Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said early Wednesday that the Rockets were hopeful that veteran forward Luc Mbah a Moute would arrive at the NBA “bubble” complex near Orlando later that same day.
Mbah a Moute, who signed with the Rockets earlier in the month, has yet to report to Florida for an undisclosed reason.
“I think he’s been cleared, and I think he’s looking to land today sometime,” D’Antoni told reporters prior to Wednesday morning’s practice. “Hopefully we’ll have him in here in the next couple days.”
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Mbah a Moute will have to follow the league’s bubble protocols upon entry — which require an immediate self-quarantine period and negative COVID-19 tests on the two days following arrival before that player can begin participating in basketball activities with his team.
D'Antoni said Luc Mbah a Moute has been cleared, could land today in Orlando.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) July 22, 2020
Assuming he arrives Wednesday, that means Mbah a Moute could join the Rockets on Friday. That happens to be the date of Houston’s first scrimmage, though it would seem unlikely that Mbah a Moute would play in a game situation without having practiced for his new team beforehand. Houston’s next practice is currently scheduled for Saturday.
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Mbah a Moute is effectively replacing Thabo Sefolosha, who opted not to participate in the NBA’s restart of the 2019-20 season. Sefolosha primarily served as bench depth for D’Antoni, who used him for spot minutes as a frontcourt option in Houston’s small-ball scheme.
Like Sefolosha, Mbah a Moute is best known for his defense, and he does have history with Houston — having 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.
D'Antoni said Luc Mbah a Moute will, at the least, be a great presence in #Rockets' locker room. Even better if he can make an impact on the floor. Joked that he hadn't seen the former/new Rocket in two years.
— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith) July 22, 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 once he arrives, the Rockets will have the opportunity to find out. Even if he doesn’t play on a regular basis, D’Antoni has said he expects Mbah a Moute to be a “great presence in the locker room.”
Since Mbah a Moute has not played for any 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. Once Mbah a Moute arrives, all members of the Rockets’ final 15-man roster for the upcoming NBA restart will be with the team in Florida.
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