Anderson happy N.Y. deal didn’t go down
The Rockets’ return to Madison Square Garden could have given forward Ryan Anderson thoughts of how close he came to calling New York home. It didn’t largely because he never thought a trade to the Knicks was close.
Anderson said the thought did cross his mind when the Rockets played the Knicks in the preseason, but even before Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anderson said he never believed the Rockets and Knicks were close to a deal that would have sent Anthony to Houston and Anderson to New York.
“I don’t think that was too much of a realistic thought to a lot of people because it was so much of what you believe. There were so many different news articles.
“Maybe in preseason there was a little bit of a thought because it was so fresh, but not at all now, I’m ready to move forward this year. We have a battle tonight. We have to focus on that. That’s 100 percent where my mind is now.”
Anderson said he was in contact with Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and vice president Gersson Rosas so often in the offseason that if something were close, he would have known.
“I have a good relationship with them,” Anderson said. “If something was going to happen or was real serious, I knew we would have talked about it. In no way did they lead me to believe that was actually accurate. It was completely a Carmelo Anthony run show. Twitter is a powerful thing.
“I didn’t pay attention to any of it. I do my job. I shoot 3-pointers. I know this is where I fit the best. This is where I want to be.”
Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he has a way of making sure a player in trade rumors is not offended.
“It’s pretty easy,” D’Antoni said. “I just bring you guys (in the media) don’t know what you’re talking about and it doesn’t happen. Fake news, right?
“It happens. It’s part of the business. First of all, if you’re in the league long enough, you’ll be the subject of rumors or tries and it doesn’t happen. Players have to get through it. Ryan did. We talked a lot.”
Shots there, but scoring is down
The Rockets faced the Knicks on Wednesday ranked 18th in scoring, a slide from second last season largely because of their fall to 29th in 3-point shooting percentage.
The Rockets have not practiced since Monday’s loss to the 76ers, using the time just on video review, even skipping Wednesday’s shootaround because of the New York traffic. But coach Mike D’Antoni said the team’s information he has received and his own examination of video indicated that the Rockets are getting the same shots as last season.
The Rockets had taken the fourth-most shots at the rim or from less than 5 feet in the NBA. As usual, they take the fewest shots from 10 to 20 feet and by far the most 3-pointers. Only eight teams have attempted as many 3s as the Rockets have missed.
“We just weather the storm,” D’Antonio said. “We always look at better ways to get open. To get to the rim is our first objective. We’re always looking for better 3s, but the data that our guys provide us shows they are more or less the same as we took last year. The same amount of being open and we’re shooting about 15 percent worse. We just get through it and get to the other side.”
D’Antoni credits father’s influence
As much as Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni is recognized for an offensive style of play, he developed his taste for up-tempo offense long before he taught it as an NBA coach. The style was favored by his father, Lewis D’Antoni, who passed away last weekend, though D’Antoni said his father’s influence was felt in much more than the offense he runs.
“Not only basketball influence, but life, like a dad, just a normal dad that cared,” D’Antoni said. “He was super.”
Lewis D’Antoni, a member of the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, died on Saturday at 103 years old.
“He lived a great life,” D’Antoni said. “We were prepared for it as well as anyone. It was still a gut punch. To be 103 and do what you want and live without pain and go away peacefully, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”