One thing each member of the Houston Rockets must remember to pack

DeMarre Carroll – His Team-first Attitude

It would be strange if DeMarre Carroll didn’t travel with this, as it’s the most endearing quality in the 6-6 forward. A veteran since 2009, Carroll got a rough break when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets after the most productive seasons of his NBA career.

While the San Antonio Spurs are normally a franchise that revives the careers of veterans and propels rising stars, there’s no questioning they boggled the Carroll situation from day one. DeMarre almost never saw the floor in the Alamo City but still kept his head up, posting positive messages on his Twitter and Instagram frequently.

Even while writing this, I came across this post from Carroll, one day before he’s set to travel to an uncertain situation:

https://twitter.com/DeMarreCarroll1/status/1280876018958577666?s=20

Now in a free-flowing offensive scheme with a coach less hesitant to experiment with lineups, Carroll has already scored more points in Houston in six games than he did in 15 with the Spurs. His basketball IQ and defensive efforts also make him worthy of seeing some time on the floor in Orlando.

Jeff Green – His Textbook in Advanced Shooting 

I’m not sure what got into Jeff Green when he arrived in Houston, but he’s been lighting it up from the field. Maybe he was just happy to get out of Utah? Maybe he’s been studying? Or maybe he’s just been practicing his shooting form more than ever — but Green has been shooting 62.1 percent for the Houston Rockets so far.

Granted, Green has only shown up in 10 games for Houston, but his efficient shooting has been a welcome sight. His 41.2 percent shooting from the 3-point line can earn Green even more minutes if he can keep up that kind of shooting pace.

Luc Mbah a Moute – Footage of His Last Stint with the Rockets

One of the upsides of having a GM like Daryl Morey is that he’s constantly working to improve his roster, even if it means going back to former guys the Rockets have allowed to get away. Robert Covington was one of those, which the Rockets remedied this year by trading to get the 3-and-D specialist back.

Another 3-and-D specialist, Luc Mbah a Moute, will also be joining Houston for the second time after a successful 2017-18 season with the club. Considering he hasn’t seen NBA action since October 2018, Luc’s main goal should be to try and get back to how he played with the Rockets his first time around when he played lockdown defense at times and shot 36.4 percent from downtown.

As Mike D’Antoni recently said, Luc is also a great locker room and bench guy, so just his presence alone can go along way in Orlando.

Next: Rivers, McLemore, and Gordon