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The Houston Rockets are expected to welcome James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Luc Mbah a Moute at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, for the team’s training ground ahead of the league’s official restart on July 30th.
“Rocket coach Mike D’Antoni says he expects James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Luc Mbah a Moute to join the team mid-week–he says they are all working “at their home bases” and don’t think they miss the start of the Houston training camp will be a big deal, “said ESPN’s Rachel Nichols.
Houston did not provide an explanation for late arrivals, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
“These are things people have to deal with, “D’Antoni told reporters.
Houston traveled to Florida on Thursday, for Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The Rockets begin a stretch of three scrimmages on July 24 against the Toronto Raptors before opening a list of eight games to end the regular season on July 31 against the Dallas Mavericks.
Adding Harden and Westbrook to the mix is sure to be a welcome sight for the Rockets. Harden leads the rankings with 34.4 points per game. Westbrook is filling the statistics sheet with 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.
The duo led Houston to a 40-24 record, good enough for a tie in fifth place in the Western Conference. They can end in the second and seventh at the end of the regular season. A playoff point has already been conquered.
Bringing MBA to Moute, who played for D’Antoni’s Rockets in 2017-18, will add further depth and size to the bench. He replaces Thabo Sefolosha, who has given up on restarting.
The Rockets are one of the most intriguing teams to watch in Disney World, which hosts the restart of the NBA after a four and a half month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Houston was doing a tight eight person rotation before the break, with Westbrook and Harden doing much of the heavy lifting and 6’6 “PJ Tucker asked to occupy the low seat every night for 30 to 35 minutes.
It is possible that this roster setting is unsustainable and could have worn the team down in the playoffs. However, a longer break apart from the lack of travel to Disney World, in which all 22 teams involved in the restart remain and play, could be a huge boost for the team as it finally seems to break through to the NBA finals.
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