D’Antoni won’t mind if Morey stands pat
Though Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is certain to work the phones in the week remaining before the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said he would have no objection if the Rockets’ roster remained unchanged.
“We have great chemistry in the locker room and we have enough to win,” D’Antoni said. “I’m sure Daryl will be diligent as every general manager has to answer the phones and talk. That’s their job. But I’m real happy with our group. We have a good group of guys. It’s been fun, really a lot of fun to coach them.”
Morey has never failed to agree to a deal around the trade deadline in his nine previous seasons as the Rockets general manager.
Rockets third in wins at break
The Rockets take the third-most wins in the NBA into the All Star break, but forward Ryan Anderson said much of the success has been about how they have reacted when they lost, with no loss of confidence or faith in their style or each other.
“We cover up our mistakes because we are confident in the system and we know how to play with this group,” Anderson said. “We know what we have. When we give up a big lead or we had some stretches we lost some games, we know some mistakes were made. We need to play the exact same way we played. We’re not going to make the same mistakes the next time.
“Obviously, every season, you’re going to go through a tough stretch. Especially with this group, we’re pretty new. If we can fight through those stretches and not have them as much, the … sky’s the limit.”
The Rockets are third in the Western Conference behind the Warriors and Spurs, but they believe they showed their potential with wins against both.
“When we’re firing on all cylinders, there’s no team that can beat us,” Anderson said. “We’ve proved that this season. We won games … at Golden State and San Antonio. We can play with the best for sure and we’re just going to get better.”
Texans in the neighborhood
The Texans can expect at least one extra coach at training camp this summer. With the Texans camp moving to The Greenbrier in West Vriginia, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni figured he’d “for sure” walk over from his White Sulphur Springs home to check out practices.
“I’m glad,” D’Antoni said. “That’s good for The Greenbrier, obviously. I think they’ll enjoy it. It’s a great football facility and if they like to play golf and eat and anything else you want to do at a resort. I’m really glad they signed up.
“The Saints have been there the last three or four years. We got to watch some practices. It’s fun.”
A home away from home
The Heat made their only Houston appearance on Wednesday, but it was not their first trip to Houston this season. When the Rockets were in China, the Heat took over the Rockets’ training facilities because of Hurricane Matthew in South Florida.
“That was a really important part of our preseason,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It helped us fast-track. It helped us get to know each other better.
“We were away for training camp and it really felt like an extension, a mini-training camp after that. Houston was terrific to us, last minute, to be able to use their facilities and spend another couple days preparing.”