D’Antoni on matchups: What matchups?
LOS ANGELES — A week after Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni toyed with the idea of changing his starting lineup based on power-forward matchups, he decided against it — at least for now.
Although the Lakers would seem to the be the sort of opponent that might make him consider those options he had in mind last week — with power forwards Larry Nance Jr., Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle bringing very different styles and strengths — D’Antoni said he would stick with what has worked.
“It feels good,” D’Antoni said. “Maybe it was an over-thought. We’ll see. I kind of threw it out there because as you go on, (if ) you do it, it’s not like a surprise to everybody. I’m not entertaining that thought right now.”
In his last five games, Ryan Anderson has averaged 17.2 points on 56 percent shooting, coming off the bench in one of those games. P.J. Tucker has averaged just six points but has made 55 percent of his attempts in his last five games.
“I think any matchup we have, we’re not going to worry about who we match up with,” D’Antoni said. “We’re the Rockets. We don’t match up with anybody.”
Return to L.A. a mixed bag
The Rockets’ first game in Staples Center this season will be a homecoming for players from Los Angeles and those who spend much of the offseason in the area. But the former Clippers players on the roster said the return to their former home arena will not bring any special feelings because the game is against the Lakers rather than against their former team.
“Not at all. It’s another road game for me, especially (against) the Lakers,” Luc Mbah a Moute said. “It would be good to see some of the personnel in the arena, and all that stuff will be familiar. But the game will still be an away game for me. If it was the Clippers, it would be different.”
Part of the difference, Chris Paul said, would be just how the arena looks and feels for Lakers games rather than for home games for the Clippers.
“I don’t know, but I doubt it,” Paul said of any emotions for his first game back at Staples Center. “It’s the Lakers. It was always a different feel when it was a Clippers home game from a Lakers home game. There’s no kids room at the Lakers game. My kids used to be back there (for Clippers games). It’s unbelievable how different it is. You have to appreciate how they turn it over.”
With the gap in the schedule before the Rockets face Utah on Thursday, the Rockets will spend at least part of six days, including the travel days, in Los Angeles before playing at Salt Lake City.
“It’s cool being back,” Paul said. “I get to see a lot of familiar faces and a lot of familiar areas. It’s good to be back.”