look at the rim or backboard when you shoot!
I don't know who people thought we were getting, but his name wasn't Kevin Garnett or Chris Bosh, it was Stromile Swift. I thought Stromile played well early on when the Rockets won 5 out of 6 on a tough west coast road trip Then when all the injuries occured, Swift finally gotta chance to play and put up some good #s, but then his eye got messed up and then when he came back, he twisted his ankle. I don't understand why people are so hard on him....he's never been given the opportunity to play consistently throughout his career (career avg for mpg is 21) If people think he's a bust or he's stupid or he doesn't put forth any effort etc..., I would like to see him play 30 plus mins once for an entire season and then pass judgement. He's averaged 20 mpg this season and JVG puts him out there for 5-10 mins at a time and expects him to develop some kind of rhythm...it's impossible Moreover, if he makes any type of mistake, JVG immediately yanks him, which only adds to his tenseness and puts unecessary pressure on him...he has to be given the freedom to play and allowed to make mistakes as well He has to be given mins if we are to come to a definite conclusion about his abilities. Whatever you think of him, he's better, younger, more athletic, cheaper, and more exciting to watch than Juwan REBOUNDS Player G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF TOT APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG J-Ho 73 73 31.6 .459 .000 .796 2.10 4.70 6.70 1.5 .56 .11 1.63 2.90 11.1 Stro 59 5 20.7 .494 .000 .652 1.60 2.90 4.50 .4 .61 .78 1.36 3.10 8.8 I'm sure if Stro got Juwan's minutes, his stats would be better than J-Ho's #s Bottom line, Stro plays better with Yao than anyone else at the PF position and, as many people have shown on here, the +/- #s indicate that, thus, he should start and get the bulk of the minutes at PF If anybody should be traded, it should be Juwan, because Hayes or the draft pick can be the back-up
I say if Stro is part of the team's future, then just let him play. Let him out on the floor the whole game. He is not going to get any better just sitting and watching. If he is not in the future, then hopefully he would be traded during the summer.
I don't know if Swift is our future, but I do know Howard has already given us his best. Howard's abilities are a known quantity, while there is still a small chance that Swift may turn out to be a decent player if given the right minutes and motivation. I say play him 35 minutes a game for the rest of the way.
What happens to Kwame Brown and Darko? Would pistons regret to sell darko cheap? I don't want our Rockets do the same thing.give Like Darko,Stro lack opporunity and confidence.Play more minutes, he would become a different player.
Yeah its the fault of all the stupid coaches he had. Coaches who hasnt given him a chance! Coaches like the horrible Hubie Brown, Mike Fratello and that little Napolean himself JVG! If it werent for them Swift would've played 30+ min a night and been a STAR!
Swift's biggest problem is his reliance on his hops. I was watching him the other night on defensive transition coming down the court while Telfair or one of those little guys was bringing the ball up on the break. Instead of running down and creating an obstacle for them to shoot over, he lags back at the FT line, enticing the guard to take the ball to the basket. He then trails the guard to the hole, looking for the blocked shot into the backboard. It would have been a spectacular play if he had made it. But instead, he miscalculated how fast the guard was and got there a split second too late. It was an easy layup for the Blazers. How many times have we seen the opposing PF post him up and Swift backs off the guy to create the space he needs for the moon leap blocked shot only to see the opposing PF just back it right into his chest and pin him low for the easy layup/dunk? On offense Swift does the same thing in the post. He has to have space for those dunk shots and so he tries to create space by separating himself from his defender, instead of leaning into the defender, spinning around and laying the ball up quickly. Sometimes he will create the space by taking a step away from the basket and then try to dunk the ball and will miss the dunk. Or he will take himself out of range to dunk it altogether and have to give the ball up or take some low percentage turnaround that he is not good at. He just lets physical defenders push him out of position because he doesn't see the need to fight for it. He wants the space to be able to use his springs to get off the floor. How many times have we seen him get the ball several feet from the basket and elevate off the floor towards the bucket only to be met there as he is descending from his leap by a wall of the opposing team's center and PF, who are in proper position and leaping upwards, closing out his space so he can't even lay the ball up? He's too easy to defend. Everybody knows all he wants to do is dunk the ball. All they have to do is entice him into trying to dunk from some crazy angle and distance and they get the run out the other way. On the defensive boards the same lack of intelligence manifests itself again. He thinks he can just jump over everybody for the rebound instead of getting low and using leverage for position. He puts his hand out and feels himself away from the defenders, while they are backing out doing their box out and he winds up 10 feet out from the basket as the shot hits the rim. He's like a typical home run hitter that strikes out way too much and doesn't know how to shorten up the swing with 2 strikes. Somebody needs to get through to him that he can't dunk every shot attempt, he can't throw down every offensive rebound, and he can't get very many defensive rebounds by jumping over everybody from the free throw line and he can't block every shot the opponent puts up. He just won't be efficient or productive with that mind set. He's got to get physical and he's got to play smarter, otherwise his career will keep swirling down the toilet.
i agree with houstonpoker and pchan, why the hell isnt stromile playing 40 minutes a night? at least to give him an extended look, so that maybe he can learn and build on that potential of his...again we know what juwan can do and has done, its not about winning games at this point in the season, its about whos still gonna be here next season
Great analysis. I agree with it wholeheartedly. Lots of players, especially young players, including our Swift, they all go for the spectacular sportscenter hightlight moves. They simply gamble too much by going for the steals and blocks. I just don't get it why it's so hard to get into their minds to play percentage. You only need to make it CONSISTENTLY difficult for the opposing teams to lower their efficiency. You don't need to shut down those good players totally, and you can't do that. If Kobe or James like players score 40 points with a 30%+ FG%, you are very close to a win, if you can have some solid offense. I am so frustrated to see defenders going for cheap fakes. Discipline is something lots of players never learned and never heard of.
Here we go again. Stro is compared to Darko. Darko never had a chance in Detroit. For the first time in his career he is actually playing in games. He is no longer the latest version of a victory cigar. Stro, on the other hand, has been in the NBA 6 seasons, had plenty of chances and done nothing. Stro is an NBA veteran, not a novice. He just plays like a novice. Kwame is having a "pretty good" year? He's at 7 pts, 6.5 reb this season. His career averages are 7.5/5.5. I'd rather have Stro than Kwame. Stro "would become a different player" if he got more minutes. This point is so tired. So is blaming Stro's coaches for his 6 years of mediocrity. He's already gotten an extended look. The season is 75 games old and there isn't much left for Stro to prove or disprove. He's played in 49 games, averaged 21 mins per game and has been a bust. Question for anyone: Why is Stro always referred to as "talented"? Besides jumping high, what talent/skills does he have? This is very telling because he still hasn't developed any reliable offensive skill. This shows his lack of dedication to the game of basketball. He still has trouble focusing while on the court of a live NBA game. Amazing. How are 5-10 more mins per game going to solve these problems and make him a different player? Maybe, just maybe, Stro is what he is and it's Stro's fault and no one else's.
This season was Swift's "big chance" to redeem himself from the "bust" label; he didn't do it. Now, for all practical purposes, I think Swift's career is locked-in as an underachieving bench player. To bad. I kind of like him. I was hopeful that he would break out in a big way. This whole season has been a disaster. We were all so hopeful. None of the "big" offseason acquisitions have worked out. Sura didn't come back. Barry is gone. James is gone. TMac is questionable, and the team is much less talented than they were last year at this time. The Rockets need major help and have minor money, not a good situation to be in. It is going to take a miracle for this team to not waste the Ming-TMac era.
All that aside, I would still have preferred to see Stro out there screwing up as to have to watch the debacle of Yao and Juwan starting games together and us going down by 10 before midway 2nd quarter. Howard in with Yao is just disasterous for this team that is lacking in perimeter defense. Van Gundy should have been playing Stro and letting him develop and working on his game. You can't work on Juwan's game. He's got one foot nailed to the floor and the other foot is chained to a block of concrete. Now we are out of the playoffs. If Stro isn't a part of this team next year, then the best thing to do is to play him, run plays for him, and make him look good. Lipstick on the pig. And if Stro is a part of this team next year, then the best thing to do is to play him, run plays for him, and help him develop in these remaining 6 or 7 stinkers we have left. But alas, he keeps running "ole lead legs" out there for 30 minutes.
Ya know, Stromile might always be a bit low on the BB IQ, but if he just had a higher motor he would be more productive. In my mind, if there is anything he can work on, it is that. He has to play with more fire and intensity. Sometimes when I watch him on the court he looks like a deer in headlights. I just don’t see any passion in his face or his play. He has to get angry, otherwise he will just show flashes of greatness and then disappear.
Agreed. But we're stuck with him so why not play him major minutes and see what's possible? He is loaded with athletic ability but has basketball skills, IQ, and desire are limited. After 6 years, he is what he is... Because his upside is potentially (there's that word again!) much higher than Howard (plodder, smart, but on the back 9 of his career), JVG should force feed Stro. Why not? Now is the perfect time...we're not going anywhere this year with or without him! D R
