<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> After a week of tinkering with his backcourt rotation that elevated Steve Francis from benched to first off the bench, coach Rick Adelman is still working to determine how to best use his guards.</p> He used Francis as a point most of Wednesday's game in Phoenix, but finished the game with Francis at shooting guard and Tracy McGrady at small forward. He has also moved Mike James almost entirely to shooting guard.</p> "I think it's still experimental to see who plays well together," Adelman said. "Like (Wednesday) night, I played Rafer (Alston) and Steve together, trying to get different combinations to see what works in different stretches of the game.</p> "I think Rafer gets us into our stuff the best. Steve, he has so much experience, he will do the same thing. I think we're trying to free Mike up to attack and not worry so much about getting us into an offense. I don't think we've done a good enough job freeing him up, like we need to do.</p> "He is quick enough, if he's matched up with a 2-guard, he might have an advantage attacking that guy. That's why I'm playing him more that way."</p> </p> <h3>Defense best measure</h3> As much emphasis as has been placed on the revisions to the Rockets' offense, the defense has been a reliable measure of their play.</p> In the first seven games, when the Rockets went 6-1, they allowed just 42.5-percent shooting. In the losing streak that followed, opponents made 49.3 percent of their shots.</p> In the three-game winning streak since then going into Thursday's game, the Rockets allowed 36.7-percent shooting.</div></p> Source: Houston Chronicle</p>
