Tag: DJ Augustin

Rockets lose Kevin Porter Jr. to thigh contusion in win; DJ Augustin returns

Kevin Porter Jr. left another game early after re-aggravating his nagging left thigh contusion, but DJ Augustin is back after a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. played one half for Houston in Friday’s home game versus Orlando before re-aggravating his nagging left thigh contusion, which he also did on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The timing is certainly not ideal for the surging Rockets (6-16), who have now won five consecutive games (box score).

The third-year player known best as “KPJ” has largely played through the injury since first suffering it on Nov. 7 at Golden State, but the latest re-aggravations by the 21-year-old may prompt the rebuilding Rockets to be more cautious with a key young building block. Before leaving at halftime, Porter had 6 assists in 18 first-half minutes, but he shot just 2-of-8 from the field (25.0%) and was clearly limping late in the second quarter.

“It has to get right,” head coach Stephen Silas said postgame of Porter’s status. He’s a competitor and he wants to be a part of what we have going on. … He irritates it just about every game, it seems.”

The news was more positive for veteran backup DJ Augustin, who added 8 points (2-of-2 on 3-pointers) and 3 assists in 12 minutes.

Augustin had missed two games while in health and safety protocols, which he noted at Friday’s shootaround was due to an inconclusive test result. The 14-year veteran later registered two negative results — which, as a fully vaccinated player, is all he needed to return. The 34-year-old said his daughter had tested positive for COVID-19, but she is currently isolated at home and experiencing only mild symptoms.

Porter entered Friday averaging 13.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds as Houston’s starter at point guard, while Augustin had tallied 3.7 points (37.1% on 3-pointers) and 1.9 assists in 12.4 minutes as a reserve.

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Rockets guard DJ Augustin out indefinitely in health, safety protocols

With Augustin in health and safety protocols and Jalen Green also sidelined, that could offer a path for rookie Josh Christopher to earn rotation minutes.

Veteran guard DJ Augustin was a late scratch for the Houston Rockets prior to Monday’s home game versus Oklahoma City, with the team citing health and safety protocols as the reason for his absence.

While they did not confirm whether Augustin had tested positive for COVID-19 or was simply a close contact, that designation often leads to a multi-game absence. Head coach Stephen Silas said in his pregame news conference that the team did not yet have a timetable for the return of Augustin, who typically serves as Houston’s backup point guard.

“DJ is in health and safety protocols,” Silas said in a succinct update. “So he’s out tonight, and hopefully he’ll be back soon.”

Augustin is averaging 3.7 points (37.1% on 3-pointers) and 1.9 assists in 12.4 minutes per game this season. With Augustin out and rookie guard Jalen Green also sidelined (left hamstring strain), that could open up a small rotation role for fellow rookie Josh Christopher, who was recalled from Houston’s NBA G League affiliate earlier in the day.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Wednesday’s win over Chicago

Stephen Silas chose to go to a smaller lineup in Wednesday’s streak-busting win, and it seemed to work to the benefit of Christian Wood.

On the same day that job speculation swirled with regards to head coach Stephen Silas and rookie Jalen Green was lost to a leg injury, the Houston Rockets pulled off their most satisfying win in quite some time.

Wednesday’s 118-113 victory (box score) over the visiting Chicago Bulls (12-7) snapped a 15-game losing streak for the Rockets and improved them to 2-16 on the 2021-22 season. It was a raucous environment in front of Houston fans at Toyota Center, allowing the home team to head into Thanksgiving with something to finally be thankful for.

The Rockets made a tactical change heading into the game, with Silas removing usual starting center Daniel Theis from the starting lineup (and rotation) while allowing Christian Wood to return to that position — which is where he excelled in the 2020-21 season a year ago.

Jae’Sean Tate slid up to the “power forward” spot, while veteran Eric Gordon started in Tate’s usual spot at small forward. That made for a smaller lineup, but one with much improved shooting and creation ability. As a team, Houston connected on 17-of-36 shots (47.2%) from 3-point range, and seven players shot 50% or better from long range.

In the loss, All-Star wing Zach LaVine led the visiting Bulls with 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting (47.8%). Chicago had entered Wednesday’s game in possession of the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

See below for a roundup of players who took advantage of their new opportunities. Houston returns to action with Saturday’s game versus Charlotte (12-8), which marks the second of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center. For now, they head into a two-day “Thanksgiving break” feeling good about themselves, which is a welcome change.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Monday’s loss at Boston

Reserves Armoni Brooks and Alperen Sengun played well, but Houston’s losing streak is now at 15 games after a blowout loss at Boston.

Perennial All-Star forward Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 30 points while co-star Jaylen Brown added 19 points in 23 minutes in his return from a hamstring injury, leading the Boston Celtics to a commanding 108-90 victory (box score) at home over the Houston Rockets (1-16).

For Houston, which was led by 17 points off the bench from Armoni Brooks, Monday’s setback is the team’s 15th straight loss. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas attributed some of the sluggish showing to tired legs from a long road trip, which mercifully concludes after four games.

The Rockets were within five points at halftime, but the Celtics (10-8) blew the game open with a 24-3 burst to start the third quarter. Houston shot just 31-of-83 for the game (37.3%) and 11-of-42 on 3-pointers (26.2%), and they were out-rebounded by a commanding 64-48 margin.

See below for highlights, statistics, and player analysis from Monday’s game, with grades limited to players who started or played clear rotation minutes. With the four-game road trip finally complete, Houston kicks off a three-game homestand when Chicago (12-5) visits Toyota Center on Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Saturday’s loss at New York

The result was the same and the losing streak continues, but Houston’s effort was much improved in a close game at Madison Square Garden.

The losing streak is now at 14 games and counting for the young Houston Rockets (1-15). But in Saturday’s 106-99 setback (box score) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the effort shown by Stephen Silas’ crew was much improved in a competitive loss to the host Knicks (9-7).

Alec Burks scored a game-high 20 points and hit his first five 3-pointers of the fourth quarter, helping the Knicks rally from a 6-point hole early in the period. Christian Wood led Houston with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Green and Eric Gordon scored 16 and 15, respectively.

Houston played tough and out-rebounded the Knicks by a double-digit margin (48-37) for the game. But they had 22 turnovers compared to 12 for the Knicks, and the Rockets shot just 10-of-39 on 3-pointers (25.6%) — while New York connected on 18-of-41 (43.9%) from distance. Houston also continued its usual struggles from the free-throw line, shooting 13-of-22 (59.1%). In a game that was there for the taking, the Knicks were much more efficient on their free throws at 22-of-26 (84.6%).

See below for highlights, statistics, and player analysis from Saturday’s game, with grades limited to players who started or played clear rotation minutes. Houston concludes its four-game road trip with Monday’s visit to Boston (8-8), where tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Sunday’s loss at Warriors

Jae’Sean Tate led the Rockets in Sunday’s loss at Golden State with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but Christian Wood scored just 4 points.

The losing streak for the Rockets (1-9) is now at eight consecutive games after Sunday’s loss at Golden State (8-1). Houston closed to within three points midway through the third quarter, but the host Warriors subsequently went on a 15-0 run to put the game out of reach before finishing with a convincing 120-107 victory (box score).

Houston finished its long Western Conference road trip at 0-5, with all five losses to a probable playoff team (Lakers, Suns, Nuggets, Warriors). Jordan Poole led Golden State with 25 points and 5 assists, while two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry scored 20 points on 50% shooting. Jae’Sean Tate paced the Rockets with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

See below for highlights from Sunday’s game, and read on for our assessment of individual Houston performances. Grades are limited to players who had clear rotation minutes, since anything less wouldn’t represent a sufficient enough sample to evaluate. Grades are also decided relative to a player’s average performance — in other words, the standard for Christian Wood is higher than for David Nwaba.

With the long road trip complete, Houston finally returns home to face Detroit on Wednesday night at at Toyota Center. Tipoff for the game between the Rockets and Pistons — which features a showdown of Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham, the top two picks in the 2021 NBA draft — is set for 6:30 p.m. Central, with the game broadcast on ESPN.

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Houston Rockets report card: Player grades from Thursday’s loss at Suns

Kevin Porter Jr. scored a team-high 20 points and the Rockets again played well on the road versus a West power, but it still wasn’t enough to win at Phoenix.

Two nights after an encouraging performance in a close loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, the Rockets followed it up with another strong road effort versus defending Western Conference champion Phoenix.

Unfortunately, given the tough opponent, it still resulted in a 123-111 loss (box score) for Houston — which dropped its sixth straight to fall to 1-7 on the 2021-22 season. The Suns (4-3) won their third straight game. The Rockets rallied from an 11-point deficit in the early going to take a lead well into the third quarter, but the defending West champs broke the game open with a 14-of-31 showing from 3-point range (45.2%).

Phoenix outscored Houston 67-50 in the second half, including 37-25 in a decisive third quarter. All-Star guard Devin Booker paced the hosts with 27 points and 9 rebounds, while backcourt mate and future Hall of Famer Chris Paul added 13 assists. The Rockets were led by Kevin Porter Jr. (20 points, 6 rebounds) and Christian Wood (18 points, 15 rebounds).

Read on for our assessment of individual Houston performances. Grades are limited to players who had at least 20 game minutes, since anything less wouldn’t represent a sufficient enough sample to evaluate. Grades are also decided relative to a player’s average performance — in other words, the standard for Wood is higher than it is for David Nwaba.

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Houston Rockets player salaries for 2021-22, future seasons

As Houston finalizes its roster for the 2021-22 regular season, here’s a rundown of what is on the salary books for this year and beyond.

Although the Houston Rockets are clearly rebuilding and in the early stages of a youth movement, they aren’t yet flush with cash.

For example, when the Rockets traded former MVP Russell Westbrook to Washington in December 2020, they took back another high-priced guard, John Wall. The Wizards had to send out a comparable annual salary figure to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and Houston received a future first-round pick for taking on a contract that was viewed as less desirable. Even though Wall is no longer playing for the Rockets due to a mutual agreement, his contract remains on the books entering the 2021-22 season, with both parties hopeful of a trade once he is owed less money.

Thus, even though the Rockets began their rebuild by trading Westbrook and James Harden, they don’t yet have a clean financial slate. They also have veterans Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. who are still under contracts that were signed in 2019 — when Harden was still in Houston, and a rebuild wasn’t yet being planned by the front office.

Then again, it’s not as if Houston desperately needed cap space in 2021, anyway. Even if the Rockets had the financial ability to sign top free agents during this past offseason, it seems doubtful that any elite veteran player would have wanted to sign with a team that just finished the 2020-21 season with the NBA’s worst record. In a year or two, though, the Rockets could be viewed as a team on the rise with a young core led by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood. In that context, Houston could quickly become a desirable destination for free agents.

That’s assuming they have the money, of course. Courtesy of the HoopsHype salary database, here’s a look at who second-year general manager Rafael Stone has on the books entering 2022 and beyond. This list is sorted by annual salary, ranging from the most to the least.

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Report: Rockets pleased by steady play, mentoring of DJ Augustin

DJ Augustin remains part of Houston’s rotation after working with Kevin Porter Jr. this offseason, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

Veteran guard DJ Augustin stood out during drills and scrimmages during the first day of 2021-22 training camp for the Houston Rockets, according to a new report by Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

Now 33 years old, Augustin was acquired by the Rockets in March as part of the trade that sent PJ Tucker to Milwaukee. He’s under contract for the 2021-22 season and has a non-guaranteed contract for 2022-23.

While it’s too soon to know whether the Rockets have any interest in picking up that final option year, it certainly appears that the 13-year NBA veteran is in their plans for this season — both on the practice court and during games. In Wednesday’s story, Iko writes:

Augustin stood out during drills and scrimmages, according to one participant. While John Wall’s presence is more as a pseudo assistant coach, Augustin is still actively part of the rotation. “He’s as steady of a player as I’ve ever coached,” Silas said.

Augustin has been a reserve player for the majority of his career but he’s always been praised for his IQ, poise and ability to run an offense. This offseason, he worked with Porter, helping groom him into the point guard the Rockets want him to be. It’s a different type of camp for Augustin these days — being around a young team in need of mentoring and leadership — but he’s embracing the process.

“It’s exciting, man,” Augustin told reporters after the first day of training camp. “Just to see these young guys and how excited they are to live out their dreams. I can remember it like yesterday, I was in the same position. To be a part of it, help them and learn is a great feeling.”

In 20 games with the Rockets last season, Augustin averaged 10.6 points (38.6% on 3-pointers) and 3.9 assists in 20.8 minutes per game. This season, he’s expected to be Porter’s primary backup at point guard.

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Stephen Silas, Rockets react to first practice of 2021-22 training camp

“It was a great practice for a first day,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas. “Very spirited. We competed a lot, we taught a lot.”

Though they’ve been informally practicing for weeks, Tuesday was the first structured practice for the Houston Rockets, who are working in nearby Galveston for the first week of their 2021-22 training camp.

For head coach Stephen Silas, it was the first official team event pairing veterans like Christian Wood and Eric Gordon with the new class of first-round rookies drafted in 2021 — headlined by No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green. Tuesday’s practice was also an NBA-first for Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher, but fellow rookie Alperen Sengun was not feeling well and did not practice. (The team says it was not related to COVID-19.)

“It was a long, hard practice,” Silas said. “Today was just the first step, but we did a lot. We competed a lot, we taught a lot.”

“It was a great practice for a first day,” Silas concluded of the Rockets. “Very spirited.  For guys to hang with me for that long of a practice, it says a lot about them, but it also gives me an inclination as to where we can go. We can really improve pretty quickly.”

Five-time All-Star John Wall was present on the sidelines. But as expected, Wall is primarily working as a mentor to the younger Rockets, since he and the team came to a mutual decision for him not to play this season. At 31 years old and often needing the ball in his hands to be effective, Wall isn’t an optimal fit with the group’s rebuilding plans, yet his contract is presumably too large to be traded elsewhere at this time.

Here’s a roundup of videos and quotes from the team’s post-practice interviews — with Silas, veteran guard DJ Augustin, and second-year forward KJ Martin made available to media. Training camp resumes on Wednesday, also from the Galveston Island Convention Center.

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Lead photo by Brian Barefield, Big Sarge Sportz