chron: Rockets connecting 'D' and `W'

By JONATHAN FEIGEN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Rockets know just what it means to be the Grizzlies. For that matter, 20 games and a 7-5 Chinese center ago, the Rockets were the Grizzlies.

Impressive roster. Loads of young talent led by a recent rookie of the year. Highlights to make the hearts of cable television screamers and shoe company executives -- if shoe company executives have hearts -- sing.

The Rockets then, like the Grizzlies now, were good enough to wonder why they weren't better.

Now, finally, they know.

"Defense is definitely the difference," Rockets guard Moochie Norris said. "It's great because offense wins games, defense wins championships."

The current Rockets have not won any championships. But they are winning games more regularly than since their roster included champions because of a dramatic turnaround from one of the league's worst defensive teams to one of its best.

They are allowing nearly 10 fewer points a game than last season, moving from twentieth in the NBA to second.

Opposing teams have made 30 percent of their 3-point attempts, also second best in the league. Last season, they made 36 percent, and the Rockets ranked twenty-first.

Most dramatically, they have gone from allowing teams to make 46.4 percent of their shots, better than just one NBA team, to allowing 41.9-percent shooting, to rank in a tie for third.

The Grizzlies -- and the even-deeper talent collection of the Clippers, who the Rockets will face Saturday -- are impressive to look at. But like the souped-up sports car that is a blur when it's not in the shop, they break down easily and often.

The Grizzlies give up 100.2 points per game (to rank twenty-sixth), 46.5-percent shooting (ranking twenty-ninth) and 39.2 percent 3-point shooting (to rank twenty-eighth).

The Rockets cite a variety of reasons for the turnaround of their defensive abilities and record, but almost everything comes back to the same improvement.

"It's a mind-set, basically," guard Cuttino Mobley said.

"That's all Rudy (Tomjanovich) has been talking about, defensive effort," Norris said. "That's what we talk about during the games."

The Rockets' emphasis on defense was focused initially in three specific areas: getting back defensively, fronting in the post and challenging everything at the 3-point arc.

But that has worked because instead of talking about defense, as they have for years, the Rockets are talking on defense.

"We can be playing defense and you might get lax," Norris said. "But now, even the guy on the ball is screaming, `Watch my back. Help the guard.' Everybody is talking. The bench is talking. Coaches are yelling and screaming. Guys in the game are yelling and screaming.

"We're so busy talking, talking, talking in the zone -- `Watch baseline ... Guy coming through the middle' -- when we go to individual defense, it's pretty much the same thing. Post guys might get caught up with a guard, but before they might get broken down, we're immediately, `Get ready to help. Get ready to help.'

"We're doing a better job of talking with each other. You can hold your guy down for so long. After that, team defense is as important as individual defense. Guys are doing the best job as they can on their man, then it's up to us to support. If I'm guarding somebody, Glen (Rice) and (Kelvin) Cato watch my back. If they get beat or challenge a shot, maybe I can step in and help or box somebody out."

To Tomjanovich, the change begins where every play starts. Tomjanovich has a particular distaste for "stabs," reckless, backcourt gambles that usually send the opposition on a fast break with numbers. The Rockets have finally broken themselves of the habit.

"The biggest thing is we're not giving up a lot of fast-break points," Tomjanovich said. "We've had many, many games (nine) we've held our opponents to single figures on the break. You usually only get a few, three or four, of those in an entire season."

From there, he has gotten his quick guards, Steve Francis, Mobley and Norris, to pressure the ball more consistently and to challenge 3-point shots.

"You got a backcourt that plays above the rim," Mobley said. "If you do that, you can say to yourself, `If you can do that, you can play defense.' Coach told me to play defense like my rookie year. To be a leader in that point and have us ready is a better thing for us."

Quicker than they are thick, big men have fronted in the low post. Help defense has come more quickly, rotations more precisely.

"Some of it is determination. A lot of it is just smarts," Tomjanovich said. "There are some teams that have some really good, quick defensive players. But there are some teams that don't have that and play good defense because they understand how to play good team defense. That's very important.

"Size and shot-blocking helps, too."

There is that. With Yao Ming starting and Eddie Griffin coming off the bench, the Rockets usually have at least one shot blocker on the court at all times. With Kelvin Cato, who had been rooted defensively the past two seasons, far more aggressive defensively this season, the Rockets' perimeter defenders usually have two shot blockers waiting behind them.

"When you have Kelvin Cato, Eddie Griffin, Yao Ming back there, it's hard to go inside and score anytime you want to," Mobley said. "If they even get there, they think about it like, `Oh my goodness, who am I going to dish to.' It's fun for us. And it makes us look a lot better."

The Rockets still do not force turnovers. And like New Year's resolutions, the real accomplishment in the transformation will be making it last.

But the Rockets clearly are thinking differently. For 20 games at least, rather than a grind, defense has become glorious.

"I'm wondering how guys make all-defensive teams," Francis said. "If we're playing good defense like that, maybe guys will get looks for that. I think everybody just takes pride in playing `D' this year."