As Game 5 with Spurs looms, Rockets lose center Nene
Interchangeable parts allow D’Antoni to show off his small-ball juggling skills
Nene is lost. Ryan Anderson transforms himself to fill in.
The Rockets need more from James Harden. He willingly becomes a point(s) guard, changing positions and altering his career.
Eric Gordon could be a starter on an average team. With the 55-win Rockets, he’s been a perfect fit as a shooter off the bench.
If Mike D’Antoni’s team can capture two more victories against Gregg Popovich’s Spurs, it will ultimately come down to speed versus precision and shooting against strength. But if these Rockets survive and advance to the Western Conference finals — without Nene; with multiple key players playing out of position — it will be because
of the interchangeable pieces that were intentionally put in place last summer.
“I always quote our former (assistant) coach Elston Turner. He was the first one to tell me. He was like, ‘I like having chess pieces in the playoffs,’ ” general manager Daryl Morey said Monday at Toyota Center, as the Rockets prepared for Game 5 against the Spurs and a return trip to San Antonio.
“Guys who can play multiple positions, have different skill sets,” Morey said. “(Coaches) who can play a different mix of players on the floor and counter what the other team is doing. We’ve been fortunate enough to have those players this year, and obviously Mike’s been pushing all the right buttons.”
D’Antoni captured Game 4 by going small, mostly out of necessity. Now he’s in the same general place that Popovich was before Game 3, adjusting to life without Tony Parker.
A starting unit of Harden, Pat Beverley, Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela, turning a seasonlong sixth man (Gordon) into a sudden starter? Anderson as the Rockets’ new backup center? Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, seldom seen in the playoffs, receiving significant minutes in a critical Game 5?
The ability to handle these decisions are why D’Antoni could soon end up as the NBA’s Coach of the Year.
A flexible bunch
The good news: He’s been moving his diverse pieces around since October and has always had the pulse of his team.
“The buy-in’s huge. That’s what makes the group special, makes it fun to coach,” D’Antoni said. “And, again, the things that come my way is because of them — it’s not even close. And Daryl put together a very versatile roster. … It’s just well thought out.”
Anderson started every game that he played in 2016-17. With 81 combined regular and postseason starts this year, he could now be asked to guide the second unit in the swing game that is Game 5, relocating from the perimeter to the low post.
“In New Orleans, I did for four years,” said Anderson, who was primarily a backup from 2012-16 with the Pelicans. “So whatever. … Whatever Coach has, I’m ready for.”
During the regular season, the Rockets became the third-best team in the league by mainly running a first five of Harden, Beverley, Ariza, Anderson and Capela. They went 30-9 with their ideal unit, then mixed and matched 14 other lineups for a more pedestrian 2518 mark.
In the playoffs, a threeguard rotation featuring Beverley, Lou Williams and Gordon is plus-27.3 in scoring during 44 minutes of action, with Anderson playing power forward and Capela at center.
What a difference
Last season, everything the Rockets did was a struggle. Dwight Howard refused to adapt. Josh Smith no longer worked. Michael Beasley only played on one end of the court. Ty Lawson was a distraction, and Terrence Jones fell out of favor.
A year later, D’Antoni is flooded with options, and his athletes have embraced the opportunities — and winning.
“Our guys have been very selfless to the team and our scouting group does a great job of finding guys that are very teamoriented,” Morey said.
Popovich has already been forced to insert veteran center Pau Gasol and rookie point guard Dejounte Murray into San Antonio’s secondround starting lineup. Now D’Antoni must double down on the Rockets’ season-long attributes (speed, perimeter shooting) and hope the holes aren’t too apparent.
“One reason that our ‘small ball’ works is that many of our smalls can guard bigger,” Morey said. “Pat, James, Trevor and Eric — all our smalls — can guard guys, the three, four, fives. … James can play one through four. Actually, he can play five. He’s so good at guarding bigger guys.”
In a season of interchangeable pieces, the smallest parts could now give D’Antoni the edge he needs in Game 5.