Rockets guards still part of mix
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/2143849
Rockets guards still part of mix
Inside-out game goes beyond Yao
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Steve Francis had heard the talk. With Jeff Van Gundy
coming in, Francis and Cuttino Mobley would have to give up the ball even if
it took a crowbar to pry it loose. More specifically, they finally would
notice the 7-5 guy in the middle.
It was an easy theme to repeat. And when Van Gundy's briefest summary of his
offense was described as "inside-out," the criticism of the Rockets' outside
brothers seemed to have been confirmed.
But there were a few problems with that logic. First, Van Gundy is convinced
Yao Ming did get the ball as much as he could handle as a rookie last season.
"They did throw the ball to him," Van Gundy said. "I know it's been written a
lot, that doesn't make it true."
And second, his description of inside-out does not take the ball from the guys
on the outside that have led the Rockets in scoring the past three seasons.
"Everybody was saying, `they're taking the ball out of Steve's hands,'
they're doing this or that," Francis said. "I wasn't worried one bit.
"We talked about it. It was more that outsiders wanted to bring scrutiny to
me, coach or Cuttino. We'll find out how much we've adjusted in these
preseason games. But really, it's not much to adjust to."
In the first test run of the new offense Tuesday night, the old problems
seemed as evident as ever in a 104-80 preseason loss to the Portland Trail
Blazers.
Details aside, if a team can't shoot or pass, it probably doesn't matter what
offense it runs.
"You don't have a chance when you beat yourself in this league," Van Gundy
said. "It's hard enough to beat the opponent, you have no chance when you
have the turnovers and you are unable to guard people.
"The bad part is you're playing an exhibition game so early. The good part
is, you're playing an exhibition so early to get slapped with reality. I have
to do a better job getting us ready to play, getting us organized. We had a
hard time getting aligned."
Through much of the night, the Rockets moved quickly but rarely seemed
comfortable with where they were going. In the first half alone, the Rockets
committed 18 turnovers and finished with 31.
But Tuesday's first look at least showed what Van Gundy has in mind.
If the Rockets' often-horrid offensive play last season proved anything it
might be that "open" shots are not necessarily "good" shots.
If Van Gundy drove home any points about his offense in his four days of
full-squad workouts in Galveston it might be that he wants smart, unselfish
execution working toward shots the Rockets can make.
"Inside-out is probably one of the least understood terms as far as fans and
maybe players," Van Gundy said. "I think the fear is when you say inside-out
is that you'll just go to the post every time. You can get it inside five
ways. You can get transition layups, second shots, you can drive it, you can
cut and you can post. We hope to play inside-out using all of those.
"I think what wins is well-balanced teams. That may be offense to defense,
but on offense, it's using your great low-post force, your perimeter players
to have creativity to use their skills to the best of their advantage. When
you play inside-out, it can maximize their abilities."
The Rockets did move more without the ball Tuesday, using more screens, than
in past seasons. And in four days, they have been given a staggering array of
new sets and plays to master.
But in many ways, the strengths of their offense are unchanged.
"I think to a great extent that's how they played in the past," Van Gundy
said. "No one drove the ball more than Steve. He lived at the free-throw
line. Cuttino is a driver and a slasher. It's not like any of this is new to
them as far as concept, at all."
But so great is the emphasis on working the ball inside, that it took only a
few hours of training camp for Van Gundy's priorities to be clear. Even
Tuesday, of the Rockets' first seven shots against the Trail Blazers, only
two were outside of the paint, and one of those -- a Francis 3 -- was taken
to beat the shot clock.
"I saw it in one practice," forward Maurice Taylor said. "I had a lot of
opportunities down there. We play inside-out. That doesn't mean just throw it
in to the post. We work for layups first. We work for cutters. We work for
post position. We work for easy baskets. Then we pass it out to our jump
shooters."
The offense rarely worked so neatly Tuesday. Without Taylor and Yao inside,
the Rockets could not draw low-post double teams inside. Their guards worked
more on hitting shooters coming around screens than breaking down defenders
off the dribble.
But after a struggle Tuesday reminiscent of last season, what the Rockets do
offensively did not seem to matter as much as finding a way to do it better.
"I don't care," Francis said. "I just want to win. I wasn't worried. Good
players will find a way to get it done."
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