[nba.com]Rockets find grit, hard work a talent worth cultivating

The_Yoyo · Nov 17, 2009

Art Garcia said:

Without the three players they pinned their hopes on last season, the Rockets were destined to take a serious step back. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are holed up in sick bay, and Ron Artest skipped town for the bright lights of Hollywood.

The Houston squad that won a legion of admirers for their heart and scrappiness during the playoffs wasn't supposed to be able to keep it up. Talent deficits come back to bite you, right?

"I dismiss all the talk about this not being a talented team," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said of the Rockets recently. "I believe they're talented. I believe hard play is a talent. It's like a skill."

And it's not one easily imitated. Guys can spend endless hours in the gym refining their jumpers. Big men work on passing out of a double team. Court awareness develops for point guards the longer they're in the league. Teams stress rebounding in every practice.

But where is the drill for grit, tenacity and determination? Bryant said Rick Adelman's team outhustled the defending champs on Sunday, especially on the boards, as the Rockets stunned the Lakers in Los Angeles. But that shouldn't be too shocking, considering Houston pushed L.A. to seven games in the Western Conference semifinals last season.

Trevor Ariza witnessed that back-and-forth series firsthand as a member of the Lakers. Now he's on the other side in what essentially was a free-agent swap for Artest.

"We are a team that keeps fighting no matter what," Ariza said of the Rockets. "Whether we are not shooting well or not playing well, we keep fighting. We try to find a way to win."

The Rockets' catalyst said there's no secret formula to getting the most out of a team that came into the season without any clear-cut stars on the active roster. Houston heads into Tuesday night's clash against West-leading Phoenix with a healthy 6-4 record.

"We just play together. We play for each other," said Aaron Brooks, a blur of a point guard. "With this team, it's really a team. We're not really concerned about individual stats. If we play together and we win, everybody is going to get to where they want to be.

"We do a good job of moving the ball and sharing it and playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. That goes to Rick's system. Everybody has to touch the ball for it to be successful. We have the pieces to make this successful."

And they don't worry about who's not there. Of course they'd like to get T-Mac and Yao back, but the Rockets have grown so accustomed to making do that those otherwise debilitating injuries don't cripple their psyche. Houston has lost an average of 194 games to injuries in the last six years.

This season hasn't been any different. Yao is likely lost for the year after breaking his foot in the Lakers series last spring. The news is considerably more encouraging for McGrady, who could be returning later this month.

"He's another weapon, our main weapon," Brooks said. "He's been out for a while and the fact that we're playing so good, to add another weapon like that will help us play even better.

"We need another option out there. That's definitely no secret. We need another scorer, plus he's a great defender. He can do everything, so why not? Why wouldn't you be excited to have another piece to this amazing puzzle that we have already?"

Ariza and Brooks have emerged as scorers who should make a serious run at the All-Star team. Carl Landry and Luis Scola are classic, dirty-work players who still average better than 14 points per game. Scola is pulling down nearly 10 boards a game. Undersized center Chuck Hayes scraps for every inch in the paint despite checking in a full 12 inches shy of the 7-foot-6 Yao.

The bench knows its role. Kyle Lowry is the tenacious backup point guard -- his two offensive rebounds on one possession in the fourth quarter Sunday were huge -- who often shares the court with Brooks. Sweet-shooting rookie Chase Budinger has been a second-round steal. Another rookie surprise, 29-year-old David Anderson, held his own battling Lakers center Andrew Bynum on Sunday.

These Rockets are hardly conventional. With only one player taller than 6-foot-9, Houston takes more 3-pointers per game than all but three other teams. The Rockets spread the floor, utilize Brooks' speed and let it fly.

"That's how we have to play," Adelman said after beating the Lakers. "We have to take shots like that. We don't have the inside game that those guys do in the other locker room, so we have to play a little bit different."

And harder.
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thino · Nov 17, 2009

wonder if brooks is genuine about tmac making the team better. hmmmmm

napalm06 · Nov 17, 2009

"We just play together. We play for each other," said Aaron Brooks, a blur of a point guard. "With this team, it's really a team. We're not really concerned about individual stats. If we play together and we win, everybody is going to get to where they want to be.

"We do a good job of moving the ball and sharing it and playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. That goes to Rick's system. Everybody has to touch the ball for it to be successful. We have the pieces to make this successful."
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Fantastic quote from the After Burner. Love this team.

Someguy1229 · Nov 17, 2009

thino said:

wonder if brooks is genuine about tmac making the team better. hmmmmm
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It's no secret that T-Mac has the ability to be one of the best scorers in the NBA. He was the scoring champ twice in his career.

It's just a matter of if he is willing to play with the team and not be all about himself.

He has to realize that we have a great system going on right now and if he wants to fit in then he can't expect to score 30 a night. We might need him to do that a few nights but he is not needed to do that on a daily basis anymore.

It's all about playing together now so he better get used to that.

LoneStarDawg · Nov 17, 2009

"Another rookie surprise, 29-year-old David Anderson, held his own battling Lakers center Andrew Bynum on Sunday."

Even the NBA guys spell it Anderson, lol.

DcProWLer277 · Nov 17, 2009

DD, guess playing hard is a skill, eh? "I believe hard play is a talent. It's like a skill." said Rick Carlisle.

TheGreat · Nov 17, 2009

This season hasn't been any different. Yao is likely lost for the year after breaking his foot in the Lakers series last spring. The news is considerably more encouraging for McGrady, who could be returning later this month.

"He's another weapon, our main weapon," Brooks said. "He's been out for a while and the fact that we're playing so good, to add another weapon like that will help us play even better.

"We need another option out there. That's definitely no secret. We need another scorer, plus he's a great defender. He can do everything, so why not? Why wouldn't you be excited to have another piece to this amazing puzzle that we have already?"
Good news.

ElPigto · Nov 17, 2009

T-mac and great defender should not be near each other. Perhaps Brooks is reminiscing T-mac of Toronto.

H-townhero · Nov 17, 2009

T-Mac is a very good defender when he wants to be, did you not watch the Utah series 2 years ago? He's just lazy, period.

1individual · Nov 17, 2009

H-townhero said:

T-Mac is a very good defender when he wants to be, did you not watch the Utah series 2 years ago? He's just lazy, period.
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I agree, he can be a great defender if he's not lethargic. When he's not, he blocks a ton of shots, steals from the PG, etc. His long arms help him defend. If only he had that energy.

DreamWeaver · Nov 17, 2009

1individual said:

I agree, he can be a great defender if he's not lethargic. When he's not, he blocks a ton of shots, steals from the PG, etc. His long arms help him defend. If only he had that energy.
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If playing at the highest level of basketball and making millions of dollars don't motivate you, I don't know what wil.

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