Didn't see it posted anywhere. http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2963881 Players know ability still ahead of performance By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle The Rockets were embarrassed by one loss, humbled by another and pushed to two games below .500 when facing the Clippers with designs on a turnaround. More than a month later, the Rockets have been embarrassed by one loss, humbled by another and pushed to two games below .500 when facing the Clippers tonight with designs on a turnaround. But things have changed. Then, the collapse in Atlanta and last-second loss to the Knicks had stunned the Rockets and begun a round of the now-familiar soul-searching. Now, after two losses to the expansion Bobcats in five days (interrupted by a home win over the retooled Raptors), the Rockets have resumed their well-practiced process of examination of why this season has been so disappointing. More hoping than doing "I had that feeling before in my career where we had that swagger and I knew I was going to go into the game and knew my team was going to win," forward Tracy McGrady said. "Here, we don't have that right now. We're doing a lot of hoping right now, and that's not good. "(However), there's light at the end of the tunnel. We can turn it around. Whether we're going to do it now or wait is the question. I don't have the answer for it. You got to believe. You got to believe in each other. We have to come together in some type of way. I don't know, man. We have to put the effort every night, take every possession like it's the last possession." None of this is new thinking, and the idea of taking each possession with greater urgency is far from a revelation. If the record and similar circumstances heading into the previous game with the Clippers were not enough of an indication of how little progress has been made since then, McGrady made that obvious. Before the Nov. 20 game, he said, "It's a great game plan that our coaches are giving us. We just have to give the effort and execute. At times, we do a (good) job doing that. At times, we're just not giving the effort collectively." "Once we get it, once we get the concentration it's going to take to be great, we'll be fine. Extra effort, that's all it is." If there is a difference in the two games with the Clippers, it might be that after treading water for a month, the Rockets do seem to be more serious about finding solutions instead of waiting for the turnaround they assumed was coming. "We're searching for answers," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's been a very disappointing three months together, not in the record; it's more the play and the substandard effort." Watching the calendar The attitude adjustment between Clippers games could be just a matter of timing. Then, the Rockets knew they had plenty of time. Now that time is rapidly slipping away. "You have to have concern," forward Juwan Howard said. "That shows you care. You want to see this season head off in the right direction. We want to be a winning team. "We can be one of those teams that started off not so good (and) inconsistent and got it going a third of the way into the season." The Rockets might be playing as they were when they last played the Clippers. The record is about the same. The problems have not changed. But the tone is different. Perhaps if the Rockets felt this way a month ago, things might have changed sooner. But the only way to know if they could have righted themselves then will be if they turn the season around now. "In some sense, I am (worried)," McGrady said. "But I think we have the talent to get it done, to turn it around. "I think we have enough — a good core group of guys, leadership, myself being young, Yao (Ming) being young. We definitely have the coaching staff. But we're definitely hitting mediocrity right now." The Rockets were embarrassed by one loss, humbled by another and pushed to two games below .500 when facing the Clippers with designs on a turnaround. More than a month later, the Rockets have been embarrassed by one loss, humbled by another and pushed to two games below .500 when facing the Clippers tonight with designs on a turnaround. But things have changed. Then, the collapse in Atlanta and last-second loss to the Knicks had stunned the Rockets and begun a round of the now-familiar soul-searching. Now, after two losses to the expansion Bobcats in five days (interrupted by a home win over the retooled Raptors), the Rockets have resumed their well-practiced process of examination of why this season has been so disappointing. More hoping than doing "I had that feeling before in my career where we had that swagger and I knew I was going to go into the game and knew my team was going to win," forward Tracy McGrady said. "Here, we don't have that right now. We're doing a lot of hoping right now, and that's not good. "(However), there's light at the end of the tunnel. We can turn it around. Whether we're going to do it now or wait is the question. I don't have the answer for it. You got to believe. You got to believe in each other. We have to come together in some type of way. I don't know, man. We have to put the effort every night, take every possession like it's the last possession." None of this is new thinking, and the idea of taking each possession with greater urgency is far from a revelation. If the record and similar circumstances heading into the previous game with the Clippers were not enough of an indication of how little progress has been made since then, McGrady made that obvious. Before the Nov. 20 game, he said: "It's a great game plan that our coaches are giving us. We just have to give the effort and execute. At times, we do a (good) job doing that. At times, we're just not giving the effort collectively. "Once we get it, once we get the concentration it's going to take to be great, we'll be fine. Extra effort, that's all it is." If there is a difference in the two games with the Clippers, it might be that after treading water for a month, the Rockets do seem to be more serious about finding solutions instead of waiting for the turnaround they assumed was coming. "We're searching for answers," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's been a very disappointing three months together, not in the record; it's more the play and the substandard effort." Watching the calendar The attitude adjustment between Clippers games could be just a matter of timing. Then, the Rockets knew they had plenty of time. Now that time is rapidly slipping away. "You have to have concern," forward Juwan Howard said. "That shows you care. You want to see this season head off in the right direction. We want to be a winning team. "We can be one of those teams that started off not so good (and) inconsistent and got it going a third of the way into the season." The Rockets might be playing as they were when they last played the Clippers. The record is about the same. The problems have not changed. But the tone is different. Perhaps if the Rockets felt this way a month ago, things might have changed sooner. But the only way to know if they could have righted themselves then will be if they turn the season around now. "In some sense, I am (worried)," McGrady said. "But I think we have the talent to get it done, to turn it around. "I think we have enough — a good core group of guys, leadership, myself being young, Yao (Ming) being young. We definitely have the coaching staff. But we're definitely hitting mediocrity right now." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rockets summary Looking for a point Coach Jeff Van Gundy pointed out the irony, but he did not seem to enjoy it. "Right now, Andre Barrett's our only healthy (point guard) and he's on the injured list," Van Gundy said after the Rockets dealt Tyronn Lue to Atlanta for Jon Barry. "That's an oxymoron right there: Our only healthy guy is on the injured list." Charlie Ward came off the injured list Wednesday and played six minutes that left his right knee too sore to practice Thursday or Friday. He is questionable to play tonight against the Clippers. Bob Sura missed those practices to rest his sore right knee, but he is expected to play. When asked whether having Barrett allowed the Rockets to deal Lue and still have three point guards as Van Gundy prefers, Van Gundy seemed too concerned with his starter to consider the third point guard. "I don't think that (not having Barrett) would have prevented (the trade)," Van Gundy said. "I think what's more of a concern right now is we were sort of misled about Charlie in that he's obviously not where he said he was and that's put us in a little bit of a hole right now. "He (Barrett) has done OK. But you're always looking to get better. We're 12-14 and have not played well and not competed well. So you can never say you're done trying to fix it. He's done fine, but we're trying to get better as well." jonathan.feigen@chron.com
How ridiculous is this?? They obviously put Barret on the IR list because it was probably "his turn" to go on the list (much like Bowen and Nachbar before him) and now we find out Ward is STILL hobbled and we can't get Barrett off the list until he serves his 5 game stint! MEMO to JVG..... Once Barrett is elegible to come back, take him OFF the list, put Ward ON the list and DONT TAKE WARD OFF THE LIST FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON! Sura/Barrett. That should be our PG rotation unless we trade for another PG. Ward is DONE! Through! Forget him!
This is just absolutely ridiculous. Barrett played so well for us and this is how JVG rewards him? And we wonder why we aren't getting good production from our role players, because there is no reward system, just punishments.
It's mindboggling to have the head coach put the only healthy PG of a struggling team on the injured list. The players can't feel comfortable going on the court. JVG needs to be blamed just as much as the players.
There's absolutely no reason for AB to be on IR, now that JVG has admitted that AB is healthy, it seems extremely stupid to put your healty player in injure list and have an old and broken player try to play.
"We were mis-led my Charlie Ward". Now that is funny I wish Charlie gets traded for a bag of peanuts.
great, now that JVG has publicly announced that Ward's career is on its downward spiral, im sure we can get a great deal if hope to trade him.
Now if that's not the pot calling the Kettle black. What a Joker this man is! Van Grumpy is the one who misled the Rockets into believing he was a good coach. He chose Ward over Damon Jones and Mike james and he is not man enough to acknowledge that it was a stupid decision. What a stupid coach. Did Charlie walk in the office and say , "Hey Coach I am playing the best basketball I can lead this team to the promise land." JVG: Yeah but your 34 Ward: Don't worry coach I feel like I'm 20! JVG: Okay Charlie I believe you I mean after all you were a Knick. I know I could get you for minimum but how about I give you 6 Million and you promise to play hard. Ward: I promise coach! ( big grin on Wards face!) Come on Les this is more than enough reason to fire the man! He is a poor judge of talent and wants only players who kiss his ass! No, JVG your a moron and your stupid choices have left this team with a bunch of players with confused roles. We will never make it back to Finals with Van Gundy but worse this Rocket team will have to rebuild again after they fire him.
Because so many teams were dying for his services (after his impressive stint w the Spurs) so we had to match what others were gonna give him
Beats me but my layman's guess is that he was brought in as a stabilizing force that can should as well. He has lost lots of spead and staying healthy has been a problem for him. Acquiring was bad but not entirely mind boggling. We now have Barret, Sura and Barry to carry much of the pay making role with a little tmac sprinkled in there. PS. It is a 3 year contract but I believe or rather understand that only 2 years is guaranteed. So essentially he is 2-year contract guy. He just pi$$ed JVG off by his recently "lie" so I expect him to dwell in the dog house for a very long time (if not the rest of the season save for an injury or serious drop of form by the aforementioned play-making guards).
