Rockets to monitor Dwight Howard's minutes
Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale said Monday the team will monitor the workload of star center Dwight Howard this upcoming season.
McHale said during the Rockets' media day session he doesn't have a specific plan for number of minutes played or whether Howard will participate in back-to-backs, but team doctors and the strength and conditioning staff will play a significant role in determining what guidelines the team might use.
"We'd like to make sure he plays more games and like to make sure he's more healthy this year because he's a huge part of what we're doing and he is such a dominant force," McHale said.
Howard, 29, played in a career-low 41 games last season due to an assortment of injuries. He missed 26 consecutive games in a three-month stretch in the second half of the season with a right knee injury. When Howard returned, he didn't play in back-to-back games and his minutes were limited to no more than 20 until the late stages of the regular season.
Howard also sprained his left knee during the Western Conference finals last season but didn't miss any games.
"The main thing is, when I'm out there on the floor, I deliver the best effort I can for my teammates -- that's the most important thing," said Howard.