Green’s spark may be a start
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the Rockets trailing by 14 at halftime on Saturday, Rockets coach Mike
D’Antoni might have been looking for a spark. But he wanted more than that when he moved Jeff
Green in with the starters to begin the second half, seeing enough that he said he might consider making another change to his rotation.
Green started the second half with Ben McLemore coming off the bench. McLemore had started because Russell
Westbrook was held out of the first game of the back-to-back and Eric
Gordon was unavailable because of a sore knee.
Westbrook will return to the starting lineup on Sunday, but D’Antoni did not rule out at least considering another change after Green had 28 points with eight rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes, with the Rockets outscoring the Hornets by 28 points when he was on the floor.
“I thought Jeff Green played exceptionally well,” D’Antoni said. “He was able to get in the middle of the defense and finish. We need guys that can finish, and he can do that. It’s definitely something to look at. He’s playing well, he’s playing really well. And I thought
DeMarre Carroll did a good job. A limited time with us, but he’s a solid vet and knows how to play.”
Green has made 12 of 27 3s since signing with the Rockets but had his topscoring game of his eight with the Rockets without making a 3-pointer, missing each of his three attempts. If he becomes a starter, he would likely replace Danuel House
Jr., but D’Antoni could be hesitant to make that change with the Rockets 31-14 when House starts.
“Coach was just trying to find a way to utilize the personnel we had on the floor,” Green said. “I was just trying to find open spots. I can put it on the floor. I can make plays.
But that’s our whole team collectively can do that. We just have to put the trust in each other.”
Rockets shocked at Atkinson’s exit
While much of the NBA was stunned by the Nets move to dismiss coach
Kenny Atkinson on Saturday, the news especially floored Rockets forward
DeMarre Carroll, who played for Atkinson in Brooklyn and Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, who had Atkinson on his staff with the Knicks.
“It blew me away, just blew me away,” Carroll said. “From what he’s done since he’s been there, how he’s developed so many young guys since he’s been there and even helped older guys extend their career, I don’t know what more you can ask for
in a coach. Of course, they’re still a seventh seed. The record doesn’t look great, but they are seventh seed and just had two big victories. I never saw that coming.
“Kevin Durant and Kyrie (Irving) out, any team’s record is going to suffer. But he was doing a great job keeping that team afloat, and still being able to make the playoffs. I have no clue. That is a mystery. Kenny Atkinson, he’s a great coach.”
In addition to playing for Atkinson, a former Rockets assistant under
Jeff Van Gundy, Carroll worked with Atkinson with Atlanta when Atkinson was the player development coach under Mike Budenholzer.
“I’m pretty sure somebody is going to scoop him up pretty quick,” Carroll said. “He shouldn’t be without a job for long.”
D’Antoni found the move so stunning that when asked about it, he paused for six seconds before finding a way to respond.
“I wish I could say it’s unbelievable, but you can’t, because it is believable, which is sad. The only thing he’s done there the last two years for sure is overachieve. I don’t know what else he could have done. It’s just our profession. He’s a really, really good coach. I feel sorry for him and his family.”
Campbell cheer greets Clemons
The Rockets’ lone trip to Charlotte brought out more than the usual familiar faces, with an alumni group from Marshall coming to support Mike D’Antoni, P.J. Tucker having about 80 family and friends in town and an especially large group from Campbell University coming to see Rockets rookie Chris Clemons.
Campbell was not in the Rockets rotation, but a day earlier, he was not with the Rockets at all. He was called up from the G League with Eric Gordon out with a sore right knee and Russell Westbrook sitting out the first half of the back-to-back.
“There’s about 200 here,” Clemons said. “They made the arrangements a couple months ago so (getting called up from the G League on Friday) is great. I told them a few weeks ago I might not even be there. But they were all coming.”
D’Antoni said Clemons will likely be back.
“He’s an NBA talent, there’s no doubt about it,” D’Antoni said. “Just his ability to get a shot off, how strong he is, how he can get to the rim, athletically he’s off the chart. The only negative is he’s a little small. Big deal. He plays big. He just needs to be seasoned a little bit and keep working. He’s going to have a long career.”