Practice meant to lift ‘spirit’
The Rockets sought to regroup after a tense discouraging loss Wednesday ended any good feelings that came from their win to end the 20-game losing streak on Monday.
But Rockets center Christian Wood, however, said their problems are not with one another but with not having enough playing time together.
“Off the court, I would say, we’re comfortable, everybody meshes with each other, everybody gets along,” Wood said. “On the court, I would say we just don’t have a lot of reps together. Guys aren’t in a rhythm together so we’re just kind of trying to get used to guys. It’s crazy to say that when we’re in the middle of the season but we’ve been plagued by injuries and stuff like that and me being hurt. We’re still trying to figure things out.
“In terms of camaraderie, we’re together.”
Still, some of Thursday’s practice was devoted to lifting the “spirit” of a team with three wins since the start of February amid the uncertainty that came with Thursday’s trade deadline.
“We tried to get the spirit up as far as doing some shooting competitions, also working on switching and attacking switching,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “I would say there’s probably a little bit of not a cloud over the group but you can tell there’s something in the air for sure.”
Still, forward Jae’Sean Tate said the Rockets ‘know’ what they can be.
“A team that plays together, in sync on the offensive and defensive end, making extraordinary plays, playing hard, making the opposing team uncomfortable, being more physical, being vocal, cheering for your teammates, getting open shots for your teams, just making the right plays,” Tate said. ”Playing hard and making the right play, being on the same page, I think that’s a big part of winning. The most together team, the most competitive team, the most physical team usually wins the game.”
Asked his goals for the Rockets in the remainder of the season, Wood said, “To win more games. That’s it; just win.
“Us playing together. Us not taking two steps back like we did yesterday after having a good game, a good win against the team before.”
Wood grateful for arduous journey
While much of the NBA and almost all of the Rockets’ roster faced the trade deadline with uncertainty and perhaps anxiety about where the day’s deal-making might take them, Christian Wood could appreciate going from considering giving up the game to becoming a nearly untouchable foundation of his team’s plans.
“That’s crazy that you actually say that,” Wood said. “It’s the first time. It’s a crazy journey. I don’t take this for granted. I’m happy to be here. I go out every game and try to play every game like it’s my last. I give it my all. It’s a great opportunity for anybody in their life.”
Before Wood had to play his way onto the Pistons’ roster in training camp last season, he had considered quitting basketball when he was cut by the Fujian Sturgeons and was told he was not good enough to play in the China Basketball Association. He signed a threeyear, $41 million contract with the Rockets in the off-season.
Wood is averaging a career-bests of 21.4 points. 9.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game, making 55 percent of his shots.
“A lot of pride,” Wood said. “I don’t think anybody has been through the journey I’ve been through, the ups and the downs, the highs and lows I take a lot of pride just being here, having that resilience, having that chip on my shoulder to not back down from anything.”
The Rockets are Wood’s sixth team in six seasons. There was no chance they would on Thursday make it seven.
“It’s amazing,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “There’s so many stories that go the other way about a guy who gets knocked down and kind of stays down. You’re like, ‘Whatever happened to that guy?’ To see his perseverance, especially since I was with him early in Charlotte, the growth that he has had.
“He’s always had that belief in himself. But to kind of see his ability to fight through the adversity regardless of what other people thought about him, he still believed himself. That’s a great thing to see and be a part of for me.”
Hornets’ zone flusters Rockets
The Rockets’ offense broke down in many of the familiar ways Wednesday when the Charlotte Hornets threw a paint-hugging zone at them. It will not be the last time they face teams determined to see if the Rockets can shoot well from the perimeter, including in Thursday’s practice.
“We just need to make quicker decisions,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “At times, defenses like that can slow you down. We do that to teams where we throw a zone at them and it takes them a few seconds to kind of recalibrate. They did that to us and slowed us down. Quicker decisions, doing a better job of being intentional about what we’re trying to accomplish offensively as far as getting the ball in the paint.”
The Rockets made 32.7 percent of their 3s, even with a flurry of three consecutive made 3-pointers in the closing minutes with the benches cleared. But they scored just 30 points in the paint, just 18 after the first quarter.
“Last night, they did a very good job of keeping us out of the paint. We had 53 possessions the ball did not touch the paint. That’s not good for any offense, let alone our offense. They had a game plan of packing the paint, not allowing Christian (Wood) to catch the ball in the paint and then flying out to our shooters and basically allowing us to shoot 3s.”