Team finally at full strength
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At Thursday’s Rockets practice inside Golden 1 Center, the gym felt more crowded and the energy more boisterous than a typical Rockets practice.
It wasn’t just that the Rockets were a day removed from a triumphant road win over the Spurs on Wednesday, though that might have played a part. There simply were more bodies on the floor.
The Rockets rejoiced in their first full-participation practice of the season, with no names to submit to the injury and illnesses list. Rockets coach Stephen Silas said he expects to have every player available for a set of games against the Kings on Friday and Sunday. Center Alperen Sengun, who missed the past seven games with an ankle sprain, had been the lone Rockets player on the injury report and is cleared to return.
“I was telling everybody before we watched film, this is our first time having a full group healthy and available,” Silas said. “We had three teams in practice today, which is great, and we had a spirited game of 4-on-4 afterward instead of 2-on-2 or 1-on-1. So, yeah, it was great.”
One benefit of a fully available team, specifically in practices, is that the Rockets can let players who do not receive significant game minutes get more reps on live defensive coverages and opponentbased coverages while veteran players watch from up close to better absorb tactics, as opposed to just watching film.
As practice wound down Thursday, the Rockets had 16 players on the court, including two-way contract players Trevelin Queen and Daishen Nix.
A handful of players, including guards Jalen Green and D.J. Augustin and forwards KJ Martin and Jae’Sean Tate got up shots at one end of the court. At the far end, Rockets player development coach Barb Turner directed a group of reserves in a 4-on-4, end-of-shot-clock drill as Silas observed. Turner counted down from eight seconds on each possession as two teams — one made up of David Nwaba, Usman
Garuba, Queen and Nix; the other Armoni Brooks, Josh Christopher, Garrison Mathews and Sengun — switched off playing defense and offense.
Gentry praises 2 former pupils
Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry has been around the block long enough to see familiar faces on most opposing teams, and Friday’s KingsRockets game was no different.
Gentry, the Pelicans’ coach from 2015-20, coached Rockets center Christian Wood and Rockets guard Eric Gordon on separate New Orleans teams.
Wood joined Gentry’s Pelicans team late in the 2018-19 season after center Anthony Davis requested a trade from New Orleans. Wood played eight regular season games and stayed with the Pelicans for NBA Summer League, but was waived by the team after summer league ended.
“Is that directed toward me? To be honest with you, we were trying to keep him (in New Orleans),” Gentry said. “I think he’s a talented guy, and sometimes it takes a while for you to find that good fit, and I think he found it in Houston. He’s playing at a real, real high level. He’s always been a pretty skilled guy, and I think everyone knew that. He’s improved his 3-point shooting. He’s athletic enough to block shots and do things like that. But since he’s been in Houston, he’s played a real, real high level.”
Gentry’s first season as Pelicans coach, 2015-16, was Gordon’s last season in New Orleans before he signed with Houston as a free agent in July 2016.
“Really good guy,” Gentry said. “I think his 3point shooting is elite, and I think he’s gotten better at driving the ball to the basket. He’s an extremely good 3-point shooter. He can shoot it with — he’s close to the range of the Lillards and the Steph Currys. He can shoot it that far out. And he’s pretty good about taking the ball to the basket and being really physical when he does that.”