October 2
Houston Chronicle
columnist Richard Justice
"
Shane Battier prepared for this season by carrying boulders and logs up and down a mountainous country road near his Michigan home. "It was a little more Rocky-style training," he said. Rocky? "Rocky IV," he said. I'm not sure how Rocky IV is different from the other 20 Rocky movies, but the symbolism is perfect for these Rockets. As you may have heard, they're a different kind of team than they've been in past years. The Rockets have no idea when Tracy McGrady will return, and they don't know if he's still capable of playing at a high level. They'd be thrilled to have Yao Ming healthy this time next year. Instead of size and experience, they're going to be constructed around speed, youth, ..."
March 31
Houston Chronicle
columnist Richard Justice
"
Shane Battier might be the key to the Rockets winning in the playoffs, but we'll get to that later. First, though, we take you to courtside Saturday night at Toyota Center and to a scene that was both fascinating and bizarre. It played out time and again. As Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy called out a play for his team, Battier would turn to his teammates and describe the play. Sometimes, he'd even use the same terminology. Don't you just hate smart guys? "That's a Duke thing," Battier said Monday . Thanks, Mr. Obvious. "No, really," Battier said. "Coach K taught us that. Even if you don't know the play, call it out." Why? "It puts doubt in the other team's mind. Maybe just a ..."