Prigioni is waived; team keeps Ennis, Brown as guards

The Rockets completed their roster cuts Monday with a surprise move, waiving veteran point guard Pablo Prigioni, despite the injury to starter Pat Beverley, to get down to the league maximum of 15 players.

With the move to waive Prigioni, the Rockets kept guards Bobby Brown and Tyler Ennis, along with rookie forward Kyle Wiltjer.

Prigioni had averaged five points in 10 minutes per game in the preseason, making 47.1 percent of his shots and a team-best 54.5 percent of his 3-pointers.

Earlier Monday, the Rockets had waived guard Gary Payton II along with forwards P.J. Hairston and Le’Bryan Nash, players who were signed for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ NBA Development League affiliate.

All three will be eligible to be assigned to the Vipers, along with guard Isaiah Taylor, who was waived last week.

Prigioni had been the first point guard off the bench in games he played, signed to add a veteran to the mix off the bench.

The Rockets acquired Ennis before the start of training camp for forward Michael Beasley. Brown seemed to emerge late in the preseason, scoring 23 points with nine assists in the final preseason game in San Antonio.

Capela set to hit offensive boards

Center Clint Capela finished the preseason 11th in the NBA in rebounding, fifth in rebounds per minute, turning around a lull in the middle of the month when he struggled with hamstring and Achilles tendon tightness.

“He had a little bit of an Achilles issue and I thought his energy was down a little bit,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s been healthy the last couple games (he played) and I thought he looked really good. I’m excited about Clint. He plays the way we would like a center to play. I’m expecting big things out of him.”

Capela, 6-10, said the Rockets’ revised style suits him and that playing with four perimeter players should help him hit the offensive boards even more than he did in the preseason.

“The things I worked on with this new coach, I knew my job will be to run a lot, which is my game; do pick-and-rolls, which is my game,” Capela said. “I think they have me (doing things that) fits my game. Just finish hard, grab rebounds and run. I feel good. Try to get out on defense strong, be active on defense, transition. I feel really good, really involved.

“We have all shooters, four shooters spread out at the arc. I am the only one who can go and grab the offensive rebounds. It’s been working for me. I have been grabbing a lot of rebounds. I will keep doing that.”

China prepared team for travel

With the Rockets heading back on the road to start their regular season after two road games to end their preseason, they have become unusually prepared for their unusual start to the season.

They play seven of their first eight games on the road, but that is not unlike their preseason spent traveling.

“We’ve been on the road all preseason, it feels like,” forward Ryan Anderson said. “I think it was good for us. I keep talking about that chemistry, but this team and this offense and everything we’re building, it’s so important to have that chemistry.

“We’ve been on the road most of the preseason, so it’s not a surprise. It’s not like we’re more comfortable playing one place than the other.

“We’re probably most comfortable playing in China because I feel like we were the longest there anyway. Going on the road is just fine.”