Tag: Gary Clark

Key contract dates looming for Gary Clark, Isaiah Hartenstein

If the decision is purely on basketball merit, here’s why both Gary Clark and Isaiah Hartenstein should stick around with the Rockets.

Within the first week of 2020, we may learn quite a bit about the Houston Rockets and their financial strategy over the new year.

On Jan. 5 and Jan. 7, young prospects Gary Clark and Isaiah Hartenstein will begin out-earning the partial guarantees on their current contracts.

To this point, there was no real incentive to consider trading or releasing either player, since their salary until early January was already locked in. But once 2020 arrives, what happens with Clark and Hartenstein could be a key indicator regarding the role of the NBA’s luxury tax in the team’s roster decisions and any directive from owner Tilman J. Fertitta.

With Houston’s roster now full at 15 standard players after signing rookie guard Chris Clemons to a three-year deal last week, the Rockets could let one player go without being required to fill the roster spot at all. They could simply save cash on that spot, should they choose. (They could also let both players go and eventually fill one roster slot via cheaper alternatives, such as a player on a 10-day contract.)

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From a basketball perspective, there wouldn’t seem to be a case to move on from either player. Hartenstein, a 21-year-old seven-footer, averaged 14 points on 72.2% shooting and 11 rebounds in 29.3 minutes over two games last weekend, with usual starting center Clint Capela out injured.

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Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 Clark has played minutes for Mike D’Antoni this season as both a power forward and as a small-ball center. Known best for his defense, the 25-year-old has also improved his 3-point shooting from 29.7% a season ago to 34.0% this year.

In December, as he’s received more consistent playing time, Clark has boosted that 3-point percentage to 37.5% in 10 games — including two outings on Dec. 9 and Dec. 21 with three makes in five attempts (60%).

Even if neither player has distinguished himself yet as a potential rotation piece in the playoffs, they’re viable depth pieces near the end of D’Antoni’s bench to help the Rockets survive inevitable regular-season injuries. Moreover, they’re among the youngest players on one of the NBA’s oldest rosters and seem to have upside for further improvement.

Thus, there wouldn’t seem to be a basketball-related reason to let either Hartenstein or Clark go. That might change after February’s trade deadline, if the Rockets need to open up a roster spot to sign a buyout candidate that they view as a fit. But if the Rockets were inclined to experiment with any current free agent such as J.R. Smith, Jamal Crawford, or Luc Mbah a Moute, they already had a roster spot open for over a month after waiving Ryan Anderson in late November.

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There’s also the issue of tradable salary as GM Daryl Morey approaches the deadline. Since the Rockets are above the league’s salary cap, they have to send out nearly as much money as they take in to consummate any trade. That’s harder than it might sound, since Houston doesn’t have much in the way of filler salary from non-essential players — especially since veterans Austin Rivers and Gerald Green have trade veto power.

Any free agent signing cannot be traded for 60 days, per the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. By this point, that timetable would run beyond the 2019-20 deadline for any new acquisition.

Between the merits of Hartenstein and Clark’s own play, the knowledge that the Rockets already had an open roster spot for over a month and didn’t deem any current free agent worthy of using it for, and the ability of both young players to be traded, there doesn’t seem to be any reason other than saving money to move on from either player at this juncture.

Both players have also earned rave reviews from Houston’s starplayers, led by former MVPs James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

It should be noted that if the Rockets do move on from one or both players, it doesn’t yet prove that they plan to completely avoid the luxury tax this season. (At the moment, they’re very close to the line.)

It could be that the Rockets still pay the tax, but want to minimize the extent of payments. Or they might not see either Hartenstein or Clark as worthy of greenlighting tax payments, whereas a more proven veteran option that might come available in February by trade or buyout could lead to a different conclusion. It’s not a binding referendum on whether the team will pay the tax this season.

It is, however, another key inflection point in which we’ll learn more about Fertitta in his third season owning the team. Be it for on-court play or future trade purposes, there doesn’t seem to be any basketball-related reason to move on from Hartenstein or Clark in the coming days.

Rather, the primary beneficiary of such a move would be the owner’s pocketbook. Could that be enough to force a transaction that would seem to be against the team’s best interests on the court? We’ll soon find out.

Clint Capela added to Rockets’ injury list with bruised heel

Clint Capela played 40 and 39 minutes in consecutive games last week, and now he’s on the Houston injury report with a bruised heel.

Starting center Clint Capela was added to the Houston Rockets’ injury list before Monday’s game at Sacramento with a bruised right heel.

He’s listed as probable to play, which indicates that the team doesn’t view the injury as significant. However, it could be a reminder of the importance of keeping Capela’s minutes in check.

Capela played 40 minutes and 39 minutes in consecutive outings last week, in large part because the Rockets fell behind by 25 points and 17 points, respectively, in the first half of those games against the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.

The Rockets (20-9) rallied to win both games, but had to lean even more heavily on top players such as Capela due to the reduced margin of error.

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For the 2019-20 season to date, the 6-foot-10 Capela is averaging 14.0 points (65.8% FG), 14.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 33.5 minutes per game. Thus, last week’s minutes totals were quite a bit above his norm.

That 14.6 rebounding total ranks second in the NBA to Detroit’s Andre Drummond (16.4) on a per-game basis.

Backup options that head coach Mike D’Antoni could potentially turn to in hopes of limiting Capela’s minutes include veteran Tyson Chandler and second-year forward Gary Clark, who hit 3-of-5 three-pointers off the bench Saturday in 19 minutes at Phoenix.

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James Harden, Russell Westbrook score 77 as Rockets scorch Suns

Led by a combined 77 points from James Harden and Russell Westbrook, the Rockets (20-9) shot nearly 60% as a team in a big win at Phoenix.

Houston stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 77 points and 17 assists as the Rockets overwhelmed the Suns with a barrage of threes in Saturday’s 139-125 win (box score) at Phoenix.

The Rockets hit 19-of-41 three-pointers (46.3%) as a team, while the Suns made just 8-of-28, or 28.6%. That 33-point math advantage proved impossible for the Suns (11-18) to overcome in their sixth straight loss.

Harden had nearly half of those three-pointers with nine in 19 attempts (47.4%), leading the Rockets (20-9) to a third straight win and their ninth in the past 12 games. The NBA’s 2018 MVP connected on 15-of-27 shots (55.6%) overall, and he also added seven assists and six rebounds.

The Suns cut the margin as close as eight points in the fourth quarter, but Harden had a breathtaking stretch with 10 points in just 92 seconds midway through the final period as the Rockets broke the game wide open. Houston led for the entire second half.

Meanwhile, Westbrook had 30 points and 10 assists on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%). After not breaking the 30-point barrier in his first 20 games with the Rockets, the 2017 MVP has now done it four times in six games.

Westbrook had issues with a dislocated finger in the 2019-20 preseason, and he said Saturday in his postgame interview with reporters that the improving health of his hand has enabled his recent surge.

Starting center Clint Capela also had a big night for the Rockets with 14 points and 17 rebounds in 36 minutes. Capela made seven of his eight shot attempts, leading Houston’s astonishing 51-of-87 total (58.6%) from the field as a team. Off the bench, reserves Gary Clark and Ben McLemore combined for 17 points on five made three-pointers.

The Suns were led by 26 points from starting small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who hit 10-of-16 shots (62.5%) from the field.

The Rockets are now 2-0 on their current four-game West Coast road trip, which resumes Monday night with a game at Sacramento (12-17).

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Austin Rivers, Tyson Chandler are latest Rockets with illnesses

The illness bug going around the Houston Rockets has claimed guard Austin Rivers and center Tyson Chandler as its latest victims.

The illness bug going around the Houston Rockets has seemingly claimed guard Austin Rivers and center Tyson Chandler as its latest victims.

Both reserves missed Monday’s home loss to Sacramento, and the team announced at Tuesday’s practice at Toyota Center before departing for Cleveland that they would also miss Wednesday’s game.

Within the past two weeks, starting center Clint Capela and small forward Danuel House Jr. both missed multiple games due to illness. While the team has not confirmed that all of its illnesses are related, having four players all suffer extensive illness absences in such a short timeframe would appear to point to something being contagious.

Rivers, now 27 years old, is averaging 8.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game for the Rockets (15-8).

Chandler, who is 37 and in his 19th NBA season, averages 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game.

With the pair of veterans out, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni turned to second-year forward Gary Clark and rookie guard Chris Clemons to help fill out his bench rotation on Monday.

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Gary Clark earns next opportunity as illnesses hit Rockets’ rotation

Can Gary Clark crack Houston’s rotation? With two starters likely out, the second-year forward will have a chance Saturday to make his case.

Over the first 17 games of the 2019-20 NBA season, second-year forward Gary Clark played 10 minutes combined for the Houston Rockets.

Then on Wednesday, with starting center Clint Capela out sick, the 6-foot-6 Clark — who can play center in smaller lineups — stepped up in a big way with 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes. He played the entire second quarter as Houston expanded its lead from four points to 24, which helped spark the Rockets (12-6) to a much-needed win.

Known best for his defense, the soft-spoken 25-year-old also had a block, steal, assist, and two made three-pointers in the victory (box score).

Now, with two frontcourt starters in Capela and Danuel House Jr. both doubtful for Saturday’s home game versus Atlanta due to illnesses, Clark appears poised to earn another opportunity to build on his success.

P.J. Tucker, who is the only usual frontcourt starter expected to play against the Hawks, indicated at Friday’s practice that he sees glimpses of himself in the younger Clark. Tucker told reporters:

I feel like Gary can be like me, in some ways, with the second unit when he comes in. He has ability to space the floor, but it’s more defense. Gary can guard multiple positions. It’s just getting him to talk more. Gary isn’t really a talker, so I’m always trying to influence him to talk more.

After Wednesday’s game, Clark said that even though he hasn’t received regular playing time this year, he still feels he’s been able to learn and improve while watching from the bench. He said:

You can think a lot sitting over there a lot of games. … Just being able to think the game, learn the game, just seeing the ins and outs when you’re sitting over there.

During his rookie season, Clark played 15 times in November 2018 for the Rockets at 21 minutes per game. However, his playing time faded as the year moved along, with the veteran-laden Rockets wanting more proven options for their playoff push.

Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said after Clark’s strong showing versus the Heat that he could win back a rotation spot in his second season, but that consistency would be the key moving forward.

Russell Westbrook, who had 27 points in Wednesday’s victory and played alongside Clark for much of the second quarter, had kind words for the University of Cincinnati product in his postgame interview.

He did a good job, he was ready. Made some big shots, made a lot of plays that aren’t seen on the stat sheet.

At Friday’s practice, D’Antoni largely echoed his postgame assessment when asked whether Clark could keep his minutes moving forward.

It depends on Gary Clark [laughs]. I would love for him to… that means he’s playing well. If he does like he did last game, then yeah. He could earn some minutes.

With Capela and House out, it’s probably a safe bet that Clark will again receive minutes against the young and rebuilding Hawks (4-14). The question is what happens when D’Antoni and the Rockets get their complete rotation back.

Then again, Houston’s primary backup center is Tyson Chandler, who is now 37 years old. Chandler started in place of Capela on Wednesday, yet still played only eight minutes due to the team’s planned usage restrictions on the 19-year NBA veteran over the regular season.

Those limitations could leave an opening for Clark to receive playing time this year, even after Capela and House return. He’ll have a key opportunity Saturday against the Hawks to make his latest case.

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Clint Capela, Danuel House Jr. doubtful for Saturday due to illness

Clint Capela and Danuel House Jr. (ill) are doubtful, with Tyson Chandler and Ben McLemore likely to start in their place for the Rockets.

The Houston Rockets could be without two starters for Saturday’s home game versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Starting center Clint Capela and small forward Danuel House Jr. are each doubtful due to illness, head coach Mike D’Antoni said at practice Friday. Capela also missed Wednesday’s win over Miami for the same reason.

The Rockets (12-6) are significant favorites over the Hawks (4-14), who entered Friday tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. That could present the team with an opportunity to be more conservative in their treatment of injured or sick players.

Veteran Tyson Chandler would start in Capela’s place if the 25-year-old is unable to go — just as he did Wednesday. Young prospects Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark could also figure into the mix.

Clark added 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 impressive minutes off the bench Wednesday, while Hartenstein had 16 rebounds in 30 minutes on Nov. 16 when Capela missed a game in Minnesota.

In his sixth season, Capela is averaging 14.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 31.9 minutes per game this year, and he’s on a historic rebounding run with at least 19 boards in his last seven games played. Those are large shoes to fill for any of his potential replacements.

Prior to Capela’s current streak, the only NBA player to have at least 19 rebounds in seven straight games was rebounding legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, who last did it in the 1994-95 season.

The only player in Rockets franchise history to have posted averages of at least 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks per game in a single season was Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it 30 years ago in the 1989-90 season.

Meanwhile, Ben McLemore would likely start in the place of House. McLemore scored 14 points and hit 4-of-9 (44.4%) from three-point range when House missed a game last Friday at the Los Angeles Clippers.

But at 6-foot-3, McLemore isn’t as long or as versatile defensively as the 6-foot-6 House. House also has the advantage as a shooter, with the native Houstonian connecting on 42.4% of his three-point attempts this season — as compared to 29.1% for McLemore.

Further down the bench, starting McLemore for House could also present a rotation opportunity for veteran forward Thabo Sefolosha or rookie guard Chris Clemons to help fill McLemore’s usual bench minutes.

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Harden, Westbrook lead Rockets past Heat to snap losing streak

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 61 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists as the Rockets routed Miami on Wednesday night.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook combined for 61 points and 15 rebounds as the Houston Rockets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 117-108 home win (box score) over Miami on Wednesday night.

Houston’s victory avenges an embarrassing 29-point loss to the same opponent earlier this month. The game wasn’t as close as the final score might make it appear, since the Heat outscored the Rockets by 40-26 in the fourth quarter after the result had effectively been decided.

Harden led the Rockets with 34 points and six rebounds in 35 minutes, headlined by a 7-of-17 showing (41.2%) from behind the three-point arc.

Meanwhile, Westbrook had 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%) in one of his most efficient nights with the Rockets to date, along with nine rebounds and seven assists in his 36 minutes.

The Heat (12-5) were without four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler due to an illness, while the Rockets (12-6) were missing starting center and rebounding sensation Clint Capela for the same reason.

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In Capela’s absence, second-year prospect Gary Clark was a revelation. After playing just nine minutes combined (largely late minutes in blowouts) over the season’s first 17 games, Clark tallied 12 points and eight rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench Wednesday.

Known for his defense and hustle, the 6-foot-6 forward — who can also play center in smaller lineups — played all 12 minutes of the second quarter. In that time, Houston built its lead from four points to 24 points.

 

Danuel House Jr. had key contributions with impressive defense and a career-high 23 points, including four three-pointers.

With Capela out, the Heat were led by starting center Bam Adabayo, who posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in 40 minutes.

The Rockets will take Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day off entirely before returning to practice Friday. Their next game comes Saturday at home versus Atlanta, in what will be the debut of their new City uniforms and the “Space City Saturdays” theme for the remainder of the season.

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Why the Rockets have a decision to make this week on Ben McLemore

For both basketball and contractual reasons, the Houston Rockets may need to make a decision this week about Ben McLemore’s future.

Last week, the Houston Rockets waived Ryan Anderson just days before his salary was set to pass his partial guarantee of $500,000.

In addition to freeing up a roster spot, the transaction limited the amount of future money and potential luxury tax payments that might have had to be made for a player who did not figure into the team’s longer-term plans. Payments up to the $500,000 guarantee were essentially a sunk cost once Anderson made the opening-day roster, but anything beyond that total needed to make sense on the merits of his on-court play.

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By Sunday, they could have a similar decision to make with regards to 26-year-old swingman Ben McLemore, who is poised to exceed the $500,000 partial guarantee in his contract on Dec. 1, 2019.

It’s certainly not as easy of a decision with McLemore as it was with Anderson. After all, the veteran forward never cracked the team’s rotation and only played in two games this season.

McLemore, on the other hand, has played in all 17 games for the Rockets (11-6) this season, and his minutes per game jumped from 7.3 in October to 24.2 in November. He even started four games at small forward when usual starter Danuel House Jr. was out due to injury. Both head coach Mike D’Antoni and superstar guard James Harden have praised McLemore at various points this season.

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The issue for McLemore, however, is that his primary role — at least in theory — is a fairly replaceable one. In effect, he’s supposed to be the bench shooter for Houston in place of Gerald Green, who is lost for the 2019-20 season with a broken foot.

But despite getting numerous open looks off the attention drawn by Harden and Russell Westbrook, McLemore is shooting just 29.6% from three-point range on the season on 5.8 three-pointers per game. With 98 total attempts, that’s not an insignificant sample size, and it’s hard to justify significant minutes at that level for a team as dependent on three-pointers as D’Antoni’s Rockets. In his last four games, McLemore has had two games of 0-of-5 and 0-of-6 from three-point range.

By contrast, Green connected on 36.0% of his three-pointers over the last two seasons with the Rockets.

Internally, D’Antoni could consider giving some of McLemore’s time to young prospects Chris Clemons or Gary Clark — though neither would be a drop-in replacement for McLemore’s usual wing minutes. At 5-foot-9, Clemons is a half-foot shorter, while the 6-foot-6 Clark has primarily played in the NBA at power forward and even as a stretch center.

The simplest change could be an external signing, where several proven veteran wings are available. Keep in mind, there is precedent for D’Antoni’s Rockets to make such a change on the fly, given the in-season signings of Green two years ago and House and Austin Rivers last season.

After last Friday’s loss in Los Angeles, The Athletic‘s Kelly Iko wrote that the Rockets were not yet considering such a move.

Concerning the injuries to Houston’s snipers, Rockets fans have pointed to the free-agent pool of shooters like J.R. Smith, Jamal Crawford, and Nick Young — names I brought up in conversation — but there’s no sense of desperation to go that route. Internally, they believe the contributions of Ben McLemore and even calling up players like Gary Clark can hold them above water while Eric Gordon and Danuel House return to the fold.

But things can change quickly in the NBA. McLemore went 0-for-6 from long range in Sunday’s loss to the Mavs, which puts the Rockets on their longest losing streak of the year at three games.

Since Gordon isn’t expected back until late December, there could be a sense of urgency to do something sooner. With Harden on a historic scoring binge, teams are double-teaming him more frequently than ever, which makes it imperative that other players on the court with him take advantage of the resulting open shots and four-on-three situations.

Moreover, from a logistics perspective, this week could be an ideal opportunity to consider changes. In addition to Sunday being a key inflection point with McLemore’s contract, the Rockets are in Houston all week and have just one game (Wednesday versus Miami) between Sunday’s loss to Dallas and Saturday’s game versus Atlanta.

That means ample practice time for the Rockets, and an opportunity for D’Antoni to tweak his rotation, should he and the team deem it necessary.

To be clear, the Rockets wouldn’t have to release McLemore to change their rotation. They already have an open roster spot after waiving Anderson, and there’s also the option of replacing his minutes internally with the likes of Clemons or Clark. But if Houston deems McLemore unworthy of rotation minutes, it may not be not worth having him occupy a roster spot and the potential luxury-tax payments on it down the line.

After all, the Rockets already have the NBA’s third-highest payroll for the 2019-20 season, and owner Tilman Fertitta hasn’t yet shown a willingness in his tenure to spend deep into the luxury tax.

The one exception could be if the Rockets felt they needed McLemore as salary filler for a potential in-season trade, since any new signing — unlike McLemore, who was signed in the offseason — could not be aggregated for trade purposes for 60 days.

There’s also the option, of course, that they continue using McLemore in the same role they have for weeks. It’s not as if there isn’t a case for it. Even with the losing streak, Houston’s current stretch of eight wins in 11 games would be good for a 60-win pace over a full season. In that run, McLemore has averaged nearly 25 minutes per game.

Despite his shooting struggles and occasional defensive issues — at 6-foot-3, he’s quite undersized relative to most small forwards — McLemore still grades out favorably by many metrics. For example, though he shot 0-of-6 in Sunday’s loss, his +4 in the plus/minus category during his 21 minutes was the only positive of any player in D’Antoni’s rotation.

For the season as a whole, McLemore’s defensive rating of 103.9 and overall net rating of 10.9 are both the best of any Rockets rotation player. However, those numbers would appear to fly in the face of both the percentages and the eye test. That’s the dilemma for D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey as they try and assess his true value to the team.

As of Monday, it’s unclear what the final verdict will be. But the Rockets are home in Houston all week, with a stretch of four off days in five days. There’s a clear sense of urgency to turn things around after three straight losses, and they’re well aware that Sunday is a critical inflection point, as it pertains to McLemore’s contract. That makes this subject one to monitor closely as the week progresses.

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Rockets create open roster spot after waiving Ryan Anderson

The Houston Rockets created an open roster spot Monday by waiving Ryan Anderson, and it might ultimately go to rookie Chris Clemons.

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The Houston Rockets are waiving veteran big man Ryan Anderson, as first reported Monday by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.

The Rockets signed the 31-year-old in September to a partially guaranteed deal, but it had become increasingly clear in recent weeks that Mike D’Antoni and the Houston coaching staff did not see Anderson as a viable option.

Despite multi-game absences by frontcourt starters Clint Capela (concussion) and Danuel House Jr. (back), Anderson still didn’t receive playing time last week. Instead, D’Antoni went with frontcourt prospects Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark, who had previously played for Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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Any value Anderson had to the Rockets was in the form of insurance depth. But with Capela and House probable to return in Monday’s home game versus Portland, that became less important.

Overall, Anderson played in just two games during the current 2019-20 season. In those, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 2.5 points (28.5% shooting, 20.0% on three-pointers) and 3.5 rebounds in 7.0 minutes.

Anderson’s second stint in Houston was clearly less successful than his first. In 138 regular-season games (122 starts) during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, a younger Anderson averaged 11.6 points (39.6% on three-pointers) and 4.8 rebounds in 27.8 minutes per game. However, his defensive mobility declined as the years progressed.

Anderson’s exit does open up a roster spot for the Rockets, though it’s unclear if they have immediate plans to use it. Houston currently has 14 players under standard contracts, along with prospect guards Chris Clemons and Michael Frazier on Two-Way deals.

According to Houston Chronicle beat writer Jonathan Feigen, the roster spot could ultimately be used to keep Clemons with the team once he runs out of NBA service days on his Two-Way contract. Clemons, a 5-foot-9 rookie guard, scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting in Saturday’s win over Minnesota.

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Rockets likely to rest Russell Westbrook Saturday in Minnesota

After an offseason knee scope, the shorthanded Rockets are resting Russell Westbrook for the second game of this weekend’s back-to-back.

Rockets guard Russell Westbrook is likely to sit out Saturday night’s game in Minnesota, Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni said in his pregame press conference Friday night at Toyota Center.

Heading into Friday’s home game versus Indiana, which he started, the eight-time NBA All-Star and former Most Valuable Player (MVP) was averaging 21.1 points (45.7% shooting), 7.1 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 32.6 minutes per game with the Rockets this season.

The Rockets are being cautious early in the season with the 31-year-old Westbrook, who missed time early in training camp and the preseason after undergoing a knee procedure in the offseason.

D’Antoni announced the news shortly before Friday’s game. Shortly after that game goes final, the team will fly to Minnesota for Saturday night’s game against the Timberwolves.

This is the second of 11 back-to-backs for Houston this season. In the first one, the Rockets also played Westbrook on the front end (Nov. 3 in Miami) before sitting him on the back end (Nov. 4 in Memphis).

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The Rockets are short-handed for the time being, and Westbrook’s absence would compound the issue. Starting center Clint Capela (concussion) is likely out for both games of the back-to-back, while forward Danuel House Jr. is out Friday and questionable for Saturday with a bruised back. Reserve guard Eric Gordon is out for six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Wednesday.

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Given the wave of injuries and Westbrook’s likely absence for planned maintenance, D’Antoni said young players such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Gary Clark are likely to play in the back-to-back.