Dekker gets first full workout since surgery

TEMPE, Ariz. — Rockets rookie Sam Dekker on Wednesday went through his first full practice with the team since his Nov. 20 back surgery, saying after he felt better than he expected given how long he had been out.

“It felt good,” Dekker said. “I thought it was going to be mentally a lot tougher, the quickness of the game. But I actually felt good. I felt in rhythm. There’s obviously rust to knock off, but I was excited by how I felt.”

Dekker is expected to practice with the Rockets until he is considered ready for a heavier workload in games with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League.

“We’re going to do it by increments, just get me in shape and get my feet wet,” Dekker said. “It’s not like they’ll throw me in there, and I’ll play 35 minutes. It’s a slow process. But if all goes well down there, hopefully I can get back up and help our team out.”

Motiejunas likely to stick around

After spending a few hours in the Phoenix areas between D-League assignments before the All-Star break, Rock- ets forward Donatas Motiejunas was back Wednesday. This time, he is expected to stay.

Motiejunas, who flew to Phoenix when the Rockets were unsure if Clint Capela would play Feb. 4 only to quickly leave for a game in Bakersfield, Calif., played three games with Rio Grande before the break. Motiejunas could return to the Rockets’ rotation as soon as Friday against the Phoenix Suns.

“I think it’s better now because he had those games in the D-League,” Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He was able to play extended minutes. From those minutes, he was able to get some sort of a rhythm. Obviously, it’s going to take more than three games to do that. But I think he’s in a better spot now, having played those 20-plus minutes (per game) in the D-League than those six minutes he was getting when he came back the first time.”

We’re talking about practice

The Rockets’ practice on Wednesday brought James Harden to the Arizona State practice facility under an enormous picture of Harden in his playing days with the Sun Devils. Teammates noticed, especially the teammate who had his number retired at Arizona.

“Jet had his U of A little comments,” Harden said of Jason Terry, “but other than that, it was OK.

“I’ve been here a few times. Just seeing it up there, those two years I had here were two beautiful years. It brings back memories.”

Harden was happier with the workout than its setting.

“We had a really good practice,” he said. “We have an opportunity. We just have to go out there and do it with each other. That break helped us out a little bit. Today was really good. Guys were focused.”

For the first practice after the All-Star break, interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he had more fullcourt, five-on-five work than usual, but was happy with what he saw.

“We got up and down,” Bickerstaff said. “It was a lot of basketball-related, full-court stuff, open their legs up, open their lungs up a little bit. Guys seemed to be in good shape. They didn’t take the whole break off. It was good.”