Chron: Rockets miss point despite 4 candidates

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2951824

Lue, Ward add to mix, but no one taking charge

By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

The closer the Rockets get to becoming healthy at point guard, the more confused they become.

With Tyronn Lue activated from the injured list Wednesday and Charlie Ward close to making the same move, the Rockets will have four healthy point guards who have played considerable minutes. Yet even with all of the playing time, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has yet to find the contributions he's seeking from that position.

Twenty-two games into the season, Van Gundy is more than ready to settle into a rotation at every position. So far at point guard, however, he still seems to have more questions than answers.

The only insight he did offer after Wednesday night's lopsided victory over Atlanta was that a healthy Lue will back up

Bob Sura. Rookie Andre Barrett, who had backed up Sura and averaged 16.7 minutes per game when Lue and Ward were on the injured list, didn't play against the Hawks. Van Gundy was quick to point out that Barrett's playing time may not be over, though.

"If you're on the team, you're in the mix," Van Gundy said. "Lue's going to play. If you're saying is Lue ahead of Barrett? Yeah. That doesn't mean Barrett will never play or may not. But no one is out of the mix until we find the right combinations that will win, be energized, be enthused about playing, be of pure heart and pure mind and be out of our own individual dilemmas and get into the team."

Ward, Sura and Lue have each started during the season, and even Tracy McGrady has run the point at times. The shuffling has become so common that players say it is not an issue as far as chemistry or cohesiveness on the court.

"We're so used to having different guys at the point, we know what each guy is going to give us, and I think we've adapted to what those guys bring to us," McGrady said. "We're professionals. Whoever is on the basketball court, you've just got to adapt to them. Everybody gives us a little something different."

Van Gundy declined to describe the strengths of each of his point guards by saying he didn't want to make such comparisons. He has made it clear what he's looking for from the position, however.

In addition to bringing energy and being team-oriented, Van Gundy has said he also wants to get more offense from the point, particularly their 3-point shooting, which has been poor this season. With teams doubling McGrady and Yao Ming off the point guards, Van Gundy wants them to be able to hit open shots — whether they are jumpers or 3-pointers.

The four point guards are hitting 29.5 percent from beyond the arc and 36.9 from the field, overall.

"We've got four of them, and they've all had an opportunity," Van Gundy said. "They've got to make them. We've got to make teams pay for double teaming. I thought we'd shoot better from the point. It's been problematic because we haven't stretched the defense at all. It's not a secret right now."

Van Gundy said he expects the scoring to rise as the point guards become healthier. It will likely take Lue and Ward time to get back into sync, however. Lue missed his first three field goals Wednesday, before hitting two of his final three in the fourth quarter.

Sura is also still trying to get his legs under him after being rushed into a large role after being activated Nov. 27. And while Sura's shooting hasn't been great (14.3 percent from 3-point range), he has made his impact elsewhere. Even if Ward returns and takes over the starting job, Sura's minutes will not likely change much. He has made a niche for himself with his defense and rebounding.

"I've always viewed Bob not as a point or as a 2, but as a combination guard, who has obviously more size than the two other guys," Van Gundy said. "I love his nose for the ball and his rebounding instincts."

Ward, who started every game when he was healthy, has been on the injured list since Nov. 27 with a bruised right knee. He said he is feeling better but has yet to join practices.

When he returns, the shuffling will continue as the players and coaches wait to find a rotation that works.

"I'm going to play the guys that give us the best chance of winning," Van Gundy said.

"I thought Andre did a good job when he got the opportunity on some nights. I think Ty Lue did a good job before he was injured on some nights. And when Ward gets back, it will further cloud the picture. That's how it is."

megan.manfull@chron.com

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Rockets Summary

Nobody's easy

The Rockets were able to handily defeat the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, but that didn't mean their confidence was soaring as they looked toward the Golden State Warriors, who enter tonight's game at Toyota Center with a 7-15 record.

"Right now, we don't have the liberty to take it easy on nobody," Tracy McGrady said. "We've got to come to games and play. I watched those guys play (Tuesday) night, and they went into Dallas and beat them, so obviously they are playing pretty well themselves and are going to come in here pretty confident."

Of course, McGrady had not seen the Warriors' game on Wednesday when they became the first team to lose at New Orleans.

Golden State lost to the Hornets 98-89, giving New Orleans only its second victory of the season.

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• Golden State update: Derek Fisher is on the injured list with a sore right knee. ... The Warriors defeated Houston in the last two meetings, both in Oakland last spring. ... The Warriors recorded a big victory over Dallas, 111-107, Tuesday night. They then went on to become the first team to lose at New Orleans, 98-89, on Wednesday.
• Golden State must: Get a fast start. The Warriors scored 33 points in the first quarter against Dallas and allowed only 22. The Mavs were never able to get back into it. The same could be true if they do the same against the Rockets.
• Rockets update: The Rockets will be looking for their first victory over the Warriors since Jan. 5 when Maurice Taylor led all scorers with 25 points. ... Tyronn Lue was activated from the injured list on Wednesday and played 18 minutes. He scored four points and had one assist, one steal and two turnovers.
• The Rockets must: Rebound. The team was dominated on the boards by the Hawks, but still managed to win. They can't afford to take another night off.
• Check out: The Rockets' point guards and power forwards. With coach Jeff Van Gundy wanting to shorten his rotation, these guys are likely getting their final auditions.

-- MEGAN MANFULL