로켓츠 노트: 늦었지만 여러가지 소식들..

- 야오, 티맥 세컨팀

야오는 아마레보다 1위표를 더 많이 받았음에도 전체 포인트에서 뒤져서 세컨 팀이 되었네요.
부상때문이기도 하지만, 다음 시즌엔 퍼스트 팀 가자!

2006-07 ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM

Position	Player, Team (1st Team Votes)	Points
Forward	Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (125)	634
Forward	Tim Duncan, San Antonio (94)	573
Center	Amaré Stoudemire, Phoenix (36)	351
Guard	Steve Nash, Phoenix (129)	645
Guard	Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers (128)	643

2006-07 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM

Position	Player, Team (1st Team Votes)	Points
Forward	LeBron James, Cleveland (64)	494
Forward	Chris Bosh, Toronto (8)	234
Center	Yao Ming, Houston (38)	333
Guard	Gilbert Arenas, Washington	295
Guard	Tracy McGrady, Houston (10)	278

2006-07 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM

Position	Player, Team (1st Team Votes)	Points
Forward	Kevin Garnett, Minnesota (5)	225
Forward	Carmelo Anthony, Denver (1)	142
Center	Dwight Howard, Orlando (1)	108
Guard	Dwyane Wade, Miami (1)	241
Guard	Chauncey Billups, Detroit	86

- 야오 올여름 드림과 훈련

드림 옹과 훈련을 검토 중이라고.. 야오는 복도 많네요. 킹콩에다 마운틴 그리고 드림옹까지 ㅎㅎ
발톱수술과 함께 올여름엔 중국 국대와 같이 연습을 할꺼라고.. (중국 올림픽 대비?)

Yao & Hakeem?

Rockets center Yao Ming said he has discussed working with former Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon in the offseason.

"It would be a great chance for me, if I can learn from him, one of the best centers in the NBA history, and particularly a legend for the Rockets," Yao said. "I would love to. I'm working on it."

Yao's summer plans

Yao Ming will have what he called a "small surgery" on a toe, possibly preventing the troublesome toenail from growing back. He said he expected that procedure to keep him from working out for only "a couple weeks."

He said he will likely train with the Chinese national team for a short period this summer but will have no competitions.

"I need some training," he said. "I'll take the first month off and then get back to training and work on my skills."

- 전 킹스 감독 릭 아델만, 로켓츠와 인터뷰

로켓츠 감독직을 위해서 인터뷰를 가졌다고 하네요. 은퇴한 캐럴 도슨 대신 새 GM 에 오른 대럴 메이는 " 밴 건디 감독에게도 기회는 열려 있다"라고 말하지마는..

Reports: Adelman interviews with Rockets for Van Gundy's job

© 2007 The Associated Press

HOUSTON — Former NBA coach Rick Adelman has talked to the Houston Rockets about the coaching job currently held by Jeff Van Gundy, according to media reports Tuesday night.

KRIV-TV, citing anonymous league sources, reported Adelman flew to Southampton, N.Y., for a meeting at the home of Rockets owner Leslie Alexander.

The Houston Chronicle, citing a person with knowledge of the team's decision-making, reported that general manager Daryl Morey also was part of the meeting.

Rockets spokesman Nelson Luis declined comment on the reports when contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

Van Gundy has one year left on his contract, but it's not guaranteed. There's a timeframe for him to decide whether to return, and the Rockets can terminate him without owing him any more money after June 30.

Van Gundy has been in Houston four years without winning a playoff series, something the club hasn't done since 1997. The Rockets went 52-30 this season despite long absences by stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, then lost to Utah in the first round.

Morey has told the Chronicle that Van Gundy "is open to coaching again in certain scenarios," adding that each side has goals "for things to be different."

Adelman has coached Portland, Golden State and Sacramento. He was out of coaching this year after being fired by the Kings following last season. He took the Trail Blazers to the NBA finals twice.

- 무톰보옹 다시 은퇴를 고려중..

시즌 후반과 플레이오프에서 출장시간과 역할 감소로 인해서 다시금 고민 중이시라는..
아직은 마운틴 옹의 힘이 필요한데 말이죠. 휴스턴 벤치가 널널한 것도 아니고 ㅠ.ㅜ

Notes: Mutombo once again considering retirement

HOUSTON -- Dikembe Mutombo is planning to wag his finger at would-be dunkers for at least one more season.

Or is he?

The Rockets reserve center is once again considering retirement after having a reduced role in the second half of the season and playoffs.

Mutombo said he'd take some time over the summer months to make his decision. Mutombo and forward Chuck Hayes are the lone free agents on the team.

"I just spent the week with my kids and talked to my wife about it again," Mutombo said. "I'm going to see how my summer goes. I'm just frustrated with the fact that there was a chance for us to go to the second round."

Mutombo, the league's second oldest player, will turn 41 in June. He initially said after the All-Star break that he didn't want to leave behind the game because he was having too much fun. However, the center has had second thoughts since playing reduced minutes over the final two months of the season. He played a total of 40 minutes in the playoffs.

"After contributing the way that I did over the course of the season, I felt like I did deserve a little bit of time to play," Mutombo said. "I was disappointed about it and I'm frustrated that we're still not playing."

The Rockets center helped keep Houston among the top teams in the Western Conference even though Yao Ming missed almost two months with a fractured right tibia. During Yao's absense, Mutombo averaged 5.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He moved past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earlier this season into second place on the NBA's all-time blocked shots list, although he said he won't play long enough to catch Hakeem Olajuwon.

The center will focus most of his attention this summer on opening the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital and Research Center in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The hospital is named after his mother, who passed away nine years ago.

"I'll probably think about the people in Africa and how I can help change their lives right now," Mutombo said. "After that, I'll think about basketball and if I want to do that."

- 밴 건디, 로켓츠 코치직에서 물러나다.

로켓츠 팬들의 염원이었던 1라운드 통과에 성공하지 못하면서 밴 건디가 나가게 되네요.
당장은 스퍼스 - 선즈 시리즈의 ESPN 게스트 애널리스트로 다시 방송일을 하게 될거라고..
2라운드 진출 실패로 역시나 연장 계약 논의 중이던 밴 건디에게 가장 먼저 타격이... 그동안 수고하셨습니다. 대머리 감독님..

Rockets fire Van Gundy as coach

By CHRIS DUNCAN AP Sports Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

HOUSTON — Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was fired Friday, less than two weeks after Houston made yet another first-round playoff exit.

The Rockets went 52-30 this season but lost to Utah in seven games, raising the possibility Van Gundy was going to resign or be dismissed. This was the Rockets' third first-round loss in four seasons under Van Gundy.

Van Gundy had one nonguaranteed year left on his contract, meaning the team held the option to retain him. The team reportedly has contacted Rick Adelman, the former coach of Portland, Golden State and Sacramento.

General manager Daryl Morey scheduled an afternoon news conference. The firing comes days after Morey took over for the retiring Carroll Dawson following the Rockets' playoff elimination.

"Obviously, it is a disappointment for me personally with the decision they made to fire me," Van Gundy told Houston television station KRIV. "I was hopeful all the way up to last night they would change their mind."

The Rockets said in a statement they talked with Van Gundy during a "prolonged negotiating period," and he was offered a position with the team as a senior consultant.

"He asked for, and was granted, additional time to evaluate his situation with the agreement that we would begin looking into other candidates," Morey said. "During that process it became clear that Jeff did not want to continue in any capacity with the team other than as head coach."

Van Gundy led the Rockets to a 182-146 record in four seasons. But Houston went 7-12 in three postseason appearances and more was expected from teams anchored by All-Stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.

The biggest disappointment was losing Game 7 at home to Utah, which then took advantage of Golden State's first-round upset of Dallas and advanced to the Western Conference finals by beating the Warriors in five games.

"You have to win that seventh game at home, certainly," Van Gundy told the Houston Chronicle. "If you win, you have a chance to continue on."

McGrady dropped to 0-6 in playoff series with the loss to the Jazz.

"I feel bad that I wasn't able to help McGrady and Yao and the rest of the guys get over the hump ... and also that I won't be with them as they go on because I know they have a lot of success ahead of them," Van Gundy told the Chronicle.

Van Gundy now may be headed back to one of his old jobs. He was scheduled to work as a guest analyst for ESPN on Friday night's playoff game between Phoenix and San Antonio.

Van Gundy was working in television when the Rockets hired him before the 2003-04 season. Before that, Van Gundy coached the New York Knicks for seven seasons, leading them to the NBA finals in 1999.

He joined the Rockets as the 10th head coach in franchise history in 2003. Van Gundy's career coaching record is 430-318, but only 44-44 in the postseason.