http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/2881566 If this has already been posted, please lock. Opening act shows traces of potential By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Tracy McGrady beat one man off the dribble, spun by another and soared toward the basket. Print the poster. This is the freeze-frame moment the Rockets have dreamed about since the two-time NBA scoring champion arrived last summer. This is the moment that's supposed to transform them. Even as the Rockets made wholesale changes, as they added experience and depth, their optimism began with the fact Tracy McGrady can do spectacular things with the basketball. If you want to say T-Mac and Yao Ming may someday do for the Rockets what Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant once did for the Lakers, go ahead. I've got your back. Just don't say it within earshot of Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. "That's unfair because of all those guys accomplished with the Lakers," he said. What are we supposed to say? That they're the second coming of Kelvin Cato and Pig Miller? No storybook ending Tuesday night, Van Gundy was watching T-Mac put the regular-season opener on his shoulders. In that moment, everyone in a packed building was about to understand what the Rockets are about. This perfect story line lacks one minor detail, a mere scratch on a masterpiece. McGrady's shot rolled around the rim and into the hands of Detroit's Chauncey Billups. McGrady's miss was indeed a snapshot of an opening night in which the Pistons ran past the Rockets 87-79. This was not the night Van Gundy had promised. This was the one he warned us about. "We were not doing fundamental things," Van Gundy said, "and it showed." He knew that with nine new faces, with a different core and a different mindset, the Rockets might be a work in progress for at least a couple of months. He's going to go through a dozen rotations before he finds one he's comfortable with. Defense of title begins This evening began with the Rockets bouncing inside their locker room as the Pistons raised a championship banner and got their rings from NBA commissioner David Stern. Then the Pistons went out and did what they do best. They harassed the Rockets into a 39 percent shooting night. They won on the boards. They forced 17 turnovers. This is the kind of game McGrady might take over in February. By then, he and Yao will be comfortable with one another. In this one, McGrady's presence was barely noticed in the first half. He was so focused on being part of the offense that the best part — his part — didn't show up. He missed 10 of his first 11 shots. He didn't ask my advice, but if he had, I'd tell him to try something else tonight in Toronto. I'd tell him to come out and be aggressive and take over the game as quickly as possible. When the Raptors adjust, he can get his teammates involved. "I was thinking instead of just playing," McGrady said. "I'm not comfortable with Yao or my new teammates yet. I was trying to get everyone involved at the beginning. I went into an attack mode in the second half." He finished with a team-high 18 points. He got 15 of those in the second half, when he was more like the player the Rockets traded for. There still were spectacular moments. McGrady threw in two long jumpers midway through the fourth quarter. He stripped Tayshaun Prince of the ball a bit later. He blocked a Prince layup. "He did fine," Van Gundy said. "It's a team game. We didn't do fine." By the end, McGrady seemed as comfortable as he had been in Orlando, but the Rockets came undone in other areas. They didn't get nearly enough from Yao, who finished with seven points. None of their starters had more than one assist. "We do have a lot of new guys," Juwan Howard said, "but we can't use that as an excuse." On opening night, it was a legitimate one. richard.justice@chron.com
My positives from the loss 1. TMac looks like he is more than willing to defer to Yao at times. Plus with him, when he gives the ball to Yao, it's not forced like how the Rox did last year leading to TOs 2. Yao actually looks aggressive on the boards. Maybe its the armor hes wearing =) 3. Boki, where have you been all these years. He is going to be open the entire year with Yao and TMac getting so much attention, hopefully he continues to play well. I think I saw him get in the way a few times also on defense, didn't know he could do that. Negatives: 1. Our lack of athleticism outside of TMac is frightening. Is there anyone on the bench or starting five (besides TMac) with lateral quickness in their game? maybe Lue, but I still cant see him as a real gamer 2. We need a better PG pronto, CHarlie Ward and Tyronne Lue is not the answer. 3. Yao continues to pick up ticky tack fouls. Combo of him being a step too late and the refs overreacting. 4. People continue to get open for the 3 on the opposing side. I thought JVG was a master of defense schemes, this killed us last year against the Lakers, and doesn't look like it has improved so far. In any case, I expected this loss. They're the champs and just got their shiny new rings on their home floor. I expect Detroit to lose at most 2 or 3 times at home all year, so the Rox dropping this one wasn't that disappointing. We at least had a chance to win it.
Is anyone else tired of hearing this. Not that it's not true - they were outrebounded, had more turnovers, fewer steals, etc... But, Jeff, your offensive scheme isn't exactly top-notch there. Shoulder some of the blame. You had an entire preseason.
