McGrady brings winning attitude Van Gundy says Rockets have talent to be successful By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle KEY DATES • First preseason game: Oct. 10 vs. Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Center. • First regular-season home game : Nov. 6 against Sacramento Kings, 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Center. Tracy McGrady might have already been a member of that most exclusive of NBA fraternities, but now it seemed real. McGrady took a seat on the Toyota Center floor, ready to begin his career with the Rockets and move past his seven years as one of the great, young talents, past the consecutive scoring championships and All-Star Game highlights. Rockets players and coaches gathered Friday for the start of training camp, workouts begin today, and spoke of their talent and promise. They spoke of championship goals not as a childish fantasy, but as something they insisted could be a legitimate possibility. With that, McGrady, the most accomplished player on a rebuilt team, moved to the echelon of Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, a level where players are measured only by what their teams achieve. "One thing about me, I really don't care about me individually as far as winning all the accolades," McGrady said. "It's about the team now. I've accomplished a lot of things individually. That's the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to win a championship, to flat-out win. I've been in the playoffs three years in a row, then last year was a downfall for my team. But I'm not just happy with being in the playoffs. I think I'm the kind of player that really needs to be on that big stage, and that's what I'm hoping for." The Rockets' trade for McGrady began an eight-player renovation. Even the players who remain from last season's team — Maurice Taylor, Yao Ming, Bostjan Nachbar, Clarence Weatherspoon and Scott Padgett — have just a combined 10 seasons in Houston. Yao and Nachbar are the second-most tenured Rockets after Taylor. "We added a lot of talent," Taylor said. "Talent doesn't always win but at the same time, when you see the names we were getting and the type of players we were getting, it gets you excited." Pieces are there Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said that losing, even early in the season because of unfamiliarity with one another would be "a lame excuse." But after so many roster moves and with the injury to Bob Sura, coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Rockets have what they need. "We have 14 guys under contract," Van Gundy said. "All are capable. All were brought here for specific reasons. The overriding reason was that (general manager) Carroll Dawson and I thought they could be part of a championship-caliber team. I don't think you ever say you're done until you win it. My point is we have more than enough to win with." Future looks bright The Rockets considered their stockpile so great that Alexander said he thought more about this team's future than the young roster that he once so famously declared could become "one of the greatest teams ever assembled." "As for the future, I'm more confident in this team," he said. "We have two of the greatest players in the league at a very young age, a center and T-Mac who I consider the best player in the league right now, and with a supporting cast." Added McGrady: "As long as I'm on the best team in the NBA in June, the last team to be standing that's all that matters to me."
second part of article in Rocket's Notes Rockets Summary Owner's fired up Rockets owner Leslie Alexander offered up all the reasons for his optimism, striking on familiar themes. He happily embraced the idea that Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady could become the loathing-less version of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. He said McGrady is the "greatest" player traded while still in his 20s since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went from the Bucks to the Lakers in 1975. Then the Rockets owner thought of another measure of success. "I thought the Texans in their first game were very well-organized," Alexander said. "They had 45 new people, and they won. If you can organize 45 guys at a lot more positions, you can organize eight new players in a relatively short period of time." Able to communicate Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo speaks seven languages but was happy to learn Friday that to chat with teammate Yao Ming, he won't have to learn an eighth. "You know what, I did not know that he speaks English," Mutombo said. "Today, he came in and just carried on a conversation with me." Yao, fresh off an abbreviated book promotion tour in New York where he was a guest on The Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly, had his interpreter Colin Pine back for a third season but answered questions almost exclusively in English. But that changed when he was asked if speaking English was an indication that he is more comfortable. Yao turned to Pine and answered in Chinese. "Because of your question," he said, "now I'm speaking in Chinese." Part of the game Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy envisioned Bob Sura to most likely be his starting point guard and primary backup to Jim Jackson and Tracy McGrady. But he said Sura's injury and back surgery, which will keep him out until at least several weeks into the regular season, can be overcome. "It's an unfortunate injury," Van Gundy said. "I like Bob's game and competitive nature. But his job is now to be diligent in his rehab and get back as quickly as possible. But we have more than enough to win with."
Pretty much says Nachbar wasn't going to play much at all. But with Sura's injury, he will get a chance, for the first few weeks, and if he can somehow prove himself, it may be a different story. Also we have the rumor that Sura may be out for most of the year, so in any case Nachbar will get a chance to play. I seem to recall Van Gundy basically garaunteeing Nachbar more minutes this season, yet those quotes imply otherwise. Interesting..
Mutombo: Would you like a fortune cookie? Yao: That's not really Chinese. Mutombo: Okay, more for me then. (yumyumcrunchyumburp)
