I apologize if this was previously posted. I looked around and didn't see it. Good article explaining why we should still be patient with this team. Maybe this will quiet some of the Rudy haters... http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/bucher_ric/1511004.html Give Rockets some time to adjust to Yao -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ric Bucher ESPN The Magazine LOS ANGELES -- Although Shaquille O'Neal's cranky left knee and problematic right big toe made Yao-Shaq II into the roundball version of Al Capone's vault, at least it means the murmuring in certain corners about coach Rudy Tomjanovich's competence or Steve Francis' selfishness won't get any louder. Then again, it says a lot about the power of Yao that such noise is being raised at all. At least the Rockets can't be second-guessed about their use of Yao in Tuesday's double-overtime loss to the Lakers. Assistant coach Jim Boylen had him with 35 touches before fouling out in the first overtime period, touches being far more indicative of a player's involvement than any other statistic. The pressure is increasing on the Rockets to give Yao Ming the damn ball. Losing with The Big Ache in the locker room also underscored exactly why far too much meaning was credited to the fluky overtime victory over the three-time defending champions back in January. Before that eventful night, the Rockets were a surprisingly fun little team defying projections right along with their No. 1 pick from China by flirting with a playoff berth. Now, of course, to hear the rabblerousers tell it, they're the Team of Destiny that the ever-reckless Rudy T. has decided to let his handpicked pilot, Stevie Franchise, auger into the land of lotteryville again. "It sort of surprises me," says Tomjanovich. Me, too, unless this is someone other than the Rudy T. who coached the Rockets to two titles, an NBA star-laden Olympic squad to a gold medal and, perhaps most impressively, a rag-tag group of non-NBAers to a bronze medal in the '98 World Championships. Or this Francis is someone other than the one who has earned mention in the same breath with Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd as a rebounding point guard, one of the more selfless, blue-collar contributions a player can make. This isn't a case of what-have-you-done-for-me-lately. This is what-are-you-doing-for-me-today-that-assures-me-a-bright-tomorrow. This, in short, is a bit nutty. I can guess the genesis. Boxscore watchers saw those string of near-perfect shooting nights in December that propelled the Rockets to a season-high eight games over .500 They then see miserable losses to Cleveland and Miami in which Yao took eight and four shots, respectively, and wonder who ordered the freeze-out. The stat mongerers see that Yao is second only to back-up center Kelvin Cato (whose shot attempts are measured in inches) in field-goal shooting percentage (52.6 to 52.8) and wonder why the Rockets' braintrust isn't checking the same numbers. Numbers, of course, never tell the whole story. Miami, for one, both fronted Yao and got extremely physical with him. Against the Lakers, he responded in kind, fouling out Samaki Walker and helping Mark Madsen collect five. For the most part, he forced the action until he had a shot or could create an open one for someone else. He sometimes burns a good chunk of the shot clock trying to establish position without creating anything worthwhile. "I've told him there are two parts to a move," Tomjanovich says. "There's the explosiveness getting your position with or without the ball and then another explosive move to get your shot or create one for someone else. He's getting better at it." Is Yao already the best decision-maker on the team? Yes. Does his unselfishness and advanced all-around skills make him extraordinarily efficient, especially by NBA standards? Absolutely. Does this mean that anytime he doesn't lead the Rockets in attempted shots or points or both someone is screwing up? Uh, no. Tomjanovich, like it or not, believes coaching a team is a collaborative effort with his players, particularly his stars. It's why he has the second-longest longevity among current NBA coaches after the Jazz's Jerry Sloan, who for all his gruff demeanor puts a lot of trust in his top players as well. He also understands that players who are allowed to learn through trial-and-error not only buy into playing a particular system but can execute it under duress because they know firsthand what does and doesn't contribute to winning. There's nothing like losing to drive that home. This team also doesn't have the ideal components to complement Yao's game. Watching how the Lakers had to respect Glen Rice's shooting range and the space it created for Yao was electrifying; Rice's health hasn't allowed much of that. A few first-rate spot-up shooters and Houston can go back to the sets that worked so well with Hakeem in the post. As is, though, the Rockets, collectively, need to strike a balance between the helter-skelter attack of Stevie's drive-and-kicks and Yao's more deliberate back-to-the-basket attack. In light of having the second-youngest team in the league, Tomjanovich also has adopted a less histrionic style on the sideline, both in and out of huddles. "I feel like if I'm not acting in a calm manner, my team is less likely to act that way," he says. Francis, in turn, is like every young star who believes when winning or losing is in the balance, his back is best suited to carrying a team where it needs to go. "We try to get the ball to him," Francis says. "We're all looking inside. But if I look in and think he's not holding his position strong enough, I have to go someplace else. But I don't think anyone's not trying to get him the ball." For those who believe Francis should trust Yao more often, keep in mind they've played 52 games together. Then consider how long it took Kobe to trust Shaq. Or Hakeem to share the ball with Kenny Smith and Vernon Maxwell. Or MJ to find Scottie Pippen and the rest of his supporting cast. "Steve gets so competitive, sometimes he doesn't always make good decisions," Tomjanovich says. "But I've had conversations with him in the middle of the night about how guys are feeling, how he's doing as a leader. The kid has a good heart." Yao, of course, does, too, which is why the number of touches he gets in a game far outnumber his attempted shots. He is both unselfish and patient, a combination that isn't always effective with a 24-second clock and a team that doesn't always space well. "The good thing about it is, it hasn't been a struggle for the other players," Tomjanovich says. "I've had teams where you could feel the tension and that hasn't been the case." Hasn't and probably won't. But it will take time. The best things always do.
