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10-08-2007, 09:32 AM
Oct. 8, 2007, 12:22AM
Bonzi on own terms
At odds with Jeff Van Gundy and unsettled by losing a huge contract last season, the swingman says he is happy to be playing for Rick Adelman
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Complete Rockets coverage
AUSTIN — There's been less of Bonzi Wells this year in training camp. So there could be more of Bonzi Wells in the lineup for the Rockets this season.
Wells is about 15 pounds lighter and has been bouncing around the different courts inside the Cooley Pavilion at the University of Texas as if someone unstrapped a piano from his back.
"This is how you want a professional camp to be," he said. "You want guys to be themselves and come out and play their games and not play a game somebody else tells you you have to play."
If the Rockets have a different look, different offensive philosophy, different demeanor this time around, nowhere is it more evident than in Wells, 31, the swingman who is reveling in the coaching change from Jeff Van Gundy to Rick Adelman.
Wells' participation was limited through most of the camp sessions due to a groin strain he suffered in a bathroom fall at home four weeks ago. Yet he says he's been uplifted by the change in atmosphere surrounding the team.
"Players can be players," Wells, 6-5, said. "You ain't got to worry about it. Coach last year had a problem telling guys what he wanted them to do instead of letting guys play your game. Coach Adelman doesn't do that. He lets you go out here, and it's OK to make a mistake. When you make a mistake, you don't worry about it. You don't stress about it and think about getting yelled at. Coach's way is just make up for it.
"This year my mind is clear. Coach Adelman is here. I know what he expects from me.
"This ain't college. This is the pros. We're all men, right? Treat guys like men, and they're going to perform like men."
In limited workouts while recovering from a groin pull, there's been a different Wells on display in camp.
"I like what I see in Bonzi," Tracy McGrady said. "He's happy. He came into camp in great shape. He lost 30 pounds, so that tells you that he's really focused and ready to play this year."
Bad first impression
Wells was a last-minute arrival to the Rockets on the eve of camp a year ago, signed to a bargain-basement $5 million, two-year contract after mishandled negotiations with the Sacramento Kings cost him a guaranteed deal worth eight times that much.
The plan was for him to be an effective third-option scorer behind McGrady and Yao Ming, a veteran who could make the offense harder to bottle up in the playoffs.
But after reporting out of shape, missing several days of camp for dental appointments and personal reasons, Wells set off a tug of war with Van Gundy that lasted all season.
He fell hard and suffered a back injury that put him on the inactive list in December and never found a rhythm or a rapprochement with Van Gundy.
Wells made his only start of the season Feb. 26, in place of an ailing McGrady, and finished with season highs of 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a home loss to the Boston Celtics.
On the season, he played in only 28 games, averaging 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and shot a career-low .411 from the field.
"It wasn't just me," Wells said. "Coach had a problem categorizing guys. He'd tell guys, 'The only thing you can do is shoot. The only thing you can do is post up. The only thing you can do is this, this and that.'
"That's not basketball. ... That's not productive. It's not getting the most out of everybody.
"He can probably be good and coach kids. But it's tough for him to coach a grown man like me. ... I ain't scared of him. I told him that to his face."
Wells concedes he wasn't in the best frame of mind entering last season after losing a guaranteed long-term deal with Sacramento.
"I'll admit, it wasn't all coach," he said. "It was me, too. But think about how you might feel if you lost $40 million. That kind of sits on your mind a whole lot."
Welcome reunion
Now Wells is reunited with Adelman, for whom he thrived during the 2005-06 season in Sacramento, averaging 23.2 points in the playoffs and nearly leading an upset of defending champion San Antonio.
"He's a big part of it," Adelman said. "When you put him on the floor coming off the bench, he's someone who's very explosive around the basket. He ran our stuff pretty well in Sacramento. He's a great offensive rebounder.
"I think when Tracy's not on the floor, he's somebody you can go to who really has an advantage on most people. He's so strong. He really can be a huge help.
"It's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out, see how these guys play together. But I've seen Bonzi in our offense, and he's been effective. So I don't see any reason why he can't be now."
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http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo...kn/5195682.html
Bonzi on own terms
At odds with Jeff Van Gundy and unsettled by losing a huge contract last season, the swingman says he is happy to be playing for Rick Adelman
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
Complete Rockets coverage
AUSTIN — There's been less of Bonzi Wells this year in training camp. So there could be more of Bonzi Wells in the lineup for the Rockets this season.
Wells is about 15 pounds lighter and has been bouncing around the different courts inside the Cooley Pavilion at the University of Texas as if someone unstrapped a piano from his back.
"This is how you want a professional camp to be," he said. "You want guys to be themselves and come out and play their games and not play a game somebody else tells you you have to play."
If the Rockets have a different look, different offensive philosophy, different demeanor this time around, nowhere is it more evident than in Wells, 31, the swingman who is reveling in the coaching change from Jeff Van Gundy to Rick Adelman.
Wells' participation was limited through most of the camp sessions due to a groin strain he suffered in a bathroom fall at home four weeks ago. Yet he says he's been uplifted by the change in atmosphere surrounding the team.
"Players can be players," Wells, 6-5, said. "You ain't got to worry about it. Coach last year had a problem telling guys what he wanted them to do instead of letting guys play your game. Coach Adelman doesn't do that. He lets you go out here, and it's OK to make a mistake. When you make a mistake, you don't worry about it. You don't stress about it and think about getting yelled at. Coach's way is just make up for it.
"This year my mind is clear. Coach Adelman is here. I know what he expects from me.
"This ain't college. This is the pros. We're all men, right? Treat guys like men, and they're going to perform like men."
In limited workouts while recovering from a groin pull, there's been a different Wells on display in camp.
"I like what I see in Bonzi," Tracy McGrady said. "He's happy. He came into camp in great shape. He lost 30 pounds, so that tells you that he's really focused and ready to play this year."
Bad first impression
Wells was a last-minute arrival to the Rockets on the eve of camp a year ago, signed to a bargain-basement $5 million, two-year contract after mishandled negotiations with the Sacramento Kings cost him a guaranteed deal worth eight times that much.
The plan was for him to be an effective third-option scorer behind McGrady and Yao Ming, a veteran who could make the offense harder to bottle up in the playoffs.
But after reporting out of shape, missing several days of camp for dental appointments and personal reasons, Wells set off a tug of war with Van Gundy that lasted all season.
He fell hard and suffered a back injury that put him on the inactive list in December and never found a rhythm or a rapprochement with Van Gundy.
Wells made his only start of the season Feb. 26, in place of an ailing McGrady, and finished with season highs of 27 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a home loss to the Boston Celtics.
On the season, he played in only 28 games, averaging 7.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and shot a career-low .411 from the field.
"It wasn't just me," Wells said. "Coach had a problem categorizing guys. He'd tell guys, 'The only thing you can do is shoot. The only thing you can do is post up. The only thing you can do is this, this and that.'
"That's not basketball. ... That's not productive. It's not getting the most out of everybody.
"He can probably be good and coach kids. But it's tough for him to coach a grown man like me. ... I ain't scared of him. I told him that to his face."
Wells concedes he wasn't in the best frame of mind entering last season after losing a guaranteed long-term deal with Sacramento.
"I'll admit, it wasn't all coach," he said. "It was me, too. But think about how you might feel if you lost $40 million. That kind of sits on your mind a whole lot."
Welcome reunion
Now Wells is reunited with Adelman, for whom he thrived during the 2005-06 season in Sacramento, averaging 23.2 points in the playoffs and nearly leading an upset of defending champion San Antonio.
"He's a big part of it," Adelman said. "When you put him on the floor coming off the bench, he's someone who's very explosive around the basket. He ran our stuff pretty well in Sacramento. He's a great offensive rebounder.
"I think when Tracy's not on the floor, he's somebody you can go to who really has an advantage on most people. He's so strong. He really can be a huge help.
"It's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out, see how these guys play together. But I've seen Bonzi in our offense, and he's been effective. So I don't see any reason why he can't be now."
[email protected]
http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo...kn/5195682.html