http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...530.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers ROCKET NOTES A Game Approach to Malone, by Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer Karl Malone, humanitarian of the year? It certainly seemed like it after listening to Houston Rocket Coach Jeff Van Gundy, who again snatched a page from the keep-'em-guessing handbook and left reporters scratching their heads Tuesday with his kind profile of the Laker forward. Two days after the Rockets' owner complained to the league office about Malone's play in Game 4, Van Gundy called Malone everything but a modern-day model citizen. Malone took part Sunday in two minor skirmishes with Houston forward Bostjan Nachbar, but Van Gundy saw no reason to indict the innocent, at least from his perspective. "Karl Malone, dirty? He's not," Van Gundy told the Houston Chronicle. "He competes hard. Does he go over the line in some instances? It's not clear. I'm not one to say. What he's doing though is competing hard. That's what we need to do. Instead of touch fouling him on his layups in transition, not foul to hurt, but foul to prevent the layup. That's probably the biggest thing we have to learn, how far are you willing to go to win?" Van Gundy wasn't even that irritated with Malone's defensive forearm to Yao Ming's back as the Houston center drove to the basket in Game 3. Yao crumpled, and Malone was called for a foul on the play. "Guess what? That's what big guys are supposed to do, lay wood on people," Van Gundy said. "Let them know they don't come into the lane unimpeded. We should be doing the same. We should be developing that mentality. It would serve us better not to worry about his perception he may be dirty." Van Gundy's flattery was far from what Rocket owner Les Alexander felt Sunday. Alexander called Malone a dirty player and levied a complaint with NBA vice president of operations Stu Jackson. The league did not penalize Malone or the Lakers. In Steve Francis' court, however, Malone was guilty: "You know the dirt he always brings," Francis told Associated Press. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the Rockets faced possible elimination tonight, Van Gundy downplayed talk of any animosity between the teams. A budding rivalry? Not in Van Gundy's world. "This is tame," he said. "This is goodwill among men. I've been in fierce [rivalries]: Knicks-Chicago, Knicks-Heat, Knicks-Indiana. You can't get to that until you play each other a lot in the playoffs. "It's been exciting. It's been hard play. But it's not fierce or filled with animosity that I've seen. Just a couple love taps here or there."
This is the best way to look at this. Despite our talent down low, the Rocks do play a little soft, and we'd benefit from toughening up a bit. But I notice he didn't say this until after the NBA ruled on Alexander's requests for review.
JVG is very clever.. This is actually what the team needs to understand. You have to play hard and notice that you could understand Van Gundys words in the way that he sees nothing wrong in going out and smacking down Malone hard!!! Hey we are just playing hard it's the playoffs It's not my problem your head popped off just because it got caught in the basketnet and I was pulling your body in the other direction.... DIE Malone! Hey it is the playoffs apparently anything goes here...
JVG is a smart mf....now that the league has gone ahead and set the precedent that dirty play in this series will not warrant reprimand or suspension, JVG has made it clear that his team will be "competing hard" in tonight's game as well. I anticipate a good 'ole Knicks style slug fest tonite replete w/ clotheslines, undercuts, and swift kicks to kobe in the vagina.
I won't be surprised to see Cato/Yao/Boki undercut Malone "by incident" when he shoots a jumper, breaking his anckle and ending his season right there tonight!
What gets me about Malone is he really wants every one to know that he is tough. To me, if you do whatever it takes to make people think you are tough, you're really not that tough. And the comment he said while interviewed by Jim Grey right after the game about his jersey was just stupid. Jim Grey asked him about why he didn't change jerseys and Malone responded with some stupid remark about being a war wound. Playing with a torn jersey DOES NOT make you tough and his remarks in a weekend saddened by the death of Pat Tillman was idiotic and insensative. Every game the broadcasters, either TNT or ESPN, bring up how he is playing this series banged up and that he alsways plays through injuries. He reminds me of those guys I've played basketball with who always seems to have a little limp or something, almost to have an excuse if they suck, but if they play well it makes them look tough or whatever. Of course 5 minutes after playing thay always would walk perfectly. They said something during game 5 that the Lakers trainer told them that Malone always plas with injuries but that they (the training staf)f never knows about the injuries till after the fact. Sound a little fishy to me. Of couse this so called tough guy flails and crys if you just blow on him as he shoots. My two cents anyway
I agree with Mo......this so called "tough guy" is chasing around a skinny guy who has been in the league 2 years. If your tough go after Cato or Mo-T. Don't get me wrong I love Boki
yeah i don't see malone fouling cato hard. Crazy Cato would hack that mofo just like he did to pau gasol that other time lol, and all gasol did was try to school him
Dude, nobody hates him more than I do, but the guy IS tough. I've seen him take one on the bridge of the nose, blood start pouring out, and he was only out of the game long enough to get the bleeding to stop. This was after his nose had been broken a few games before. Punk? Yes. Beeyatch? Absolutely. Not tough? I have to disagree.
