For bench players on the Houston Rockets, minutes were hard to come by late in the close first-round playoff series versus Oklahoma City.
Reserve guard Austin Rivers went from averaging 21.4 minutes over the first five games of the series to 9.3 in Game 6 and Game 7. Sharpshooter Ben McLemore went from 14.8 minutes in the first five games to less than four minutes in Game 6 and not playing at all in Game 7.
That doesn’t mean the same is going to happen in the second-round series versus the Los Angeles Lakers, though. At least not to start.
Speaking at Thursday’s practice, Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said his rotation would likely expand early in the next series.
Among his comments:
It probably will expand a little bit. Especially at first. You’ve got to feel it out. Just because you don’t play against one team, and you don’t feel like that matchup is suitable, or not as much as you’d like… maybe you can play a lot more against another team. And vice versa. The player played and maybe doesn’t.
A lot of it depends on the starters, and how much rest I think one needs. Or if they’re going really well, do you want to expand the starters, or someone like Danuel House’s minutes? There’s only one way to do that. You’re not going to take [minutes] off your superstars. Now, as Russ [Westbrook] comes back, he went from 25 minutes the first night, now to 30, and who knows Friday. So as his minutes expand, it’s got to come from somewhere.
What I’m going to do, I’m going to try to play what gives us the best chance to win. As long as I don’t wear them out — nobody will play 40 minutes, they [OKC] had a couple guys play 40 minutes. I’ll try to keep them in the 30s, some high 30s and some low 30s, and then go from there. The key is [for Rivers and McLemore], you’ve got to do it. It’s a tough role, but a vital role. We talk to them all year, and we talk to them now. They’re ready to go. When they get a chance, I’m sure they’re going to give us everything they’ve got.
Assuming health, D’Antoni appears set with his five usual starters (Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Eric Gordon, Robert Covington, and P.J. Tucker), followed by Danuel House Jr. and Jeff Green as the most frequent reserves. But whether the rotation has expanded to eight or nine players — and for how long — has varied depending on the game.
It’s worth noting that the higher minutes totals for Rivers and McLemore early in the Thunder series coincided with the injury absence of Westbrook, who missed the first four games with a quad strain. Even when he did return in Game 5, he was on a minutes limitation of about 25.
That is no longer the case entering the second round, which inherently means there are fewer minutes to go around for the bench.
But there might still be a few more. While Westbrook’s return absorbed some of the minutes, another part of the equation was the sheer desperation factor — especially with Houston facing elimination in Game 7. D’Antoni conceded before tip-off that the win-or-go-home situation made him more likely to play veterans, and perhaps for longer minutes.
D'Antoni: "You will go with the veterans a little bit longer [in a Game 7], just because you kind of know what you're getting from them. And give them more leeway."
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) September 2, 2020
Friday’s Game 1, on the other hand, offers the Rockets an opportunity to start fresh and without any losses on their ledger. And with only one day off in between an intense Game 7 and the start of round two, some of the veterans that logged heavy minutes might have tired legs — especially against a Lakers squad that enters with nearly a week of rest.
That’s where the energy and relative youth of Rivers and/or McLemore might play a role. D’Antoni didn’t say it was a certainty, of course, but he clearly is open to the possibility of one or both receiving more minutes. The Lakers — known best for their size — also don’t have as many quick, playmaking guards as the Thunder, which might make McLemore’s perceived defensive limitations less of a concern.
Tip-off of Game 1 is set for 8:00 p.m. Central on Friday night, with the game broadcast nationally on ESPN.
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