Depth woes coming to end
As much as the Rockets made the trade of P. J. Tucker to the Bucks to improve their stock of draft picks, adding a firstrounder and pushing another back a season, Rockets coach Stephen Silas said he intended to add guard D.J. Augustin to his rotation and looked forward to getting a look at forward D.J. Wilson.
“As far as the two D.J.s, I’m excited about both of them,” Silas said. “I’m excited about D.J. Augustin. I coached him in Charlotte for a couple of years, know what he brings as far as professionalism, as far as shot-making, as far as getting his team organized. And he’s excited to be here, which is great.
“D.J. Wilson, I don’t know very well. But he’s a big body, a live body. Hasn’t really gotten a chance to show what he can do. So, he’ll get an opportunity here to play some and kind of figure out what his strengths are and how he fits with the group.”
With both available to play on Friday and John Wall, Victor Oladipo and Ben McLemore returning, the Rockets had more options than they have had in weeks, especially in the backcourt.
Silas said he wanted Kevin Porter Jr. to get extensive playing time as he moves back to the bench.
Silas also wanted to make sure his guards are involved in the offense, rather than have one ballhandler with another limited to a catch-andshoot role.
“The thing I’ve been thinking a lot about in the last however many hours since the trade is making sure that when John and Vic are on the floor or D.J. and K.P. are on the floor or D.J. and Vic on the floor that everybody is able to play to their strengths,” Silas said. “If certain guys are off the ball, they’re still included and they’re still in the mix as far as spacing or actions toward them. I don’t want one guy kind of dominating the ball and the other guy not having the opportunity to do stuff. That’ll be something that comes together in the next little while.”
The Rockets will go from being extremely shorthanded in the backcourt to not having one of their rotation players not getting starter’s minutes, especially when Eric Gordon returns from a groin injury next month.
The addition of Augustin,
however, also can get them through back-tobacks better with Oladipo sitting out one game in every set of games on consecutive nights and Wall out for one game of every back-to-back but one. The Rockets play Sunday and Monday at Toyota Center, their second back-to-back in a week.
“It alleviates it a lot, with back-to-back situations especially,” Silas said. “With Eric out, it solidifies that backup spot. With him (Augustin) and Kevin Porter Jr. having the ability to bring it up the floor, get us organized, play pick-and-roll, do other things point guards do, it’s really good.”
GM Stone excited for pair of D.J.s
With the Rockets’ trade of P.J. Tucker to the Milwaukee Bucks official, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone on Friday praised Tucker’s seasons with the Rockets in a way that demonstrated why the Bucks wanted to add him in their championship pursuit, making the trade possible.
“P.J. Tucker is extraordinary competitor, has been an integral part of our success the last few seasons,” Stone said. “We’re really happy he is able to land on a team with a real chance to compete for championship. We wish him nothing but the best.
“This is one of those transactions that’s good for the Bucks, good for P.J. and also good for the future of the Houston Rockets.”
In the deal, the Rockets sent the Bucks’ 2022 firstround pick they had acquired in the James Harden trade and their own 2021 second-round pick to Milwaukee for the Bucks’ first-round picks in 2021 and 2023.
The Rockets acquired guard D.J. Augustin and forward/center D.J. Wilson in the deal while picking up an extra firstround draft pick.
Augustin, who starred at Hightower, was the ninth player taken in the 2008 NBA draft out of Texas. Augustin is one of five players in the NBA to have averaged at least 10 points and four while playing fewer than 26 minutes per game in the past three seasons.
Augustin, 33, has averaged 9.7 points and four assists, making 37.9 percent of his 3-pointers, in his 13 NBA seasons.
“He’s a NBA player with deep Houston ties, an elite shooter and the type of person that all NBA teams value,” Stone said. “We’re really excited to have him.”
Wilson, 25, was the 17th pick of the 2017 draft out of Michigan. He averaged four points and 2.9 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game with the Bucks. In three seasons in the G League, he averaged 16 points and 6.1 rebounds while making 38.2 percent of his 3-pointers.