For a team like the Houston Rockets who uses the NBA’s D-League with regularity, it isn’t always noteworthy when they assign or recall a player from their affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, their latest addition to the “big club” could be one that has an impact in the short term.
Rookie point guard Isaiah Canaan has joined the Rockets, and when he suits up on Sunday, there is a real possibility that the 22-year-old from Murray State could join the rotation. Because fellow scoring point guard Aaron Brooks was dealt to the Denver Nuggets at the trade deadline, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is down to two point guards in Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverley, and before he left town, Brooks was playing nearly 17 minutes per game.
Canaan has only appeared in 5 games during his rookie season (thanks to the logjam in front of him), but many believed that the 34th overall pick was “NBA-ready” after leaving college, and he’ll certainly be able to score effectively if given the opportunity. McHale may not choose to insert him early in his return, but it would be a surprise if Canaan wasn’t on the floor at some point on Sunday.