Dwight Howard practices his freethrows. Photo by Celest Flores/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — This trip halfway across the world to Manila will go a long way to building chemistry among the retooled Houston Rockets.
Star center Dwight Howard, the Rockets’ biggest acquisition over the summer, said that the four days they spent here in the country for the NBA Global Games helped them bond each other.
“This gives us a chance to get away from everything and be with each other. That’s great,” Howard told reporters during the team’s media availability. “The bus rides, the little things we do like dinner.”
The Rockets, along with the Indiana Pacers who they battle Thursday night in a pre-season match, have been in the Philippines since Monday.
“Especially with a team like this, with a couple of new guys, we get this opportunity to bond with each other. It will really help us during the season,” Howard also said.
After a tumultuous season in Los Angeles, Howard gets a fresh start with Houston where he is likewise surrounded with tremendous talent starting with the explosive backcourt of James Harden and Jeremy Lin.
“You know, I love these guys. I think we fit well together. We want to make each other better. We’re looking forward to this season.”
Howard also relishes playing under Rockets’ coach Kevin McHale, who is one of the best low-post scorers in history.
“We’ve been training all summer. I really enjoy him. Great guy. Great coach. and we have the same beliefs. We understand that bigs have to dominate the paint, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Right now, though, Howard’s biggest concern with 20 days away from the 2013-2014 season is “learning the plays, getting accustomed to the system.”
“It takes a good 2-3 weeks to learn all the new plays. That’s the biggest thing,” said Howard.