Rockets release Lin to make room on roster for Dalembert (original) (raw)
The Rockets released guard Jeremy Lin late Saturday night to reduce the roster to 14 players and make room to sign center Samuel Dalembert.
Dalembert, 30, agreed to join the Rockets on Wednesday, but they were unable to sign him in time to go through Friday’s two practices or the Saturday morning practice.
Coach Kevin McHale was unsure if Dalembert, 6-11, would play tonight against Dwight Howard and the Magic.
“I think it is (a setback),” Rockets guard Kevin Martin said of Dalembert not practicing before the season opener. “We looked forward to him getting out there, getting into game shape, trying to get our system down. Of course it’s a setback, but Jordan (Hill), (Hasheem) Thabeet and Marcus Morris, they have to step up.”
Still, Martin is happy to have the help.
“That was our Christmas gift,” Martin said. “We need somebody like that on this team, like we all know. We’re ready for him to get out there and see what he has.”
Fits and starts
The Rockets do not expect to be a polished, regular-season product in tonight’s opener in Orlando.
The key, they said, will be to get there quickly and win on the way.
“No team is going to be sharp when they first come out just because of the short period of time,” guard Courtney Lee said. “As the season goes on, it always gets better. It starts to flow a lot better. You’ll see that.”
Coach Kevin McHale said changes are difficult coming out of the short preseason.
“Continuity always helps,” he said. “The more time you spend with each other, the more comfortable you become. And the more time you have in your offensive sets, defensive schemes, the more comfortable you are. Being on the floor, you need to be comfortable and not thinking, just reacting. It takes a while. Teams with time together have a big advantage.”
Welcome addition
In addition to whatever help at center Samuel Dalembert will bring, the Rockets said they feel good just about the news.
In a tough, rushed preseason, pockmarked by the negated trade of the top two Rockets scorers and failed pursuits of other centers, the addition of Dalembert brings a well-known veteran with skills that match the team’s needs and without the upheaval of a trade.
“It definitely helps your spirits,” forward Chase Budinger said. “You have another great player coming in that can definitely help your team. The thing is, we don’t know what he’s been doing the last couple weeks. Hopefully, he comes in shape and ready to go right away because he doesn’t have much time to get acclimated to this team.”