[CHRON] Rockets leave spot for Sura

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4293741.html

Oct. 27, 2006, 11:00PM
Rockets leave spot for Sura
Team hopes guard can return;
Jacobsen, Bowen cut from roster


By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The Rockets reduced their roster to the maximum of 15 players Friday by waiving forward Ryan Bowen and guard Casey Jacobsen, moves that point to their hope Bob Sura can make it back from microfracture knee surgery and his surprising declaration this week that he believes he can.

Bowen was released though he had one more guaranteed season, worth roughly $1 million, on his contract. Bowen had been out through the preseason while coming back from hip surgery to repair the torn labrum that hampered him last season.


Great teammate
"I think Ryan was one of the great teammates of all time," coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I think he could still have been effective for us as a perimeter defensive guy, a last-shot, or game-situation guy. He is one of the greatest teammates and one of the best guys ever to coach."

But if Bowen's contract and contributions were thought to have placed him on the roster, Jacobsen seemed to have made the team this month, so much so that even Van Gundy thought Jacobsen had earned a place.

That changed Wednesday night when the Rockets received word Sura had not given up on his hopes to come back.

"We were all expecting him to retire," said Van Gundy, who also had spoken to Sura last week. "When he made a final decision, we were supportive of whatever he decided he wanted to do. We thought he was leaning toward retirement. He decided he wanted to keep on going. I respect his heart.

"He has chosen to fight on with no guarantees that it will lead to anything productive. He is a great competitor. If anybody can make it back, he is the type of guy who can do it. He has an extremely high pain tolerance and will to compete. He clarified in his mind what he wanted to do. It caught me by surprise, but I'm happy for him. He's a guy I'm rooting for."

But with Sura on the roster, the Rockets have seven guards not including Tracy McGrady who might start games as a shooting guard. That left little room for Jacobsen.

"I thought he was going to make the team all the way up into (Wednesday) night when we thought Bobby was heading into retirement," Van Gundy said. "He played well enough in practice to secure himself a shot."

Jacobsen averaged 1.5 points, 1.8 assists and 1.8 rebounds in the preseason in playing time limited in part because the Rockets believed they had seen enough in scrimmages.

"He didn't play great in games, but he played well in practice," general manager Carroll Dawson said. "He should be in the league. We're going to help him every way we can because he should be in the league."


Head, Snyder extended
But the backcourt is crowded, more so with the Rockets on Friday extending the contracts of Luther Head and Kirk Snyder through the 2007-08 season, exercising their third-year option on Head's contract and fourth-year option on Snyder's rookie contract.

"When you get extended, it says the team values you," Van Gundy said. "That has to be a positive sign for each player. I'm happy for each guy."

But for all their guards, with Head, Snyder and rookie point guards John Lucas III and Billy Spanoulis, the backcourt is young. That could make Sura a valuable addition.

But even if the Rockets did not believe Sura would be able to play or if they wanted to clear his roster spot, there are other reasons to let him have more time.


Reasons for patience
If Sura determines he must retire because of his knee, his salary would not count toward the Rockets' luxury tax threshold. That could allow the Rockets to use the $4.1 trade exception they will have until Feb. 13 without incurring the tax they consider a virtual hard salary cap. His contract could also be used in a trade for a team seeking an expiring contract.

Those are options to encourage patience, but the Rockets' preference would be to have Sura return.

"He's always thought that he could make it back," Dawson said. "If he believes in something as strongly as he does, as willing and forceful as he is, you have to give him a chance. He thinks he can play again. We'll see.

"It's mainly out of tremendous respect for what he's done for us, how hard he works. People don't understand (you've) got to give him a shot. He's done a lot lately. He's telling us he thinks he can do it. That's what we're going on. Bobby says he thinks he can play. Who wouldn't listen to that?"


ROCKETS NOTES

INCIDENT PROBED
The NBA took no action Friday on the incident involving Dikembe Mutombo during Thursday's game in Orlando, but league officials were investigating, NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said.

Mutombo flashed an obscene gesture and started toward a fan who had been shouting a racial epithet at him. The fan was escorted from the arena, but Mutombo said later he was close to going into the stands and that the fan should be barred from attending NBA games.



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MARQUETTE REUNION

The last games of the Rockets' preseason schedule offered Rockets rookie Steve Novak a Marquette reunion tour with a game Wednesday against the Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade and Thursday against the Orlando Magic and Travis Diener .

He even had the unexpected chance to match up against Wade, coming out of that experience without becoming part of a Wade highlight.

"I know what Dwyane can do, so I'll keep my mouth shut," Novak said. "He ended up penetrating and kicking it out, probably lucky for me.

"It was nice to see those guys, just being my first time, see what they have to say. It was good to play against Dwyane. It's always been my goal. I've seen what he's done, but to be out there playing against him was kind of neat.

"With Travis, we stay more in touch, so that was neat to be out there with a teammate from a year ago"



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FLUID SITUATION

With so much uncertain about the Rockets' rotation beyond certain starters Yao Ming, Shane Battier, Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston , the Rockets might not go with the same starting lineup game to game, or even half to half.

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said he never has had such a fluid rotation, but that "it may be appropriate for our team.

Van Gundy could go with Battier as a power forward with Tracy McGrady at small forward and Kirk Snyder or Luther Head at shooting guard. He could go with Steve Novak or Chuck Hayes at power forward, shifting Battier to small forward and McGrady to the backcourt.

"We may be a team that changes that fifth starter game to game depending on what we need and even at half," Van Gundy said. "We may not start the same team in the second half as we did the first"

He said backup center would be "by committee" with Dikembe Mutombo, Juwan Howard and Hayes playing behind Yao.