Tag: Bruno Caboclo

Rockets list Bruno Caboclo as out with sprained right ankle

Caboclo did not play in Houston’s victory on Friday, so his ankle injury presumably occurred during a practice at the NBA “bubble.”

On Houston’s official injury report issued prior to Sunday night’s game versus Milwaukee, the Rockets listed reserve big man Bruno Caboclo as out due to a sprained right ankle.

The athletic 24-year-old did not play in the opening victory against Dallas on on Friday night. As such, the injury presumably occurred in one of the team’s recent practices at the NBA “bubble” in Florida.

Caboclo had played only sparingly after being acquired by Houston at the February trade deadline. In all, prior to the hiatus of the 2019-20 season in March, he played just 28 minutes across five games for the Rockets, typically in mop-up duty once a game had already been decided.

The 6-foot-9 big man was not expected to be in Houston’s regular rotation at the NBA restart, though he was anticipated to be an depth option for head coach Mike D’Antoni near the end of the bench.

Because he inadvertently broke quarantine upon arrival at the bubble, Caboclo had already missed more than a week’s worth of practices in mid-July. The latest injury would seem to be yet another setback for Caboclo, who will be a free agent once the 2019-20 season concludes.

D’Antoni did not mention Caboclo in comments to reporters Saturday, which came prior to the release of the team’s injury report. The Rockets do have another backup big man available in veteran Tyson Chandler.

Tip-off between the Rockets (41-24) and Bucks (54-12) is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central on Sunday, with a regional broadcast on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and a national telecast on ABC.

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Eight players on Rockets to wear social justice messages on jerseys

Houston will have eight players wearing social justice jerseys, led by Russell Westbrook and Robert Covington with “Black Lives Matter.”

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Earlier this month, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) agreed on social justice messages that can be displayed on the back of jerseys, similar to the usual placement of a player’s last name.

The idea is to use the platform and large television audience of the league’s looming restart to help promote the growing U.S. social justice movement, which picked up steam after George Floyd’s death in late May.

Because messages were limited to only approved options, some players are choosing not to use the option. For example, reserve guard Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets wanted to use his jersey to honor Trayvon Martin, but the approved list does not offer that possibility.

Per NBA.com, here are the eight members of the Rockets who will wear an approved social justice message on their jersey:

Robert Covington | Black Lives Matter
Russell Westbrook | Black Lives Matter
Michael Frazier | Equality
Eric Gordon | Equality
Luc Mbah a Moute | Justice
Bruno Caboclo | Justice Now
Chris Clemons | Justice Now
Jeff Green | Vote

Players who are not listed will simply have their last name at its usual nameplate spot on the back of their jersey. For those players wanting to express a different message, the NBPA recently announced a plan to partner with Westbrook’s clothing line to design social justice shirts, which include additional statement options. These can be worn around the league’s Disney World campus, as well as before and/or after games.

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As for the revised jerseys, they will be worn by the Rockets in the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs, beginning with Friday’s first game of the restart against Southwest Division rival Dallas. Tip-off from the NBA “bubble” in Florida is set for 8:00 p.m. Central, with the game broadcast regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and nationally on ESPN.

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Bruno Caboclo returning to Rockets after extended quarantine

After inadvertently breaking protocol at the NBA “bubble” in search of food, Bruno Caboclo’s 10 days of isolation are finally over.

Reserve center Bruno Caboclo is set to rejoin the Houston Rockets at the NBA “bubble” site after serving an extended quarantine period of 10 days, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

The 24-year-old inadvertently broke quarantine shortly after the Rockets arrived in Florida on July 9, reportedly because he went downstairs to the hotel lobby to ask about getting food (as opposed to calling).

All arriving NBA personnel must stay in their own hotel room for two nights and complete negative COVID-19 tests on different days before they can truly enter the bubble. The policy aims to ensure that no one brings the coronavirus inside the complex from their home markets.

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Players and staff had been well informed of the rule, which Caboclo broke within the first two nights of Houston’s arrival. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Caboclo was unaware of the protocol. As a result, he had to stay tucked away in his Grand Floridian hotel room for 10 days and repeatedly test negative for the virus throughout that time, all while the rest of his teammates on the Rockets practiced without him.

Caboclo had played only sparingly after being acquired by Houston at the February trade deadline. In all, prior to the hiatus of the 2019-20 season in March, he played just 28 minutes across five games for the Rockets, typically in mop-up duty once a game had already been decided.

But Caboclo was one of the first Rockets back in the team’s facility once Toyota Center reopened to players in May for individual workouts, and he said he viewed this rare “training camp” late in the regular season as an opportunity to impress the coaches and earn minutes.

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At 6-foot-9 and with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Caboclo is taller and longer than every current rotation player for the smaller Rockets. Even so, he’s not the type of traditional big man that head coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey have chosen to move away from. Caboclo shot 36.9% on 3-pointers a season ago, and as a 218-pound former wing player, he’s agile enough to defend the perimeter on switches.

In his 34 games with Memphis late last season, which served as Caboclo’s first extended NBA opportunity, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game ⁠— largely as an athletic center.

Caboclo didn’t stand out in his limited playing time with the Rockets in February and March, but there were some extenuating circumstances to those appearances. First, he was behind the curve when it came to learning his new team and its system on the fly. Second, he was coming off a knee injury that had kept him off the court for weeks.

In all, the unforced protocol error led to 10 extra days of quarantine, and that may have cost Caboclo his best opportunity to make an impression. Even so, 10 days still remain until Houston’s regular season resumes on July 31 — and that could give the Brazilian one last chance to turn heads.

Caboclo will be a free agent once the 2019-20 season concludes.

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Report: Bruno Caboclo broke quarantine to ask about more food

“He went downstairs, and asked them about how he could get more food, instead of calling from his room,” said The Ringer’s Chris Vernon.

On Monday, we learned the Houston Rockets would be without Bruno Caboclo for more than a week because the 24-year-old inadvertently broke quarantine at the NBA’s “bubble” complex near Orlando.

Days later, more information has surfaced as to how and why Houston’s reserve big man was forced back into quarantine for 10 days.

Chris Vernon, who hosts The Ringer NBA Show podcast and previously covered Caboclo during his time in Memphis, said he knows friends of Caboclo who informed him as to what happened. His report:

I have friends that are still friends with Bruno Caboclo from his time in Memphis. He was hungry, and he left his room to ask about getting more food. He went downstairs, and asked them about how he could get more food, instead of calling from his room. And they’re like, ‘What are you doing?’ That’s how he broke quarantine.

All arriving NBA personnel are required to stay in their own hotel room for two nights and complete two negative COVID-19 tests on different days before they can truly enter the bubble. The policy aims to ensure that no one brings the virus inside the complex from their home markets.

Players and staff had been well informed of the rule, which Caboclo broke when he went downstairs at the Grand Floridian to ask about acquiring more food — rather than calling from his room. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Caboclo was unaware of the protocol.

Unfortunately for Caboclo, the 10 days of practices that he’s going to miss could harm his previously stated mission of earning playing time for head coach Mike D’Antoni with this year’s Rockets (40-24).

When Caboclo is eligible to return next Tuesday, the Rockets will be only days away from their first scrimmage on Friday, July 24 and barely more than a week away from the 2019-20 season resuming on July 31. With games that close, Houston’s rotation could already be coming into focus.

While Caboclo will still be useful depth and bench insurance, no matter what, the unintended second quarantine could end up costing him his best opportunity to earn playing time with this season’s Rockets. Caboclo, who entered the league as the No. 20 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, will be a free agent once the 2019-20 season concludes.

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Bruno Caboclo sidelined for eight days after breaking quarantine

The Houston Rockets will be without big man Bruno Caboclo for about a week after he inadvertently broke quarantine at the NBA bubble.

Houston Rockets big man Bruno Caboclo inadvertently broke quarantine at the NBA’s “bubble” complex in Florida, according to a Monday report from ESPN. As a result, Caboclo must self-quarantine in his hotel room for another eight days before resuming team activities.

The mandatory quarantine period for anyone who breaks the rules is part of the league’s extensive safety protocols, all aimed at reducing exposure to COVID-19 and any potential spread within the complex.

Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Caboclo left his room during the initial self-quarantine period after the Rockets arrived at the Grand Floridian last Thursday night. All NBA personnel were required to stay in their rooms until testing negative for COVID-19 on the two days after their arrival, with the policy attempting to ensure that everyone who enters the bubble is free of the virus before they can interact with others.

Caboclo had played only sparingly after being acquired by Houston at the February trade deadline. In all, prior to the hiatus of the 2019-20 season in March, he played just 28 minutes across five games for the Rockets, typically in mop-up duty once a game had already been decided.

But Caboclo was one of the first Rockets back in the team’s facility once Toyota Center reopened to players in May for individual workouts, and he said he viewed this rare “training camp” late in the regular season as an opportunity to earn minutes. Monday night’s practice will be the third for the Rockets since their arrival in Florida late last week.

At 6-foot-9 and with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Caboclo is taller and longer than every current rotation player for the smaller Rockets. Even so, he’s not the type of traditional big man that head coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey have chosen to move away from in Houston’s innovative system. He shot 36.9% on 3-pointers a season ago, and at 218 pounds, he’s agile enough to defend on the perimeter on switches.

Keep in mind, Caboclo was drafted as an 18-year-old wing player in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft before transitioning to a frontcourt role in the coming years amid the NBA’s growing emphasis on versatility. That’s part of why Houston traded for him on deadline day, after moving Clint Capela for Robert Covington and committing to “small ball.”

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In 34 games with Memphis late last season, which served as Caboclo’s first extended NBA opportunity, he averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game ⁠— largely as an athletic center.

Caboclo didn’t stand out in his limited playing time with the Rockets in February and March, but there were some extenuating circumstances. First, the 24-year-old was behind the curve when it came to learning his new team and its system on the fly. Second, Caboclo was coming off a knee injury that had kept him off the court for weeks.

Now healthy, that’s why Caboclo was looking forward to a rare in-season training camp in Florida as an opportunity to make his case to D’Antoni and the Rockets. Unfortunately, that now appears less likely, since he’ll miss more than a week’s worth of practices due to breaking quarantine.

When Caboclo is eligible to return next week, the Rockets will be only days away from their first scrimmage on Friday, July 24 and barely more than a week away from the 2019-20 season resuming on July 31. With games that close, Houston’s rotation could already be coming into focus.

While Caboclo will still be useful depth and bench insurance, no matter what, the unfortunate circumstances may have already taken away his best opportunity to earn playing time with this season’s Rockets. Caboclo will be a free agent once the season concludes.

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Mike D’Antoni says he’s open to changing Rockets rotation in July

“Who those nine [players] are, they could change,” Mike D’Antoni told Kelly Iko. “Maybe early we experiment, practice, and watch.”

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When we last saw the Houston Rockets in March, head coach Mike D’Antoni regularly utilized a nine-man rotation.

The team’s starters were Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the backcourt, along with Danuel House Jr., Robert Covington, and P.J. Tucker in the frontcourt. Reserves were Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers, Ben McLemore, and newcomer Jeff Green, who backed up Tucker.

Upon the team’s expected return in July following the NBA’s extended COVID-19 hiatus, the number of players in the regular rotation is likely to remain the same. However, in a new interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, D’Antoni indicated that the names could change. He said:

With Daryl [Morey] and data, with how we think gives us the best chance to win, it probably comes down to nine guys. Now, who those nine are, they could change, and maybe early we experiment, practice, and watch. And obviously you’re also biased about their previous play.

So I go in with the notion of how I think it’s going to be. I can change my mind. I don’t want to watch practice or games and think ‘Wait a minute, this guy’s better than this other guy.’

That analysis is in line with recent comments from Morey, who explained why he believes that an extended training camp just before the playoffs is uniquely beneficial to the Rockets. The Houston GM said:

It’s one of the reasons why a stop and restart slightly favors us. … We have a very deep team. We have veterans who have not been with us all year who have contributed to very good playoff teams in the past. They probably didn’t get much of a chance to show what they could do. But with a new training camp and some games before the playoffs… it gives those guys a chance to show Coach D’Antoni what they can do.

Coach likes a tight rotation in the playoffs, which I do think the evidence does support his choice there in the playoffs. But in terms of who our eight, nine, or 10 guys are going to be in the playoffs, I do think it gives those guys a chance and it gives us some potential upside.

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The Rockets (40-24) acquired veterans DeMarre Carroll, Jeff Green, and Bruno Caboclo just weeks before the season’s suspension on March 12, but Green was the only one of that frontcourt trio to immediately receive a spot in the team’s new small-ball rotation.

However, the “restart” might change that dynamic, since it resets the season and puts rosters on level footing for training camp. Carroll, for example, could challenge the likes of McLemore or House for more playing time. Or Caboclo could make a push for minutes at backup center.

Houston ranked No. 2 in the NBA in offensive rating before the hiatus but only No. 16 on defense, and Carroll would potentially upgrade their perimeter defense. The 6-foot-9 Caboclo, with his long 7-foot-7 wingspan and athleticism, could provide a shot-blocking presence.

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As D’Antoni mentioned, they could also “experiment” during eight regular-season games at the neutral site in Florida. In the daily grind of February and March, seeding was at a premium in the tightly packed Western Conference standings, and the Rockets were understandably hesitant to make significant changes to their rotation on the fly.

In July, beyond having a full training camp with the new players after an extended layoff for everyone, there’s also the reality that seeding probably isn’t as important anymore. That’s because higher seeds in the 2020 NBA playoffs won’t have their usual perk of home-court advantage.

None of that makes it a guarantee that D’Antoni will change his rotation, of course. But it does make it more likely that he and the Rockets will enter the upcoming training camp with an open mind.

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Daryl Morey believes uncertainty of NBA’s restart helps Rockets

Daryl Morey says the unusual delay before the 2020 playoffs could help Houston by allowing newly acquired players to earn playing time.

Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey says the unusual delay (due to COVID-19) before the 2020 NBA playoffs could be beneficial to the team’s chances of making a championship run this season.

In a Facebook Q&A with Cayleigh Griffin, the team’s courtside reporter, Morey said the multi-month hiatus could be beneficial to veterans acquired during the season. By virtue of a second training camp, they could get a new opportunity to earn the trust of head coach Mike D’Antoni and potentially work their way into Houston’s playoff rotation.

The Rockets (40-24) acquired DeMarre Carroll, Jeff Green, and Bruno Caboclo just weeks before the season’s suspension on March 12, but Green was the only one of that frontcourt trio to immediately receive a spot in the team’s new small-ball rotation.

However, the “restart” might change that dynamic, since it resets the season and puts NBA rosters back on level footing for training camp.

“We do feel like our odds have gone up with the restart,” Morey told Griffin in Thursday’s chat. “Because we probably can’t call ourselves the favorite — we just haven’t played well enough to say that — anything that adds uncertainty to the system is generally good for us.”

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Griffin followed up by specifically asking about the second training camp, and Morey explained how it could be an advantage:

I think that’s an edge for us. It’s one of the reasons why a stop and restart slightly favors us. … We have a very deep team. We have veterans who have not been with us all year who have contributed to very good playoff teams in the past. They probably didn’t get much of a chance to show what they could do. But with a new training camp and maybe some games before the playoffs… it gives those guys a chance to show Coach D’Antoni what they can do.

Coach likes a tight rotation in the playoffs, which I do think the evidence does support his choice there in the playoffs. But in terms of who our eight, nine, or 10 guys are going to be in the playoffs, I do think it gives those guys a chance and it gives us some potential upside.

To Morey’s point, both Green and Carroll have contributed to several playoff teams in recent seasons.

The timetable of the summer training camp remains unclear, though it needs to begin relatively soon in order to hit the league’s July target of resuming play. More clarity on the timeline could come in the days ahead, since NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has conference calls Thursday with GMs (including Morey) and Friday with team owners.

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Bruno Caboclo aiming for rotation role with Rockets in playoffs

“I think [COVID-19] actually helps me because when we go back, everyone’s gonna have the same chance starting from zero,” Caboclo said.

Bruno Caboclo played only sparingly after being acquired by Houston at the February trade deadline. In all, prior to the 2019-20 NBA season’s COVID-19 hiatus, he played just 28 minutes across five games for the Rockets, typically in mop-up duty once a game had already been decided.

But in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Will Laws, the athletic 6-foot-9 big man with a 7-foot-7 wingspan now says he sees an opportunity.

Caboclo explains:

I think this year on the Rockets, I wouldn’t have had much playing time, depending on the situation. But I think the coronavirus actually helps me because when we go back, everyone’s gonna have the same chance starting from zero. So I’ll be more prepared to try and get a role for the playoffs.

To that point, Caboclo was one of the first Rockets back in the team’s facility once Toyota Center reopened to players for individual workouts.

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Though Caboclo is taller than every current rotation player for the smaller Rockets, it should be noted that he’s not the type of traditional big man that head coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey are choosing to move away from. He shot 36.9% from 3-point range a season ago, and at 218 pounds, he’s light enough to defend on the perimeter on switches.

That’s part of why Houston traded for Caboclo at the deadline, after moving Clint Capela for Robert Covington and committing to “small ball.”

Caboclo didn’t stand out in his limited playing time with the Rockets in February and March, but there were extenuating circumstances. First, as Caboclo explained to SI, he was behind the curve when it came to learning his new team and their system on the fly. Second, he was coming off a knee injury that had kept him off the court for weeks.

By contrast, if the season resumes in July as expected, the 24-year-old will have had several months off to get his knee fully healthy. If that’s the case, he could be a viable option behind starting center P.J. Tucker.

“I want to be able to score on every possible level—layups, box out for rebounds and put backs, on the crease, pull-up jumpers—everything,” Caboclo told Sports Illustrated in the interview. “I believe that I can play at the highest level and do big things in the NBA. I think some people see my talent. I just need to get on the right team.”

After being selected No. 20 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, Caboclo finally got his first extended opportunity in 34 games with Memphis late last season. In that stretch, Caboclo averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, along with shooting 36.9% on 3-pointers.

It remains to be seen if Caboclo can earn the same opportunity in Houston. If he doesn’t, he’ll be a free agent this offseason with another chance to get to “the right team.” But before thinking about free agency, he’s fully committed to trying to earn a role with the 2019-20 Rockets.

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Tucker, Hartenstein, Caboclo are first Rockets to return to arena

P.J. Tucker, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Bruno Caboclo were the first Rockets to report to Toyota Center after the team reopened its doors.

P.J. Tucker, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Bruno Caboclo were the first members of the Houston Rockets to return to team facilities at Toyota Center, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston.

Monday was the first day for the Rockets (40-24) to welcome back players since the NBA’s March 19 decision to shut down all team facilities amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Tucker is the team’s starting center and most reliable defender, while Hartenstein and Caboclo are reserve options behind him.

Because the closure of team facilities to players effectively lasted two months, many Rockets players are not currently in Houston. In other words, for those who have yet to report to Toyota Center, it’s not that they aren’t working out — they’re just working out where they are.

For example, after retreating to his offseason home in Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook has been seen on camera going through intense workouts. James Harden is in Arizona, where he played in college.

The NBA began letting teams reopen facilities on May 8, if permissible by local regulations. But the Rockets waited until May 18 to comply with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s phased reopening plan, which called for the reopening of gyms and indoor sports facilities in the second phase.

For now, team facilities are only open on a limited basis for individual player workouts under strict physical distancing protocols, and not for any sort of conventional group practice. Head coaches, such as Mike D’Antoni in Houston, are not yet allowed to attend.

But that could change in the weeks ahead, with recent media reports citing positive momentum for the NBA’s potential restart at a neutral location (without fans) later this summer.

The timeline for returning to traditional contact practices is unknown, though The Ringer reports that the NBA hopes to have all players back in their usual cities by early to mid June to potentially start training camps.

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Rockets clear Bruno Caboclo to play, list Gordon as questionable

If Eric Gordon can’t play Thursday at Golden State, the Rockets would start Robert Covington and Danuel House Jr. at the forward spots.

In the first injury report issued by the Houston Rockets after the All-Star break, big man Bruno Caboclo is cleared to play while guard Eric Gordon is questionable for Thursday’s game at Golden State.

At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, the 24-year-old Caboclo is the longest potential option at center for the suddenly smaller Rockets. He was listed as out before the All-Star break due to a bruised left knee.

Caboclo has played only sparingly at the NBA level this year amid knee problems. But in 34 games late last season with Memphis, Caboclo averaged 8.3 points (36.9% 3-point shooting) and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game. Houston acquired him at the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

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Meanwhile, Gordon has been dealing with a bruised left shin after getting kicked in the leg during a game in late January. The injury caused the 6-foot-3 guard, who had previously been starting at small forward, to miss Houston’s final two games before the All-Star break.

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Speaking at Wednesday’s practice in San Francisco, Gordon said he still had some soreness in the leg, but that it was much better than last week.

The injury appeared to contribute to a sudden downturn in Gordon’s performance before the All-Star break. In his first 13 games since returning from right knee surgery on Dec. 29, Gordon averaged 20.0 points in 30.4 minutes per game on 39.8% shooting from 3-point range.

In six games after the injury, Gordon averaged 11.5 points in 27.2 minutes on just 22.2% 3-point shooting. The shin injury is to his left leg, which is not the one that had the prior surgical procedure.

In the two games that Gordon missed before the All-Star break, the Rockets started both Robert Covington and Danuel House Jr. as forwards alongside center P.J. Tucker, and they would likely continue with that alignment Thursday in Golden State if Gordon is unavailable or limited.

Off the bench, frontcourt depth options for head coach Mike D’Antoni would include veteran Thabo Sefolosha and three newcomers to the Rockets ⁠in Caboclo, DeMarre Carroll, and Jeff Green.

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The Rockets might consider being conservative with Gordon based on the nature of the opponent. Golden State (12-43) has the league’s worst record, while the Rockets (34-20) have a bigger game looming at Utah (36-18) on Saturday, for which they’d love to have Gordon healthy.

The Rockets trail the Jazz by two games in the Western Conference standings, and that game will also decide any potential tiebreaker, since the three-game season series is now tied. In Gordon’s last outing in Salt Lake City, he led Houston to a win while scoring a career-high 50 points.

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Though Houston did lose at Golden State in a Christmas Day upset, the Rockets will be heavy favorites Thursday regardless of whether Gordon is able to play. Tip-off from Oracle Arena is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Central time, with an exclusive national broadcast on TNT.

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