[Hou Chron] Rockets continue identity search

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2939257

Rockets continue identity search

Loaded Spurs offer major test to hit-and-miss offensive group

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

COMING UP
Thursday:
vs. San Antonio, 7:00 p.m.
TV/Radio:
Ch. 51, KILT (610 AM)


The Rockets will know all about one of the teams in Toyota Center tonight. The Rockets will not be that team.


The Rockets easily labeled the Spurs, as Juwan Howard put it, "the best team in the NBA," and spoke in great detail about what makes San Antonio so good.

The other team remains a mystery. The Rockets are not sure what they are. Consecutive wins against the 76ers and Hornets might offer clues but no proof.

They might be becoming the defensive team they expected to be. They might be turning toward energetic, but two games are not enough to know. They might even be a good team, but the last two opponents do not provide much evidence.

"I don't know," Tracy McGrady said. "When we play a good team, such as Dallas, we look pretty good. Although we lost the game, a lot of positive things came out of it. If you looked at us (Tuesday), we went up against a 1-14 team, and we barely pulled it out. I can't quite put my finger on what type of team we are, whether we are a good team or not."

A game against the Spurs would seem to offer as much chance to find out as one game can. But the Rockets might be, if nothing else, showing signs of creating an identity.


Defense, intensity pick up
"We're good at defense," McGrady said. "Our defense is pretty good. I think we do a great job of helping each other out and making it tough for teams to score on us. Now we're an improving team on the defensive end. And I think our intensity is starting to pick up."

The addition of Bob Sura's intensity and effort on the boards, plus the playing time that has gone to Ryan Bowen, Andre Barrett and Reece Gaines, have provided a lift.

"Go through the last three games — we're fighting better (with) energy and hard defense," Yao Ming said. "That's very important for us to make a very strong base for the team, to limit an opponent's scoring."

The Rockets also need to find some offensive consistency. The Rockets believe they have to find a way to combine tough defense with a soft shooting touch.

"The last three games we've done some things better," coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Obviously, the team we're putting on the floor right now is limited offensively. We're going to take some bad possessions because it's hard for us to create sometimes, and we're going to face more and more zone because we don't shoot very well.

"We're shooting 32 (percent) from 3-(point range), 29 over the last 10 (games) and 26 over the last five."

The other option is to get McGrady going again. In the two games since his 48-point night in Dallas, McGrady has made 14 of 42 shots.

"I think we'll be fine on offense," McGrady said. "You have Yao, who is struggling, and me struggling. But we can pick it up at any time.

"The offensive end is really going to take care of itself. If we cut down our turnovers and have good concentration and focus ... and we do a great job of rebounding and defending, we should be pretty good."


A test from the best
Playing the Spurs offers a chance for further improvement.

"The game against the Mavericks helped us learn how to play defense," Yao said. "Tomorrow, we play against the Spurs. They are a championship-level team.

"They're a good team. If we want people to know we are also a good team, we have to show everybody. This is a good chance right now."

But before the Rockets let anyone else know what they are, they might want to find out themselves.

"This will be a good test for us," Maurice Taylor said. "We beat Philadelphia, and New Orleans is 1-15. The only thing that says is we can beat teams that struggle. I think (tonight) will let us know what we can do."

jonathan.feigen@chron.com


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Rockets Summary

Jackson feeling better
Forward Jim Jackson did not practice Wednesday, but his back spasms improved enough for him to go through shooting drills and to be upgraded to questionable for tonight's game against the Spurs.

Jackson missed Saturday's game with the flu and Tuesday's with back spasms.

"I feel pretty good. I'm looking forward to seeing how it feels, to see if I can go," Jackson said. "I did some exercises. It was nothing real serious — just spasmed up on me. The MRI showed there wasn't any kind of new damage.

"It's not like I had back problems before. I got hit in the game in Dallas and got in a situation where I got sick. And from lying around, it probably just tightened up on me from being bedridden with the flu. It just needed to be treated right, and it would take care of itself, which it has done."

Trainer Keith Jones said a decision about whether Jackson would play will be made after today's shootaround.


Perfect team
While the Spurs might seem practically perfect, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has a stronger opinion than that.

"They're a machine right now," Van Gundy said. "They are. They've been together. They're just steamrolling the league right now. Their point differential is 12 (it slipped to 11.1 after Wednesday's loss to Seattle). That's unheard of. I mean, they are a machine.

"They've got size, they've got depth, quickness, so there are so many problems stopping them but even more problems scoring on them because of their size, shot-blocking and quickness."

The Spurs' average point differential per game is greater than the Rockets' largest winning margin this season (11 points at New Jersey).

If there is a weakness, it might be the Spurs' defense at the 3-point line. Teams are making 38 percent of their 3-pointers against San Antonio, which ranks 29th in the category. But Van Gundy said that is misleading because opponents are also making just 3.79 treys per game, the third fewest in the league.

"At the end of the games, maybe they're not closing out as hard up 26," Van Gundy said. "I would think even Gregg (Popovich), who like me can see the problems, he'd strain credibility to focus in on 3-point defense.

"First of all, they don't give up many because they don't ever get beat off the dribble. I think they get bored after a period of time whipping everybody, feeling bad for people."

JONATHAN FEIGEN