One tuneup remains to get it in gear
In Wednesday‘s 128-114 loss to San Antonio, the Rockets left ample space for Spurs shooters to seize control of the game by the end of the first quarter.
The Rockets trailed by as many as 25 before Chris Clemons and a platoon of bench contributors chipped away late in the game.
Entering its final preseason game against the Miami Heat on Friday, Houston is 24th in the league in opponents’ points per game.
“I’m hoping that it was a little bit of the ( Japan) trip,” coach Mike D’Antoni said of the Rockets’ performance. “We weren’t into people, they didn’t feel us, it was almost like a shooting practice for them. So we didn’t play very well.
“We’ll see how we do Friday, but we’ve got some work to do.”
Friday will be a day and a week after the team’s last game in Japan (a 118-111 win over the Toronto Raptors). That’s as much time as D’Antoni expects for his players to regain their usual pace.
“Defensively, we can be better just at guarding the ball, especially on ball screens or when we have mismatched bigs on guards,” center Clint Capela said.
“I felt a little bit winded (on Wednesday), probably from the trip, so we’re going to be all right. We’re going to get over it pretty quick.”
In the long term, Tyson Chandler’s presence could help.
The center was held out of Wednesday’s game. Capela said his knowledge and presence have been helpful in practices, and forward P.J. Tucker said the addition of Chandler will help reduce the minutes he logs at center.
“Tyson’s really good,” D’Antoni said. “Clint didn’t play a whole lot, he only played 20 minutes so he was tired last night. We have to get him to where he’s playing his 30-some minutes and Tyson will play his 15, and that’s the center role right there.”
Tucker didn’t attribute the Rockets sluggishness to travel fatigue.
Whether it be his early lack of scoring production (3.4 points per game on a team-low 23.8-percent shooting) or the team’s defensive inconsistencies, those struggles are a symptom of preseason basketball.
“It’s preseason, it’s always like that,” Tucker said. “Some days are great, some days aren’t so good and last night it was like we were playing in the mud.”
That’s why D’Antoni likes closing the preseason against the Spurs and the Heat, two teams that can punish a slow defense.
“They play with extremely high energy and their energy must be matched and met really early,” forward Danuel House Jr. said. “It’s going to make you ramp up your motor.”
That’s something the Rockets coach is hoping to see in the final preseason game.
“I think it gets us up to speed on how fast they can play and how good they are and how precise,” D’Antoni said of the Spurs and Heat.
“It helps us measure where we are and (Wednesday) night we were not even close to where we need to be. We have another opportunity Friday to get better.”