Chron: Situation Has Van Gundy, Rockets at a Loss

Van Gundy, team at a loss

Rockets suffer from insufficient chemistry, lack of rebounding
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Jeff Van Gundy could feel the eyes rolling. He spoke of the mediocrity he saw all over the Rockets and couldn't help but question if anyone else could see as clearly through the haze of preseason optimism.

He shared the pain the losses inflicted but didn't know if anyone else felt as tormented. He saw this coming before it began and in its first stumbling steps, even though the Rockets had paired the celebrated Yao Ming and sensational Tracy McGrady.

Van Gundy has never coached a team into the lottery, and a few early missteps were easy to excuse as part of the process. Van Gundy's cries seemed as dismissed as his famously gloomy outlook, which even he mocks.

"We're mediocre," Van Gundy said two losses ago. "We're just a mediocre team, because we don't make the plays that make you good consistently. We've made some improvements, but we don't fit together like I'd like to. Our chemistry is not the chemistry of a really good team.

"I don't think you can say any one guy has done well enough. We've done well enough as a group to be mediocre. And I think myself and each one of the players is to blame."

It was not supposed to be like this. The Rockets knew their early-season schedule — no team has played more games, and no team has played as many road games — would make a fast start difficult. But a four-game home losing streak and defeats at struggling Atlanta and Toronto have given the Rockets their worst start since the 1999-2000 season. It's to the point that no loss appears to be a fluke.

"It's real frustrating," guard Jim Jackson said. "Nobody anticipated a 6-9 start with the expectations we had on ourselves. Forget outside. What we had on ourselves was to come out and start the season strong.

"Right now, if we were to grade ourselves, we would be way below average."

The sources of the Rockets' disappointment, and of their potential turnaround, have become clear.

Yao and McGrady
Just putting a proven, dynamic scorer on a team with a center assumed to be the Western Conference's new best was supposed to be a step in the tradition of the great inside-out duos. That was what made McGrady want to play for the Rockets. And Yao was the reason Van Gundy cited most often when he chose to coach the Rockets, passing on other overtures around the NBA.

But Yao has been overwhelmed defensively by quickness and has been inconsistent and error-prone offensively.

McGrady, the league's two-time reigning scoring champion, knew his numbers would come down. The Rockets' defensive style, as much as their offense, limits possessions per game. And McGrady never has had to look inside before looking for his shot, as he does now.

But McGrady has been solid, rather than spectacular, and seems to be losing patience with the process.

"We're all frustrated," McGrady said. "Losing four straight at home is very disappointing. We also expected a lot out of Yao and myself.

"I'm seeing a lot of double teams, which I didn't expect to see coming here with Yao. But it's happening.

"I'm better than what I'm playing. I've never felt this way in my career as far as my game, the hesitation in it. I'm playing solid, but I'm capable of playing twice as (well). It's because I'm in a new system, and it's because I'm playing with a guy we have to go inside-out."

McGrady did have five consecutive games with at least 20 points, getting a season-high 33 in one and a season-high 11 assists in the next. But he used to hiccup 20 points.

"I'm used to running a play five, six times in a row (with the Magic)," McGrady said. "Coach likes to get everybody involved. It's tough for me to get in rhythm like that."

Shaky defense
The Rockets rank second in the NBA in opponents' scoring and fourth in defensive field-goal percentage, but they are not happy with their defense. They allow penetration, often getting Yao in foul trouble. They are foul prone, giving away far too many points at the free-throw line. And they don't force turnovers or block shots, taking away two of the qualities of better defensive teams.

But more than anything, the Rockets don't rebound, ranking last in the NBA in percentage of rebounds per game.

"I know one thing: You have to rebound to win," Van Gundy said. "You have to. Whatever we have to do to rebound is what we have to do.

"Our rebounding has been a concern for a long time (this season). What has to happen to rebound ... rebounders rebound. We obviously aren't pursuing the ball as well as we should. You can't just talk about rebounding. You have to put guys in who rebound."

Personality and attitude
The Rockets have had a variety of leaders, but the team's previous personality and attitude were clear. For good and bad, they were the swaggering, exuberant confidence of Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley.

Van Gundy's New York Knicks teams were as driven as he is, filled with his near maniacal competitiveness as exemplified by Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell and current Rockets point guard Charlie Ward.

After adding nine new players since last season, the Rockets have yet to find a winning personality, instead modeling Yao and McGrady's amiable gentility. They and their teammates seem to be committed professionals, but there has not been a personality so strong it dominates the team.

Instead, Van Gundy has wondered if a team with so few players who have had winning records, much less contended for or won championships, accepts losing readily.

"When you're taking guys from losing situations, you don't know their mental toughness; you don't know their habits," Van Gundy said. "You don't know if they get stronger as the season goes on or weaker.

"It turned quickly from good to bad. That's usually what happens in this league. It's usually dictated by attitude."

Van Gundy would not label the Rockets' attitude. But it was clear what it needed to be.

"I don't want to speak on ours, but usually things get turned around because of an attitude where you're more determined and more passionate, and you figure it out," Van Gundy said. "When you're down like this, it doesn't just turn around because time marches on. We have a lot of guys in that locker room who just went through one of those really long losing streaks last year (Orlando's 19-game losing streak), and a lot of guys in our locker room have been on those.

"It doesn't just change because the schedule marches on. You have to actively be a participant in your own rescue. I don't think right now we're as determined."

At least the Rockets are no longer doubting the problems. But then, the problems are easy to see when eyes are not rolling.

______________________________

Rockets Summary

Sura is a start
Guard Bob Sura didn't expect to be activated for Saturday's game, much less play 21 minutes, his first action since signing as a free agent with the Rockets in August.

But for Sura, out since undergoing back surgery Sept. 1, the game represented a solid beginning as he helped the Rockets cut a 15-point deficit to three before they fell to the Nuggets.

"I haven't played against NBA players since April 15 with the Atlanta Hawks," Sura, 31, said. "I haven't played in six or seven months.

"Considering that, I thought it went all right. I thought I brought some energy, brought some toughness. I made some plays for other guys. It will come around."

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was pleased with Sura's play but cautioned against looking to Sura to fix all the Rockets' problems.

"He did some good things," Van Gundy said. "I think we're looking in all the wrong places if we're expecting one guy coming back to cure our ills. He did fine. He did fine for a guy just getting back. It's much, much deeper than one guy. We have to play much better than we are."

Seeking a better mix
After playing fewer than 18 minutes just once this season, Juwan Howard played only six minutes in Utah on Friday and not at all Saturday against the Nuggets.

But Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the change in Howard's playing time was more about elevating Scott Padgett in his rotation than diminishing Howard's role.

"I'm trying to find a group that fits better together," Van Gundy said. "I'm playing Padgett right now. It's not about what Juwan hasn't done; it's more about what Scott has done.

"It's not about who's a better player, because that's really irrelevant. It's about trying to get more guys who have been here, who know exactly what we want vs. having so many new guys on the floor together.

"I've wanted to play Scott, and it's just been very difficult to find time. The same with Clarence (Weatherspoon)."

Howard has averaged 7.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.

Padgett, averaging 8.1 minutes per game, has made 54.6 percent of his shots and 44.4 percent of his 3-point-
ers.

JONATHAN FEIGEN
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2922584

 

Notice that Tmac describes himself as "hesitant." That was Francis' point last year about Van Gundy. Coach's gloom act is getting into the players' heads the wrong way. Not only is he not giving them a chance to get into a rhythm with certain plays, he is ripping them up for not producing out of his plays. Compare that to Rudy-T's approach which consisted of gradually installing plays and options as the players mastered various elements of the offense. JVG simply doesn't know how to teach.