Podcast: Harden, Capela push faster pace as Rockets rout Sharks

Tuesday’s episode of Locked on Rockets breaks down key takeaways from the 140-71 victory by Houston in Monday’s preseason opener at Toyota Center against the Shanghai Sharks.

Segment one (2:00) addresses the quicker pace led by James Harden (10 points, 17 assists, 12 rebounds in 21 minutes) and Clint Capela (25 points, 10 rebounds in 19 minutes), and why it bodes well for the integration of Russell Westbrook down the road.

Mike D'Antoni on increased pace: "Yeah we talked about it. The biggest thing is James [Harden] looked like he wanted to do it in a sense that he speeded it up."

— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) October 1, 2019

Segment two (18:15) explores the strong showing versus Shanghai by rookie guard Chris Clemons (21 points, 7/16 FG in 19 minutes) and whether he could make a push for a standard contract from the Rockets, rather than a two-way deal.

Segment three (29:00) recaps head coach Mike D’Antoni’s postgame praise of newcomer Ben McLemore (17 points, five three-pointers), and why the presence of McLemore and veteran Ryan Anderson could make it very tough for Anthony Bennett (out, knee tendinitis) to earn a roster spot in Houston.

Mike D'Antoni on Ben McLemore: "There's no reason why he's not an NBA player. And a good one."

— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) October 1, 2019

Tune in to Tuesday’s Locked on Rockets podcast (with Ben DuBose) for full analysis of Houston’s preseason opener:

RECAP: @BenDuBose explores what we learned from the #Rockets preseason opener.

Topics include flashes from Chris Clemons and Ben McLemore, and the importance of James Harden (17 assists in 21 minutes) and Clint Capela (25/10) leading a much faster pace:https://t.co/2e6ansGORj

— Locked On Rockets (@LockedOnRockets) October 1, 2019