Kori Ellis
10-27-2004, 01:25 PM
No more 'pre' in Rockets' season
Van Gundy to use regular rotation, treat Laredo game as if it's real thing
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2868863
The preseason is over. It ended in Orlando.
The Rockets' schedule might say otherwise. It might even suggest tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs in, of all places, Laredo, is far off the familiar regular-season path.
But coach Jeff Van Gundy told players the regular season began with Monday's practice. They chose not to argue.
"Like Jeff said ... the game in Orlando is our last preseason game," Rockets center Yao Ming said. "The next two for us are just like the regular season. We cannot say today is the preseason and tomorrow is something different. In our minds, we have to put those games to service."
With that in mind, Van Gundy said he is through experimenting with his rotation. He will start the players he expects to start Tuesday in the season opener against Detroit at Auburn Hills, Mich. He will go with the rotation he expects to use then.
Van Gundy said he is certain of seven players he will play.
He would not say who has made it to his magnificent seven. Judging from preseason rotations and Van Gundy's clue that three players from the Orlando deal are in the rotation, a safe bet is that he will start Yao Ming, Jim Jackson, Tracy McGrady and Charlie Ward. Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard would be certain to play with Maurice Taylor likely to be in the mix.
"Until there is separation between guys," Van Gundy said, "other than those seven, it will be game to game."
Van Gundy increased the sense of urgency on the Toyota Center practice court with the Pistons looming.
"We have to be a lot more intense," Van Gundy said. "In the preseason, we've made 36 of 129 jump shots that we've taken. We're trying to overcome a critical (back) injury to Bobby (Sura) and the newness of a lot of players.
"So how we're going to win is to play a lot harder than we are, with a lot more togetherness on the defensive end and a lot smarter. And if we don't do those things, we won't be successful. And if we do those three things, we're going to be able to overcome some rough spots offensively until we are more attuned to what we're supposed to be doing.
"It's important we play really hard and really smart to overcome some of the bumps in the road."
With four new starters and as many as seven new players in the rotation, the Rockets have struggled to look cohesive on both ends of the court.
Much of that might have to do with the usual preseason juggling of the lineup. The Rockets did not use the same starting lineup in any of their five games. But even when their presumed starters were together, they clicked only sporadically.
"With so many new faces, we're still trying to get used to each other," forward Ryan Bowen said. "It's been documented that the trip to China was great, but not in a basketball sense. We did miss out on some good practice time there. That's why these two games and practices are really important."
In their five games, the Rockets have averaged 86.4 points but hit just 41.5 percent of their shots with 17.8 turnovers per game.
"Guys are playing inconsistent minutes, and it's hard to get in a groove and kind of gel together as a team," McGrady said. "But these last two preseason games, I think we're going to treat as regular-season games as far as our regular rotation and how many minutes guys are going to play. I might be out there on the court for 45, 48 minutes. Who knows? Yao might be out there for 40 minutes.
"We still have a lot of work to do. As the season goes along, we'll get used to each other. Since it's preseason, our minutes are really inconsistent, we don't have that chemistry like we want to have. It will come. We know how to play the game."
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So do you think the Spurs will use their regular rotation? Or still test out the scrubs?
Van Gundy to use regular rotation, treat Laredo game as if it's real thing
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2868863
The preseason is over. It ended in Orlando.
The Rockets' schedule might say otherwise. It might even suggest tonight's game against the San Antonio Spurs in, of all places, Laredo, is far off the familiar regular-season path.
But coach Jeff Van Gundy told players the regular season began with Monday's practice. They chose not to argue.
"Like Jeff said ... the game in Orlando is our last preseason game," Rockets center Yao Ming said. "The next two for us are just like the regular season. We cannot say today is the preseason and tomorrow is something different. In our minds, we have to put those games to service."
With that in mind, Van Gundy said he is through experimenting with his rotation. He will start the players he expects to start Tuesday in the season opener against Detroit at Auburn Hills, Mich. He will go with the rotation he expects to use then.
Van Gundy said he is certain of seven players he will play.
He would not say who has made it to his magnificent seven. Judging from preseason rotations and Van Gundy's clue that three players from the Orlando deal are in the rotation, a safe bet is that he will start Yao Ming, Jim Jackson, Tracy McGrady and Charlie Ward. Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard would be certain to play with Maurice Taylor likely to be in the mix.
"Until there is separation between guys," Van Gundy said, "other than those seven, it will be game to game."
Van Gundy increased the sense of urgency on the Toyota Center practice court with the Pistons looming.
"We have to be a lot more intense," Van Gundy said. "In the preseason, we've made 36 of 129 jump shots that we've taken. We're trying to overcome a critical (back) injury to Bobby (Sura) and the newness of a lot of players.
"So how we're going to win is to play a lot harder than we are, with a lot more togetherness on the defensive end and a lot smarter. And if we don't do those things, we won't be successful. And if we do those three things, we're going to be able to overcome some rough spots offensively until we are more attuned to what we're supposed to be doing.
"It's important we play really hard and really smart to overcome some of the bumps in the road."
With four new starters and as many as seven new players in the rotation, the Rockets have struggled to look cohesive on both ends of the court.
Much of that might have to do with the usual preseason juggling of the lineup. The Rockets did not use the same starting lineup in any of their five games. But even when their presumed starters were together, they clicked only sporadically.
"With so many new faces, we're still trying to get used to each other," forward Ryan Bowen said. "It's been documented that the trip to China was great, but not in a basketball sense. We did miss out on some good practice time there. That's why these two games and practices are really important."
In their five games, the Rockets have averaged 86.4 points but hit just 41.5 percent of their shots with 17.8 turnovers per game.
"Guys are playing inconsistent minutes, and it's hard to get in a groove and kind of gel together as a team," McGrady said. "But these last two preseason games, I think we're going to treat as regular-season games as far as our regular rotation and how many minutes guys are going to play. I might be out there on the court for 45, 48 minutes. Who knows? Yao might be out there for 40 minutes.
"We still have a lot of work to do. As the season goes along, we'll get used to each other. Since it's preseason, our minutes are really inconsistent, we don't have that chemistry like we want to have. It will come. We know how to play the game."
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So do you think the Spurs will use their regular rotation? Or still test out the scrubs?