ROCKETS NOTES: Van Gundy's an admirer of Bowen

[Taco]

Nov. 15, 2006, 3:48AM
ROCKETS NOTES: Van Gundy's an admirer of Bowen


By JONATHAN FEIGEN


Days after the Knicks became the latest team to accuse Spurs forward Bruce Bowen of dirty or dangerous play, the Rockets not only defended him but praised him.

"He's never been that way with me," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. "I always love the challenge. I always accept the challenge of going up against him because he is the best perimeter (defensive) player in this league. As far as him being a dirty player, I haven't seen it.

"He has really quick hands. He's very smart. He has quick feet.

"He's one of those guys, if you think you're going to sit on the wing and just iso him, he's going to stay in front of you all day. "You have to come off screens and you got to get him off your body because he's strong and he's good at using his hands and feet."

Bowen has been accused of sliding his feet under shooters, spraining ankles when they land on him.

"Bruce Bowen is a hard-playing guy," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "The specific plays, only he knows. If he says it's unintentional, who am I to question?

"Some players, any time a guy competes hard against him, the first word they use is 'dirty' because they don't want to put in as much effort into the game as the guy who competes hard. John Stockton, I always heard that, 'he's dirty.' You got the little whiners who are running for cover any time the game gets tough.

"I'm not saying it's not a foul. That's what the NBA said, that's a foul. They use a great word, 'alight.' How about 'land'? You're supposed to be able to go up and land without somebody making contact with you. It's supposed to be called a foul. On the ( Steve) Francis play, they didn't call a foul. It's on the officials."

ROCKETS NOTES: Van Gundy's an admirer of Bowen

[MI21]

"He's never been that way with me," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady said. "I always love the challenge. I always accept the challenge of going up against him because he is the best perimeter (defensive) player in this league. As far as him being a dirty player, I haven't seen it.

Nice.

Kobe has come out and said that Bruce is the best perimeter defender. Tracy McGrady agrees. I've never heard Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce or LeBron James complain about the tactics Bruce employs. All hard nosed players (except probably TMac) who just play and get on with it.

Vince Carter and Ray Allen can go get ed, soft whiny ass pussies.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i think guys like VC and gayrays defense means open up the lane so i can score

[picnroll]

The common thread is that the pussies that don't play defense for jack, the Allens and Carters of the NBA, don't like Bowen and whine. The guys that put it in at both ends, Kobes, TMacs, appreciate Bowen.