But there were still enough healthy bodies to put to work Wednesday with two of the Rockets' most glaring weaknesses this season in mind.

"Just our overall defense, we have to improve in that area, and our running game," Tomjanovich said. "Nothing makes a coach feel better than having a good workout and getting some things ironed out. It's not the same doing things on the blackboard."

The Rockets had been blackboard bound, with the exception of one Sunday practice, for a month. Even when the schedule allowed full workouts, the Rockets did not have enough players to work with five on a side.

"Of course, the fast break or defense has to be worked on because teams are working on stopping us offensively, defensively," Cuttino Mobley said. "Right now is a great time to learn. We haven't had that in a while."

But retooling the defense and ironing out the fast breaks need full complements of players. The Rockets rank 28th in the NBA in opponents' field-goal defense, with only the similarly injury-depleted Hawks worse.