The final piece to the 15-man roster for the Houston Rockets at the NBA “bubble” in Florida is reportedly getting closer to his arrival.
Veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who signed with the team earlier this month, is expected to arrive “soon,” reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Mbah a Moute has been away from the team since signing his contract due to an undisclosed reason.
But the Rockets have expressed confidence throughout the process that Mbah a Moute would eventually rejoin them. Furthermore, Monday’s decision to include him on the final roster for the upcoming restart would seem to be a clear signal of their confidence in his availability to play.
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Russell Westbrook was scheduled to arrive Monday and rejoin the team after a temporary delay due to his positive COVID-19 test. That makes Mbah a Moute the last to arrive among players on the final roster.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni said Monday that he still did not have a precise timetable on Mbah a Moute, who played a key role for D’Antoni and the Rockets two seasons ago. The team is not practicing Tuesday.
Mike D'Antoni did not have details about Luc Mbah a Moute's timetable, but a source said his arrival will be "soon." https://t.co/DhPPrTeU5X
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 20, 2020
This year, Mbah a Moute is effectively replacing Thabo Sefolosha, who opted not to participate in the NBA’s restart of the 2019-20 season.
Best known for his defense, Mbah a Moute played 25.6 minutes per game with the Rockets in the 2017-18 season. The versatile 6-foot-8 forward averaged 7.5 points per game, including 36.4% on 3-pointers. Houston went 65-17 that year, by far the best mark in franchise history.
Welcome back to the @HoustonRockets @mbahamoute ! A little reminder of his impact https://t.co/oomXHErn4l
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) July 7, 2020
Mbah a Moute had a 101.7 defensive rating with the 2017-18 Rockets, which was best on the team among consistent rotation players. But he dislocated his right shoulder twice, with the latter incident occurring in the second-to-last game of the regular season. That injury limited Mbah a Moute’s availability and effectiveness in the 2018 playoffs.
Then, after signing with the Clippers before the 2018-19 season, a separate knee injury limited him to only four games. Now 33 years old, Mbah a Moute hasn’t played with any team in 2019-20, which means he’s played in just four NBA games over the last two seasons, combined.
Mike D'Antoni on Luc Mbah a Moute: "He hasn't played in two years. … I have no clue. That's why the three weeks [of training camp] and eight [seeding] games will be important."
"He's great on the bench and great in the locker room, I do know that." Playing time TBD. #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) July 7, 2020
Thus, between the normal aging curve for an NBA player and his own personal history with injuries, it’s not clear whether Mbah a Moute is still the same player physically as he was two seasons ago. But if healthy, he would seem to be an optimal fit for the new frontcourt emphasis of the Rockets (40-24), who are prioritizing versatile defenders such as P.J. Tucker and Robert Covington ahead of traditional centers.
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Since Mbah a Moute has not played for an NBA team this season, he is eligible for inclusion on Houston’s postseason roster. The Rockets have already clinched their spot in the 2020 NBA playoffs.
Houston’s regular season will resume on July 31 versus Dallas, with the team’s first of three scrimmages scheduled for Friday against Toronto.
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