[CHRON] Rockets deal Mike James for a 'traditional point'

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3382821

Rockets deal Mike James for a 'traditional point'
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle




Bob Sura was on crutches. Mike James was at heart a scorer. The Rockets were worried.

The parts could have come together just like they did last season. But rather than wait and hope, the Rockets sought to end their point guard parade, trading James to the Raptors on Tuesday to get Rafer Alston, a talented, "traditional" point guard whom Toronto had sought to deal after one crisis-filled season.

"Rafer is more of a traditional point in that he passes first, shoots second," Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said. "Mike was very valuable. The role he played for us last year was just great, coming off the bench with an immediate explosion of points. But this will give us a little more of a standard, traditional point for the NBA.

"I just think (Alston) fits. We've watched a lot of film because we didn't know where Bob Sura was going to be or how long it's going to be (before he can play again after last week's knee surgery). We had done our work to where we really feel comfortable with this guy. He really runs the ball up the court every time. With the athletes we have now ... I think he fits just perfect."

Alston, though a relatively efficient point guard in the NBA, was a streetball legend known as "Skip to my Lou."

"He doesn't play the game like that," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "All you have to do is watch. That is maybe how he first carved out some sort of street reputation, but his game is much more subtle and solid and sound than what he does in a streetball setting."

A formula teams often use to show how much offense point guards create for teammates reveals Alston got assists on 29 percent of the possessions in which he was statistically involved last season. The average for point guards was 25.5 percent. James finished at 22.2 percent, while Steve Francis, the Rockets' previous point guard, was at 22 percent.

Alston produced career bests in points (14.2 per game), assists (6.4 per game) and minutes with the Raptors. Yet it was no surprise he was traded one season after signing a six-year, $26.25 million contract.

Alston comes to the Rockets off a season pock-marked by an emotional threat to retire, a tearful early departure from the arena during a game in Cleveland, a two-game suspension for walking out of a practice, and heated, public verbal battles with coach Sam Mitchell and forward Jalen Rose. All that led Alston to seek the counsel of Toronto Maple Leafs team psychologist Paul Dennis.

"Regret?" Alston said at the Raptors' media day Monday. "I just regret getting into situations. Because it's unlike me. I'm a guy who just loves to leave it on the floor, have a jolly old time playing basketball ... that's the great thing that everyone understands about me — I'm going to play hard no matter what."

Even Tuesday, Raptors general manager Rob Babcock said the problems from last season were not a factor in dealing Alston.

"Rafer's attitude has been terrific, and he's worked very hard, learned a lot from last year," Babcock said. "He had a great attitude coming in here, so that has nothing to do with it at all."

The Rockets could feel relatively comfortable in dealing for Alston, because he did not have similar problems with his previous teams, including the Miami Heat. Van Gundy said he did speak with his brother Stan, the Heat coach, about Alston, but was not overly concerned about Alston's recent history anyway.

"I just spoke to him about him as a player," Van Gundy said. "He's had obviously some other issues that I'm sure he'd like to have a do-over. Yet we judge everybody here with what they do here. I'm not really concerned with what's happened in his past compared to what happens from now on.

"I feel he has good basketball character, or we wouldn't have done it. Basketball character is important, and basketball character starts with working and passing and caring about your teammates. I think he does those things. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was, I think, the right one for us."

Dawson said the Rockets would not have considered the move had Sura not been coming back from his second knee surgery. Dawson and Van Gundy said the trade indicates nothing about how long Sura will need before he can test the knee, but both said Sura, who expected six to eight weeks of recovery time, will be brought along slowly.

If Alston fits as well as the Rockets expect, he could bring another benefit. James could have opted out of his contract after the upcoming season, and Van Gundy said he expected that James would become a free agent able to command an expensive contract. With Alston signed for five more seasons, the Rockets would not have to go into a third consecutive offseason rebuilding their backcourt.

"He's a guy that loves the game of basketball," guard Tracy McGrady said of Alston. "He thinks pass first and then shoot, and he's proven he can shoot the basketball. When he was in Miami, he had a great year down there.

"I think with the team we have, he is a perfect fit for us."

 

I like to read any news on the Rox before I go to bed and they post the news on the website at the same time every night. I usually read it and then post it here right after. So, if somebody doesn't read the paper tomorrow, they can read it here first.

 

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Rockets summary

A tough move
While it was not difficult to understand the motivations behind the Rockets' trade of Mike James to Toronto on Tuesday, that did not make the news easier for those who know him.

Though with the Rockets only since February, James quickly put down roots.

"It probably hits him like a freight train," guard David Wesley said. "This was kind of a perfect situation for him. His wife ( Angela) is from here. The kids are in school, kind of established, home, and then to move all the way to Toronto, that has to be difficult for anybody."


The end for Ward

There were no tearful news conference, no long farewell. But Charlie Ward confirmed Tuesday that his playing career is over.

"It's a transition from playing to coaching, but I still get an opportunity to be around the guys and be able to impart wisdom," said Ward, who began working as a Rockets assistant coach Tuesday. "I could have tried it, but it's a good career move."

The move ends a unique playing career that brought Ward from Heisman Trophy winner to a fixture with the Knicks before he signed with the Rockets last season. The damage in his right knee became too severe for him to come back again.

"I think he should be very, very proud of what he accomplished in his career, because he helped a lot of teams overachieve because of his toughness," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

"He's always underestimated because he didn't have the And1 breakdown game and was very, very humble.

"But one of the toughest competitors you would ever compete against. We always said Charlie would rip your heart out on the floor and then pray for you after. That's the kind of guy you want to surround yourself with."