Rockets could hold scrimmages vs. other NBA teams starting July 21

The Houston Rockets can hold three scrimmages against other NBA teams before resuming the 2019-20 regular season, according to a report.

The Houston Rockets could hold up to three scrimmages against other teams prior to the planned resumption of the 2019-20 NBA season on July 30, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.

The scrimmage window would begin July 21, about two weeks after all teams involved in the league’s 22-team restart plan report to the “bubble” site near Orlando. Training camps would begin around June 30 in home markets before continuing at the Disney complex.

It is not yet clear whether the scrimmage opponents will be scheduled by the league office, or if individual teams will be left to secure their own agreements. It is also unknown whether they will be televised.

Team schedules for the eight regular-season games are not finalized, but early reports indicate that they are expected to mirror (as closely as possible) the next eight games for each team at the time of the season’s March 12 suspension due to COVID-19. Games against the eight teams not invited to the Florida restart would simply be skipped.

If that’s the case, the Rockets (40-24) would open play against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers (49-14), who have had the best record in the Western Conference for nearly the entire season. As such, with a tough opponent looming right out of the gate, the scrimmages could be critical in allowing James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the rest of the Rockets to prepare for the challenge.

Houston is currently tied for the West’s No. 5 spot, and they could finish anywhere from No. 2 to No. 7 once the eight “seeding” games are done. The 2020 NBA playoffs, which will be held according to the league’s usual eight-team conference brackets, are set to begin on August 17.

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