Rockets power forward Ryan Anderson is expected to return to action this weekend after missing six games with a sprained right ankle, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Anderson practiced without limitations on Thursday and could return as soon as Friday against the Pistons, Feigen continues. Anderson feels it’s important to return to action before the postseason, as he relayed to Feigen. “It’s super valuable for me, in my mind, to be out there before the playoffs, to get my wind back, get back to the flow of playing with the group,” Anderson said. “Obviously, we want to have our full group ready to go at the best we can be for the playoffs. We have a few games to do that. We’ll be good. The timeline’s working out well.”
With the NBADL playoffs now underway, here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Lakers assigned guard David Nwaba to their affiliate, the D-Fenders, according to the D-League team’s Twitter feed. Nwaba, who has become a rotation player for the Lakers, contributed 10 points, five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes against the Spurs on Wednesday. The D-Fenders have a playoff game against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Thursday.
- The Rockets assigned point guard Isaiah Taylor and forward Kyle Wiltjer to Rio Grande, its D-League affiliate, according to the Rockets’ Twitter feed. Taylor and Wiltjer were sent down for the Valley Vipers’ playoff game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Taylor, a rookie out of Texas, made his NBA debut on Sunday, playing 15 minutes against the Suns. Wiltjer, who attended Gonzaga, has appeared in 13 games with Houston but none of his outings lasted more than six minutes.
- Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle for nearly two weeks, may return later this week. As Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston tweets, James Harden suggested today that the club is hoping to get Anderson back on Friday.
- Italian swingman Alessandro Gentile, a 2014 second-round pick of the Timberwolves whose rights are currently held by the Rockets, has signed on to play in Israel, E. Carchia of Sportando relays.
- With both Sam Dekker and Ryan Anderson sidelined, the Rockets‘ void at power forward might suggest that Montrezl Harrell will get more of an opportunity to play the four. Coach Mike D’Antoni said that won’t the case, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I like guys who space the floor,” D’Antoni added. Harrell played power forward during Sunday’s win over Phoenix, but he missed all three of his 3-point attempts.
The Rockets will open the playoffs without Sam Dekker, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The second-year forward suffered a broken left hand Sunday night in a fourth-quarter collision with Jared Dudley of the Suns.
Dekker will see a specialist today in Houston, but the initial prognosis has him out for three to four weeks (Twitter link). That would cover at least one playoff series.
“It was a loose ball,” Dekker explained. “It [his left hand] got pinned up. I knew right away. Things happen. It’s basketball. I’ll be back. I hope I can get back and help the team in the playoffs.”
Dekker made his second start of the season Sunday for the short-handed Rockets, who were playing without James Harden, Trevor Ariza and Ryan Anderson. He has been a solid contributor all year, averaging 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in about 18 minutes per game.
Dekker’s injury will give the Rockets a chance to take a closer look at Troy Williams over the final five games of the regular season. The former Grizzlies small forward signed with Houston last month and saw him first game action Sunday, hitting 6 of 9 from 3-point range and scoring 21 points.
“He played, I mean he really played,” said coach Mike D’Antoni. “He is rangy and long. I don’t know if he can shoot like that, if anybody can shoot like that. He made the most of it, that’s for sure. We’ll see, sometimes it’s a Texas gusher where oil comes out and all of a sudden, mud comes out. We’ll go slowly. Don’t want to get too excited.”
The Rockets would be wise to rest star James Harden over the course of the final games of the season but his campaign for the MVP trophy may limit the chances of that happening, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Amick writes that, in the six games since Harden tweaked his left wrist, his production has dropped. On paper the Rockets guard is fine, averaging over 28 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds per game but a closer look at the same span reveals that his shooting percentage has dropped from .446 to .390 and his plus-minus rating has petered off from +5.9 down to -0.2.
Considering that this is, for better or worse, the time when NBA clubs around the league tend to rest their core players in an effort to spell them for the postseason, the fact that Harden isn’t just logging big minutes but logging big minutes while possibly physically compromised could come back to haunt them. Alas, should the Rockets choose to rest Harden, the race for the coveted annual trophy may tilt in Thunder guard Russell Westbrook‘s favor.
“[Rest] for what?,” the Rockets guard asked Amick when questioned directly about taking the time off to recuperate. “It’s messing with my rhythm a little bit, not just tonight but the last week or so. But I’ll be alright. It’s a little [frustrating]. I’ll be alright. I’m strong enough.”
Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Rockets have recalled Isaiah Taylor and Troy Williams from their affiliate in Rio Grande Valley, the team tweeted. Neither has appeared in a game yet for Houston, but Williams will be used as a starter tonight, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- The Nuggets have recalled Malik Beasley from Sioux Falls, the team announced on its website. The rookie guard, who has played 16 games for the Skyforce, will be available for tonight’s contest at Miami.
- The Cavs recalled Larry Sanders from the Canton Charge, the team announced on its official website (link). Sanders, who has averaged eight rebounds with six points in the D-League, will presumably be available for tonight’s match-up with the Pacers. The former Buck has gone scoreless in two NBA appearances in 2016/17.
With the Rockets locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com wonders if it’s time for the team to shut down James Harden for a few games. Houston’s star guard is making a push for the MVP award, but has been battling a jammed left wrist, and could probably use a little rest to prepare for the postseason.
“It’s pretty tough, man, I’m not going to lie,” Harden said, admitting that his wrist issue has been bothersome. “I don’t like to feel sorry for myself at all, but just the shot is short and frustrating when you can’t really follow through and whatnot.”
Harden, who hasn’t missed a game this season, suggested earlier this month that he doesn’t believe in resting when healthy, but if there was ever a time for it, it would be now. The Rockets seem unlikely to shut down Harden for several games, but it’ll be interesting to see if the team plays it safe and dials back his playing time down the stretch.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Ryan Anderson, another key Rockets player who is dealing with an injury, is expected to return from his ankle injury before the end of the regular season, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game against Dallas showed the good, bad, and ugly of the Pelicans‘ new-look roster, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Still, as Verrier observes in a separate piece, the Pelicans are getting a better sense of what does and doesn’t work with DeMarcus Cousins in the mix, which will serve the team well next season.
- Speaking to David Aldridge of NBA.com, Dirk Nowitzki answered several questions about his lengthy career with the Mavericks, calling it a “crazy ride” and adding that he’s “enjoyed every minute of it.”
- In a chat with readers, Matt Mosley of SportsDayDFW.com discussed potential Mavericks draft targets, reasons for optimism, and the respective futures of Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle.
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- Point guard Cameron Payne is back with the Bulls, having been recalled from the D-League following Windy City’s win on Tuesday, the club announced today in a press release. Payne was instrumental in last night’s win, scoring a team-high 20 points to go along with nine assists, five rebounds, and five steals.
- The Rockets have sent Troy Williams and Isaiah Taylor to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who notes (via Twitter) that rookie big man Chinanu Onuaku will stay on the NBA roster to start the team’s road trip.
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo and Pascal Siakam from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). Neither the Raptors nor the Raptors 905 are in action until Thursday, so we’ll see if the duo sticks with the NBA club for that game.