Coach decides no rest for weary
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With the Rockets playing their final set of four games in five nights before the NBA removed them from the schedule and their eighth game in 12 days, coach Mike D’Antoni resisted any urge to hold out healthy players for rest. Some of that, he said, was to try to win every game possible.
But he said he also believes players should play.
“A little bit of everything,” D’Antoni said. “We’re trying to win. I just think every game in the West is so important. We don’t have the luxury of saying, ‘OK, you guys sit out’ and give up a game. We might lose anyway, and it’s a double whammy. I don’t know. I think philosophically, every coach has to do what they think is right. Everybody has a different type of team.
“I don’t know. I was always the kid that never got to see an NBA game. If I got to see one, I’d want the best guys to show up.
“The schedule has been extremely hard. Every coach says the same thing, but it is brutal. I can see where players get tired. But they’re professional players. They’re paid. Our guys want to play. If they feel they can’t go or the trainers feel they can’t go, they won’t go. If everybody says they’re a go, then yeah, I think they should play.”
D’Antoni has held out veteran center Nene, whose knees can get sore with too much work. The Grizzlies have been limiting Chandler Parsons’ workload and held him out of Friday’s game against the Kings, but also have sat Marc Gasol this season against his wishes.
“It’s just becoming a part of what we do,” Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. “Today’s NBA, when it comes to guys coming off injury for the previous year or guys a little bit older, that’s today’s league. Teams are going to err on the side of rest and try to save their guys’ legs over pushing them to the point of possible injury.”
Capela expected to see more work
Although Clint Capela continued to come off the bench Saturday, the Rockets were encouraged enough by his 22 points and 12 rebounds Friday to expect to get him up to speed during their fivegame trip.
“He’s still a little bit away from his conditioning and different things,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “This road trip, we’ll try and wean him in as much as we can. But (Friday’s game) was encouraging.”
Capela missed 15 games with a fractured fibula. Saturday’s game was his fourth since he returned.
“It’s getting better, conditioning wise it’s getting better,” Capela said. “My knee is good. I’m just trying to get better every game now.”