D’Antoni not ‘overly’ worried about high turnover average

WASHINGTON — After committing a seasonhigh 25 turnovers in a loss to Atlanta on Saturday night, the Rockets’ average of 17.2 turnovers per 100 possessions is the highest in the NBA.

Some of that could be attributed to early-season adjustments to a revised system and a retooled rotation, but the Rockets went into Sunday’s practice believing they cannot assume the issue will be corrected as easily as becoming accustomed to one another.

“It’s a big thing, and we have to keep getting better at it,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We can’t live with 25 turnovers. We have to limit it to less than 15. James (Harden) will have more because he has the ball so much, and he’s making plays all the time. Some you have to live with, but our number should be 15 or below.

“A lot of times, guys are going one-on-one and we’re working toward a turnover or a bad shot. We have to cure that. We have to have faith that, if we keep moving the ball, we’ll get a good shot.”

The Rockets were averaging about 14 turnovers per game, but committed 45 in the past two games.

“Obviously, we’re still learning how to play around each other,” D’Antoni said. “There’s still things we can grow from.

Our system, the way that we play, you have to make smart plays, smart decisions. Atlanta (which leads the NBA in steals) does a great job of getting hands in passing lanes.

“They did a great job. It’s not something we should be overly concerned with, but we have a lot to improve on.”