http://www.themonitor.com/sports/ho...cle_e400f8ec-88d4-11e5-b1f1-93c785058152.html ==================================== Posted: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 6:30 pm DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER EDINBURG — Rockets wing K.J. McDaniels wasted no time during his first practice with the Vipers on Wednesday afternoon. Hours after Houston assigned the second-year player to NBA D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley, McDaniels stayed long after a two-hour practice to continue to work on ballhandling and shooting with Vipers assistant coach Cody Toppert. McDaniels, 22, is the first Rockets assignee of the 2015-16 D-League season with the Vipers’ opener Friday at home against Idaho. “I’m here to get better and use it as a learning tool,” McDaniels said. “I need to expand my game even more and just be more ready to help the team.” McDaniels was acquired by the Rockets in a mid-season trade with Philadelphia last season. McDaniels averaged 7.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21.8 minutes in 52 games with the rebuilding Sixers, but played sparingly on a stacked Houston team. He played 10 games with the Rockets last season, and played three games this season, averaging 3 minutes. “We talked about using this as an opportunity to get better,” Vipers coach Matt Brase said. “Don’t look at it as any sort of punishment. Use it to develop your game and get better as a basketball player. It doesn’t matter where you are, you want to get to the best of your ability and perform to your potential. K.J. is still young, and the learning increases when you’re getting live game reps instead of in a practice setting.” Brase said McDaniels, whom the coach says is “an extreme athlete with good length,” is a natural runner in transition who has worked hard to improve his shot and decision-making. The next step is molding the former Clemson standout into a top defender and getting him attacking gaps aggressively on offense. With the Vipers, McDaniels will be able to play heavy minutes, instead of sitting games with the Rockets, in a Vipers system that has the same terminology and habits as the Rockets’. “Being able to play is good,” McDaniels said. “It’s very important, especially for a time for development. The main goal is to contribute to a high-level team. They felt this is where I needed to be to do that, so I’m not looking at it as a negative. “I’m staying positive and working like I’ve been doing.” dsilva@themonitor.com FAST BREAKS: Last season, the Rockets assigned three different players to the Vipers a total of 10 times. … The Vipers released rookie forwards Michael Craig and Jamee Crockett on Wednesday to get their roster to the league-mandated 12 players. The Vipers’ opening regular season roster consists of three returners (guards Jaron Johnson and Jarvis Threatt, and forward Raphiael Putney), four Rockets affiliate players (guards Will Cummings and Denzel Livingston, forward Chris Walker and center Joshua Smith), one tryout invitee (guard Ty Johnson) and four rookies, including D-League first-round draft picks Amir Williams and Jarvis Summers.
At this point would rather have him in our rotation than Brewer. He can't really be worse and would improve a lot with playing time and comfort.
http://dleague.nba.com/games/20151113/IDARGV/ Game 1 of the season already played. May be better off watching the Vipers until DMo is back or McHale is fired.
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Joshua Smith hopefully loses 30lbs and can get a call up. He's got good hands, is a good passer, and got good feet. He can play.