The middle of the NBA season is not the best time to work on getting better. With games stacked on top of each other practice time is sparse, and even when the schedule affords you time to hit the practice floor, you're limited by what you can do. That's why the Rockets have been presented with a great opportunity from now until the All Star break.
In the 32 days that spanned December 10 to January 10 the Rockets played 18 games with six different sets of back-to-backs, but the schedule now eases up considerably. The team will not play another back-to-back until February 16 and 17, which will take them to the break and the team will play just 11 games in the 29 days leading up to it.
"Our practice time is so, so important to our group, because we have so many young guys," Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said. "We're trying to teach them, and like I said before, we've been very, very simple as far as what we've been doing."
Silas currently has three rookies in his rotation. One of those players, Jalen Green, is a starter. Second year man, Jae'Sean Tate, and Kevin Porter Jr, playing in his third NBA season, are also entrenched in the Rockets starting lineup. It is a very young group, and it's having to learn on the fly during an NBA campaign. The Rockets were able to hold practices during their busy stretch, but over the next month, Silas will be able to lead more impactful sessions.
"It'd be great to have real practices where you can go live in multiple segments of the practice and stop and teach and learn and grow, and then do it the next day," he said. "Instead of having to worry about the load, and the games coming up."
Because the Rockets had a game the previous night and will play again the next night, Silas' practices tend to be light and centered around film sessions, but the Rockets don't play again until Wednesday when they'll take on the Jazz in Salt Lake City, and after Friday's game in San Francisco they'll have three off days before the Spurs visit Toyota Center on January 25.
"Having the time off will do two things," Silas said. "It'll allow us to learn better and grow and use practice as a live dress rehearsal, and then it'll also give us the opportunity for guys who are banged up, or the guys who are feeling at this time of the season because that's how it is this time of the year. They'll get a little bit more rest, which is equally as important."
The Rockets are one of four teams to have played 45 games this season.
