The Magazine's Ric Bucher takes a lesson from a rejeuvenated Rudy Tomjanovich.

Hanging out with a younger crowd is supposed to be invigorating -- isn't that Jerry Buss' secret? -- but I didn't expect it to work for Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. If you remember, Rudy T missed time with the Olympic team a few months back because of exhaustion. He has spent the majority of his career coaching veteran-laden teams, and now he's running one of the youngest, most unpredictable squads in the Association. It's the kind of role change that causes fatigue, not cures it.

But when I caught up with Rudy in Houston, he looked refreshed. Seems that no matter what age his players are, Rudy loves to teach the game. To anybody. That became clear when he dragged me onto the floor, ignoring the fact that his players were warming up for a game. "Coaching clinic?" said Matt Bullard, grinning. Rudy had me stand out by the three-point arc, then he slid into the post, demonstrating how the new illegal-defense rules have eliminated the ball-side spacing that creates open shots. Rudy didn't get a chance to argue against the changes when they were passed by the Rules Committee -- he's a member -- because, at the time, he was recovering from his bout of exhaustion. At a time when coaches, GMs and even reporters are complaining that the league's young players are to blame for the game's deterioration, Rudy raises a dissenting voice. "It's not the players, it's the rules," he told me out there on the floor.

As Rudy headed for the locker room, I noticed something dangling off his wrist. It's a thick rubber band -- the kind that's currently fly with players. I mentioned The Magazine's recent story on the company that produces them and how Kevin Garnett provided gold ones for every player on the Dream Team. "I know," Rudy T said, smiling shyly. "This is one of them." Rudy T, rollin' with the times. Not hard to see why players, no matter what age, like playing for the guy.

Ric Bucher is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at ric.bucher@espnmag.com.