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Rockets' Spanoulis Wants More MinutesVassilis Spanoulis left Athens and his hometown fans with Panathinaikos to make the step up to the NBA, figuring his emotion, his energy, his overwhelming confidence would carry him straight to the top on the game's biggest stage. Spanoulis came to Houston to join Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady and, in his mind, put the Rockets over the top. Now Yao is sidelined with a broken leg, and the rookie guard feels like he's hit bottom. "I came here to help my team, to put my talent on it and do many things," Spanoulis said. "I am a patient person. But I don't want to stay on the bench for the season. I came here to work hard and to play in the games." Spanoulis says he is puzzled why the Rockets drafted him and worked so hard to sign him to a three-year contract in the first place. He believes coach Jeff Van Gundy is trying to change him from a penetrating creator into a spot shooter. "It is like asking a doctor to be a lawyer," Spanoulis said, smiling and shaking his head at his own analogy. "Maybe they don't know what my strength is. Because every time I play, I don't play to my strength. I was used to playing good defense, pressing all over the court, running on offense, playing a lot of pick-and-rolls and creating. Now they want me to be a spot shooter, and this is a different experience. " He was quoted over the weekend in a Greek newspaper as saying: "There's always the possibility that I might leave. It doesn't depend on me, but they can't keep me a prisoner either." Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Yao's Status Remains Unchanged
"If we get Yao back and Tracy (McGrady) stays healthy and the team stays healthy, we can be an excellent team going into the playoffs," said Alexander, speaking at the annual Tux & Tennies Gala. "I'm not going to define it that precisely. I just think going deep into the playoffs is a start. "I'm very pleased where we are, how many games above .500 we are, and the fact we're near the top of the Western Conference." Yao said nothing has changed in the prognosis for his rehabilitation from a fractured tibia. He is still scheduled to begin on-court workouts around the All-Star break, Feb. 16-18. He said he will "definitely not" be in Las Vegas for the All-Star Game but hopes to be back sooner than the scheduled mid- to late March. "It's going pretty well so far," Yao said. "Right now we're looking for some rehab to make the muscle stronger so when I'm back to play, I'm not hurting." Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets 'The Big E' To Become Sheriff's Deputy?Basketball Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes may soon be patrolling Texas streets. The former Houston Rockets and Washington Bullets star known as "The Big E" has begun a nine-month course to earn his Texas peace officer's license. If he passes, the 60-year-old plans to become a sheriff's deputy in Liberty County, northeast of Houston. Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Rockets Jan 2007 Archive
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While Yao Ming hoped against hope he could be back on the basketball floor before March, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander on Monday de-scribed a goal perhaps as lofty.