Rockets take on road demons Van Gundy faces team weakness early
(Houston Chronicle, U.S.)
Updated: 2003-11-03 17:10

Jeff Van Gundy studied the Rockets' problems on the road last season. He then considered this season's schedule, front-loaded with road games. And when considering both, he declared the mix ideal.

Beginning tonight against the Bulls, the Rockets will play 10 of this month's remaining 14 games away from Toyota Center, a road hazard particularly threatening to a team that barely escaped inept at 15-26 away from home last season.

But Van Gundy said the schedule was just right. Loved it. Perfect for a first-year coach.

But here's a little secret straight from the book of coaching protocol.

"I just said that because that's how it is," Van Gundy said. "If there were a lot of home games early, I'd like it like that, too."

For the record, his comment about the Rockets' schedule seemed sincere.

"A fast start is imperative," he said. "It helps build you a cushion. Ten of our first 16 are on the road. What better way to start the season? I'm glad we're going on the road a lot early. It's great. Go out there and see what you're all about."

But now that he revealed at least part of his professed happiness with the Rockets' schedule was contrived, he did say conquering the Rockets' road demons would go a long way toward making the Rockets a dependable team overall.

"Just in general, I think every game presents certain challenges," Van Gundy said. "The start to becoming a good team is becoming a dominant home team. The second part is winning on the road. If you want the formula to be one of those teams, it's 30 (wins) at home and 20 on the road."

The Rockets won 28 times at home last season, just two short of "dominant." Had they reached Van Gundy's 20 road wins, they would have made the playoffs and moved into the seventh seed.

"Twenty-eight home wins is darn good," Van Gundy said. "The thing that was consistent on the road was the inconsistency. There were some great road games. What you want to do at home or on the road is give yourself a chance to win every night, not beat yourself. Whatever it was, they played well enough to be right there on those one-possession games and not make the one play to have the answers.

"The consistency of preparation and practice, twice a week with the weights and extra conditioning, if you do that, I think you will play up to whatever talent level you have. That's what you're trying to do at home or on the road, to play up to your ability.

"We can't be a sometimes team. No team that has aspirations of greatness can."

The Rockets are coming off a loss in which they seemed to crumble against a physical, aggressive defense and the mounting pressure from their offensive shortcomings.

They are more likely to face those sorts of tests on the road, where the poise Van Gundy said the Rockets lacked is more crucial.

"It's good to win at home, but it's better to win on the road," guard Steve Francis said. "You need to be able to win in a hostile environment."

But the Rockets did not seem ready to handle another test of their poise.

Chicago and New Jersey offer nagging reminders of the Rockets' failures. The Rockets have lost their past two trips to the United Center and consider last season's last-second loss to the Bulls among the most maddening of the season.

They have lost their past four trips to the Meadowlands, and their losses in the 2000-2001 season and the 2002-2003 season were part of late-season road collapses that kept the Rockets from the playoffs.

"We want to win all our games, not just on the road," forward Maurice Taylor said. "But at the same time, we do want to play well on the road, because that was a problem for us last year. This is a different year, different team. We feel like we're going to play the same way, regardless. We know teams play harder at home. Chicago and New Jersey are going to be really tough. We have to just play the game, forget about the crowd, forget about the flight, or whatever you may think about and play the game.

"If you look at all the good teams, they all win on the road. All the good teams are .500 or better on the road.

"There's not too many teams winning championships only winning at home."

But the Rockets' consistency problems and ability to weather tough stretches of games seem more acute away from the security of home. But they did not think the road woes became an issue, like a shooting slump, in which failure led to more pressure and more failure.

"I don't think there was a reason for losing," Taylor said. "We were just not playing well. Our performance is why we lost. I can't say there was anything mental. We just were not playing well."

Saturday's loss would also qualify as not playing well. A road back-to-back would not seem the best way to correct what went wrong. But if the solution Saturday, and even more so on the road, is to master Van Gundy's call for "solid, sound and simple," the road-heavy early schedule might be ideal.

The problems do not seem tactical, but something less tangible.

"We go on the road playing two tough teams, in the cold climates," Francis said. "Hopefully, we can build our character back on this trip."