Even after a 2-0 season-opening trip, players know they have a long way to go.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With larger goals than to beat the rebuilding Sacramento Kings or even to rally to edge the champion Golden State Warriors, the Rockets preferred the results to how they got them.
They could view their back-to-back road wins to open the season as encouraging, but with details — and the video evidence they will examine — there were reminders of the work to be done.
“We got a long way to go,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “A long way to go, but we’re on the right path right now. Defensively, we’re a lot better. Offensively, guys are sharing the ball, getting open shots. Guys are getting more comfortable as we go along.”
The Rockets’ shortcomings in the first two games were not serious enough to be considered issues. For all the talk-show hosts wondering why it is taking so long to integrate guard Chris Paul into the scheme of things, having played much of one game before sitting out against the Kings because of his bruised left knee, the Rockets believe they mostly need time to smooth the rough edges.
There have been mistakes defensively with players unsure about when to switch and when they should not. The offense has on occasion, especially against the Kings, lacked the next pass. But the Rockets said the initial tests demonstrated what can be improved with attention and time.
“Defensively, our transition defense, and obviously … we gave up five offensive rebounds which gave (the Kings) eight points in that first quarter,” Harden said. “That’s two things defensively we can work on; offensively, our movement and body movement.”
Paul unsure for Mavs
The efforts to get Paul comfortable moving on and off the ball have been stalled by the soreness in his knee that kept him out of the final preseason game and left him limping in the season opener before sitting out the 105-100 win over the Kings. Paul pledged to be cautious in determining whether he can play in the home opener against the Dallas Mavericks. Coach Mike D’Antoni did not rule it out, but said it would be difficult for Paul to play Saturday.
But Paul is not the only newcomer to the Rockets’ rotation. Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker have played well, but as
much as their versatility is considered a strength in the retooled rotation, the Rockets have used a variety of lineups considering the team employed eight players in the opener, nine against the Kings.
Ryan Anderson and Tucker have played center. Tucker and Mbah a Moute have played both forward positions. In one lineup Wednesday, forward Tucker, Mbah and Moute and Trevor Ariza were on the floor together, a mix the Rockets only used briefly in the preseason against San Antonio.
“It’s just about flow, getting more comfortable around each other,” Anderson said. “We have new guys that are going to play big minutes. Getting them used to the system, we’re still getting used to the rotation, who is coming in when, how we’re going to guard, if we’re going to switch everything, switch one-two-three or in combinations. I think we’re all figuring it out, coaching staff as well. There is a level of thinking that goes on out on the court so it is not going to translate to be just automatic quite yet.”
The bright side was not difficult to find with a 2-0 record without shooting well, playing at full strength or feeling comfortable with one another. The Rockets made 39.8 percent of their shots, 28.7 percent of their 3s against the Kings, but like young baseball teams in the postseason they expect to hit better at home.
“You can’t complain about going 2-0 on the road,” Anderson said. “You can’t complain about this start, but at the same time, we have so far to go. I feel like we can grow in so many different ways.
“It is tough to win in this league. It’s tough to win home openers when you’re the opposing team. Backto-back home openers, we just have to build on what we’ve been doing.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well (against the Kings). We didn’t play incredibly well against Golden State. But we can battle, play really hard. I think that’s a huge part of this team. We’re going to get a lot of wins for those reasons.”
Home sweet home
After Thursday’s travel day, the Rockets have two home games and perhaps three home practices before they hit the road. Opening the season with a road back-to-back would have been no one’s choice, but they got their wins and found avenues to improve.
“We’re on a good path now,” guard Eric Gordon said. “It’s going to be great to play at home these next couple games. We need it.”