Tag: John Wall

Rockets coach Stephen Silas embraces ‘competitive practices’

“When you have competitive guys, you hope to have competitive practices,” Silas said. “That’s what we have. That’s what I want.”

On the eve of Houston’s opening game of the 2020-21 regular season, a report emerged Tuesday that All-Star guard James Harden has recently had “multiple verbal confrontations” on the practice court.

Considering Harden’s reported trade request during the 2020 offseason, that anecdote naturally raised some eyebrows around the NBA. But as Rockets head coach Stephen Silas sees it, that level of intensity and competition could be a positive development for the team.

Here’s what Silas said after Tuesday’s practice at Toyota Center:

When you have competitive guys, you hope to have competitive practices. That’s what we have. That’s what I want. I want competitors on this team.

For guys to be competitive in whatever way, as long as it’s not going overboard, I love it. Maybe that’s just the old school in me, or the Paul Silas vibes. But I enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuZ9Imdepk0

Veteran guard John Wall said Tuesday that Harden “works hard each day,” with Wall identifying Harden as a team leader in the locker room.

With Harden leading the way, the Rockets will begin their regular season on Wednesday at Toyota Center. Tipoff between Houston and Oklahoma City is set for 7:00 p.m. Central, with the game shown regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and nationally on NBA League Pass.

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John Wall says James Harden works hard each day, acts as team leader

“All we know is he comes in every day,” Wall said of Harden. “He works hard. He’s been one of the leaders of our team in this locker room.”

Veteran guard John Wall says he isn’t concerned about off-court news reports questioning the commitment of James Harden to the Rockets.

Harden, of course, reportedly asked Houston to trade him during the 2020 offseason. Then, on Tuesday morning, a new report emerged suggesting that the All-Star guard had recently been involved in a series of verbal confrontations on the practice court with his teammates.

On Tuesday afternoon, after Houston’s latest practice at Toyota Center, Wall was asked whether his excitement for the 2020-21 NBA season was tempered based on the off-court reports involving Harden. He replied:

At the end of the day, we can’t focus on what James does off the court. All we know is he comes in every day. He works hard. He’s been one of the leaders of our team in this locker room. That’s all we can ask for.

The Rockets hope that remains the case when the regular season begins on Wednesday at Toyota Center. Tipoff between Houston and Oklahoma City is set for 7:00 p.m. Central, with the game shown regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and nationally on NBA League Pass.

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James Harden praises John Wall, Christian Wood, and DeMarcus Cousins

In Monday’s media availability, Harden offered plenty of praise for Houston’s highest-profile additions during the recent offseason.

It remains to be seen whether the new-look Houston Rockets have enough quality to contend for the 2020-21 NBA title and, perhaps, eventually convince All-Star guard James Harden to rescind his trade request. As of Monday, Harden clearly didn’t want to discuss that topic.

But after his first week of training camp, “The Beard” clearly sees reasons for optimism regarding several of his new teammates — in particular, emerging big man Christian Wood and former All-Stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. With videos, here’s a sampling of what Harden had to say Monday regarding those three newcomers.

On Wall:

His playmaking ability is very, very good. He’s getting guys shots, he’s getting into the paint, he’s drawing pressure at the rim, which allows everybody to get shots.

On Wood:

Very athletic. Uses his length very well. Can shoot the basketball. Can handle it and make a play. He’s very versatile as a big. It’s a nightmare matchup for natural centers who are closing out to him or trying to guard him one-on-one.

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On Cousins:

He’s very versatile, scoring-wise. He can score from the block, which we’ve all seen before. He’s way more comfortable with his 3-ball. So he’s versatile. He has different dynamics to his game, offensively, which allows us more spacing.

Head coach Stephen Silas said that his starting lineup for Wednesday’s regular-season opener versus Oklahoma City would likely feature Harden and Wall in the backcourt; Wood at center; and Danuel House Jr. and PJ Tucker at the forward spots. Cousins is expected to play a prominent role off the bench, largely as Wood’s backup in the middle.

Harden’s complete media availability session after Monday’s practice at Toyota Center can be viewed below.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCbmZPig-S0

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NBA Jerseys: The top-selling rookie jerseys of the last 10 seasons

Rookie Wire took a look at the top-selling jerseys by first-year players in the NBA over the last 10 seasons.

On Tuesday, the NBA is encouraging fans around the world to wear their favorite jersey and post a picture of themselves on social media in celebration of the start of the 2020-21 season.

The first-ever “NBA Jersey Day” will give fans the opportunity to be featured on NBA.com and on team social media accounts around the league. To be considered, fans will need to post a picture in their favorite jersey and tag the player and team while using the #NBAJerseyDay hashtag.

Of course, the regular season will tip-off on Tuesday as the Brooklyn Nets host the Golden State Warriors beginning at 7 p.m. EST on TNT with the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers versus the Los Angeles Clippers to follow.

In the spirit of “NBA Jersey Day” taking place this week, Rookie Wire decided to take a look at the top-selling rookie jerseys over the last 10 seasons.

GM survey: James Harden forces most adjustments of any NBA player

Harden was first and LeBron James second in the question on adjustments, while PJ Tucker was voted as the NBA’s second-toughest player.

All-Star guard and perennial MVP finalist James Harden forces the most adjustments by opposing coaches of any NBA player, according to NBA.com’s 2020-21 “GM Survey” of the league’s general managers.

Harden has led the NBA in scoring for the last three years, and he’s more than 35 points per game over the last two seasons, combined. Yet, on top of his gifts and unique style as a scorer, Harden is also an able and willing passer, as evidenced by his 7.5 assists per game over that time.

Harden came in first in “forces the most adjustments” with 32 percent of the vote from GMs, edging out No. 2 finisher LeBron James (29 percent).

Harden also came in first among GMs in the “best shooting guard” category, with 68 percent of the vote. One reason that Harden didn’t have an even higher percentage is because he also received votes in the “best point guard” category, with some GMs viewing him as a point guard, first.

Veteran teammate PJ Tucker came in second in the “toughest NBA player” question, trailing only rugged center Steven Adams of the New Orleans Pelicans. Elsewhere, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins each received votes as “most underrated player acquisition” from the 2020 offseason.

The complete NBA.com survey can be read here.

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GM survey: James Harden forces most adjustments of any NBA player

Harden was first and LeBron James second in the question on adjustments, while PJ Tucker was voted as the NBA’s second-toughest player.

All-Star guard and perennial MVP finalist James Harden forces the most adjustments by opposing coaches of any NBA player, according to NBA.com’s 2020-21 “GM Survey” of the league’s general managers.

Harden has led the NBA in scoring for the last three years, and he’s more than 35 points per game over the last two seasons, combined. Yet, on top of his gifts and unique style as a scorer, Harden is also an able and willing passer, as evidenced by his 7.5 assists per game over that time.

Harden came in first in “forces the most adjustments” with 32 percent of the vote from GMs, edging out No. 2 finisher LeBron James (29 percent).

Harden also came in first among GMs in the “best shooting guard” category, with 68 percent of the vote. One reason that Harden didn’t have an even higher percentage is because he also received votes in the “best point guard” category, with some GMs viewing him as a point guard, first.

Veteran teammate PJ Tucker came in second in the “toughest NBA player” question, trailing only rugged center Steven Adams of the New Orleans Pelicans. Elsewhere, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins each received votes as “most underrated player acquisition” from the 2020 offseason.

The complete NBA.com survey can be read here.

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Rockets to rest John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins in preseason finale

With Wall and Cousins out for load management, Danuel House Jr. and either Christian Wood or Bruno Caboclo will start on Thursday night.

Former All-Stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins will not play in Thursday night’s preseason finale for the Rockets due to load management, the team announced earlier in the day. It will be Houston’s second straight game to host the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center.

Both Wall and Cousins had started all three earlier exhibitions, with each looking to be in fine form for the 2020-21 season. As such, with both having missed all of 2019-20 due to injuries, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas is understandably being cautious with his 30-year-old veterans.

With Wall out, Eric Gordon will slide into the starting backcourt alongside James Harden, with Danuel House Jr. taking the vacated forward slot.

Cousins will be replaced by either Christian Wood or Bruno Caboclo. Wood, who is expected to be Houston’s starting center in the regular season, has missed the initial three exhibition games with a sore left elbow (non-shooting). He is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. If Wood is held out, Caboclo would presumably make his first start.

Wall averaged 16.3 points (47.5% FG) and 5.3 assists in 22.9 minutes per game during the preseason, while Cousins tallied 10.3 points (46.2% on 3-pointers) and 6.0 rebounds in 17.7 minutes.

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Rockets reaction: Harden debuts, Tate impresses in win over Spurs

James Harden and PJ Tucker each played for the first time this season, while rookie forward Jae’Sean Tate earned plenty of praise.

All-Star guard James Harden and veteran forward PJ Tucker each made their 2020-21 debuts as the Houston Rockets defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Tuesday’s home exhibition game, 112-98 (box score).

Harden scored 12 points and dished out four assists in 21 minutes. He was a bit rusty with a 3-of-10 shooting performance, but he had two steals and was actively engaged with teammates — showing no signs of any awkwardness after reportedly seeking a trade this offseason.

John Wall and Ben McLemore led the Rockets with 15 points each, while rookie forward Jae’Sean Tate impressed off the bench with 11 points (5-of-7 shooting) and seven rebounds in just 18 minutes.

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Unfortunately, second-year guard Chris Clemons left early with what appeared to be a severe injury (reportedly a torn Achilles).

Here’s a look at the key takeaways and storylines from Tuesday at Toyota Center, complete with postgame quotes and analysis. For a second straight day, Harden was not made available to reporters.

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets live stream, NBA Preseason, TV channel, start time, prediction, odds

The Houston Rockets will host the San Antonio Spurs from the Toyota Center in NBA preseason action, stream it live right here.

The Houston Rockets will host the San Antonio Spurs from the Toyota Center in NBA preseason action.

The Rockets are 1-1 so far after splitting the first two games against the Bulls this preseason and will look to add another win to their record tonight. John Wall is on pace to have a fantastic year and will look for another solid game from him. Meanwhile, the Spurs look for another win after dropping their preseason opener to OKC on Saturday. Between Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, the Spurs should be able to compete with the best in the NBA if they are shooting well.

This should be a fun one to get NBA fans in the mood for the start of the season, here is everything you need to know to stream the preseason action tonight.

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets

  • When: Tuesday, December 15
  • Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ATT Sportsnet Southwest
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: The Spurs have struggled so far and have not looked great this preseason while the Rockets have played well. I’ll take the Rockets in this one to come out on top.

Bet: Houston Rockets -4

NBA Odds and Betting Lines

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Tuesday at 7:20 p.m. ET.

San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets -4

O/U: 223.5

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James Harden watch: John Wall not enough to sway Rockets star

ESPN is reporting that the Houston Rockets’ acquisition of John Wall has not impressed James Harden enough to change his mind.

Shortly after John Wall arrived in Houston, he told reporters he and James Harden have “been on the same page” since the guard was traded to the Rockets by the Washington Wizards in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Wall’s comments haven’t seemed to line-up with Harden’s actions once — with Monday’s development being no exception to the rule.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, the Rockets’ acquisition of Wall “has left All-NBA guard James Harden unmoved and uninterested in pursuing a new partnership.” The 2018 NBA MVP still wants out and “continues to push the Houston Rockets for a trade.”

Additionally, the Nets remain one of Harden’s top two destinations, alongside Philadelphia. As it pertains to the Sixers, the problem for Houston is Philly doesn’t want to move Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, per Woj and Shelburne.

When it comes to the Nets, Houston is “uninterested in a package primarily compromised of the Nets complementary players and draft picks.” Neither side is interested in involving Kyrie Irving in the deal.

“For starters, the Nets and Rockets would need to find a more palatable young player on a third team as part of a broader deal, sources said, and there’s no indication that prospect has gained any traction in recent weeks.”

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For more on Houston’s perspective in the Harden saga, head over to USA Today SMG’s Rockets Wire.