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Tuesday, January 13, 1998
Personality conflicts work against Rockets
By EDDIE SEFKO Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON - Lost amid all of the Rockets' injuries is the cold
reality that they are not one of the Western Conference's elite
teams this season.
Proof? Look no further than their record against the six teams
above them in the Western Conference. The Rockets are a combined
2-10 against Seattle, Utah, Portland, Phoenix, San Antonio and
the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets hope their depleted condition has had something
to do with that terrible record against top rivals. But Charles
Barkley believes the Rockets have more reason to worry than just
their aches and pains. Even when Barkley returns Tuesday, Clyde
Drexler comes back later in the month and Hakeem Olajuwon returns
after the All-Star break, some other things have to change for
the Rockets to regain a position of respect among the top teams.
"We've got to change our mindset," Barkley said.
And just what is that mindset?
"Team turmoil," he said.
Barkley would not expand. He didn't say who was Mr. Tur or
Mr. Moil, whether his rift with Drexler is spilling over to the
rest of the team or if personalities are conflicting so much that
changes are in order.
But it's obvious the locker room isn't as tranquil as it could
be. Or needs to be, if the Rockets hope to rejoin the top contenders
in the West.
The Rockets aren't so bad off that they have players openly
fighting with each other about strategies or on-court habits.
But beneath the surface, there are grudges among numerous veteran
players.
Barkley's point is this: Before the Rockets get physically
healthy, they need to get mentally well.
And even that might not be enough for the Rockets to call themselves
contenders in the West.
"There's no gauging in the West," Barkley said when
asked whether the Rockets' 2-10 record against the big six is
a sign the Rockets are in serious trouble. "There's LA and
Seattle, and then there's the rest of us.
"It's like in golf. You know how they always say you have
birdies and pars and others. The Lakers and Sonics are the birdies.
We're in with the others."
The Sonics lead the West by two games over the Lakers. Nobody
else is within three games of LA.
"I thought LA was the best team," Barkley said. "But
Seattle has impressed me. They have that look in their eyes. They
are really, really confident."
That is the same look, the same confidence in themselves and
each other that is missing in the Rockets. And when players doubt
those around them, that's when trouble develops with the chemistry
and the relationships.
"We need everybody healthy and playing well just to be
able to compete with Seattle and LA," Barkley said.
And it helps when everybody is pulling in the same direction.
A collection of 12 to 15 NBA players is a fragile thing. A team
can fall victim to so many distractions.
The Rockets have had injury problems. But the Barkley-Drexler
tiff is something that could be divisive. Some players follow
Drexler. Others side with Barkley.
Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is stuck in the middle. He stresses
the importance of sticking together through tough times.
And the Rockets are having some tough times. They have lost
four in a row at home, their longest skid at The Summit/Compaq
Center since April 3-16, 1996. They have lost eight of 11 since
Dec. 20.
"Our confidence level is low, obviously," Tomjanovich
said. "You can see that by the way we're shooting the ball.
"We could read a lot of things into it (the 2-10 record
against top teams in the West). But I don't know how many guys
we had injured in some of those games. And in the end, I don't
think it matters that much because when you get to the playoffs,
you throw all that out."
The way things are going right now, maybe that should be if
the Rockets make the playoffs. With 50 games left in the regular
season, they are closer to the lottery than they are a home-court
berth in the first round of the playoffs.
If the playoffs started today, the Rockets would be tied with
Minnesota for the No. 7 seed. They are five games behind Utah
and Phoenix, which would join Seattle and the Lakers with home-court
advantages in the first round.
But that's why they play 82 games instead of 32. The Rockets
have time to correct things - mentally as well as physically.
As one player said: "The next few weeks are going to tell
us a lot about this team. We'll find out if we want to do this
thing together or not."
---
Distributed by The Associated Press
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