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Saturday, May 17, 1997

Rockets scout picks winner in Matt Maloney

By MICHAEL A. LUTZ / AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) - Houston Rockets scout Joe Ash never felt better about sticking his neck out for someone and Matt Maloney didn't chop it off.

Ash is a guy who makes a living on gut feelings and he sure came up with a gastronomical winner when he pushed his employers to sign Maloney, an unknown point guard from the CBA Grand Rapids Mackers.

It took a lot of campaigning by Ash to get Maloney into a Rockets uniform but it's paid off handsomely.

Maloney emerged from obscurity to became another Rockets plum from the CBA that blossomed into one of the biggest success stories of this NBA season - a story that almost didn't happen.

Maloney overcame doubters and personal tragedy when his father and former coach Jim Maloney died of a heart attack on May 3, 1996, never getting to see his son play in the NBA.

"Sometimes you're wrong on those gut feelings, too, but Matt's at the top of the list because of all the personal situations in his life and the way I felt about his abilities," Ash said.

Maloney didn't disappoint his benefactor after signing a free agent contract last Oct. 1.

Maloney was the only non-drafted rookie to make the NBA's All-Rookie team. He was the only Rockets player to start all 82 regular season games and he became an offensive threat with his 3-point shooting.

"It's still the same game, you go out and play basketball," Maloney said. "You can't worry about what happens or what people or the media say."

Maloney hasn't shared his salary with Ash yet, but he does appreciate his persistence.

"Joe scouted me a long time in the CBA," Maloney said. "He had confidence in my abilities as well as I do. He thought I was good for this team. Rudy (Tomjanovich) and everyone listens to each other and they had confidence too."

Maloney was a big deal at Pennsylvania where he was the Ivy League player of the year in 1994-95. But that didn't impress NBA teams enough to make him a part of last year's draft.

So he quietly started his pro career for the Grand Rapids Mackers in the CBA under the watchful eye of Ash, who put him on his short list of point guards he felt would fit the Rockets' system.

Still, the Rockets brass passed over Maloney twice before getting his name on a contract.

"It became a deal of me trying to sell him over some of the college guys," Ash said. "I just had a gut feeling that he'd fit us perfectly. It just took awhile for us to get him in. I think I was wearing people out a little on it.

"But once we did bring him in, that was around the time his dad died, he came in and played well enough that the coaches could see some of the things I talked about. Then once we got him into the summer program Rudy became really sold on him."

It still took some twists of fate for Maloney to get his big break. Brent Price suffered a series of knee injuries that projected Maloney into the starting lineup at the beginning of the season.

Price attempted a comeback before suffering a season ending injury.

The down side of Maloney's season was the fact that his father didn't get to share his glory.

"He was a huge part of my life and it happened so suddenly and recently it's a situation that I think a lot about," Maloney said. "Every time I step on the floor, it's a tribute to him. I am just an extension of him on the floor. I want to make him proud."

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