DeMarre Carroll Looks Forward to Extended Training Camp With Rockets

Carroll played just six games for the Rockets in 2019-20 before the NBA's coronavirus suspension on March 11.

DeMarre Carroll was one of numerous in-season additions for the Rockets in 2019-20, and the veteran forward has gotten lost in the shuffle to a degree when projecting Houston's playoff rotation. 

Robert Covington has established himself as a linchpin of the Rockets' small-ball starting five. Jeff Green will likely be Houston's backup center in Orlando. Neither Luc Mbah a Moute nor Bruno Caboclo are guaranteed minutes in the NBA restart, though both players sport an intriguing blend of length and athleticism. Carroll is more of a known quantity, albeit with a lower ceiling. So how can the 11-year veteran make an impact in Orlando? For Carroll, his performance on the defensive end is paramount. 

"I’ve got to be active, and do what I’ve been doing my whole career," Carroll told the media in a Zoom call on Thursday. "Switching on good players, trying to slow down great players. I’ve just got to use my IQ like I always have been, and that’s what I want to bring this team."

Carroll appeared in just six games with the Rockets before the NBA's COVID-19 hiatus began in March. He posted a respectable percentage from the floor in a smattering of minutes, though his performance didn't portend a breakout playoffs. Carroll believes an extended training camp with the Rockets could lead to quality playing time when the season resumes on July 31.

"Coming to a team that’s already playing really good basketball, you just have to gel in," Carroll said. "Now, giving me a training camp and letting me learn certain things, I think that can only help."

The Marquette product is no stranger to the postseason. Carroll has logged over 1,700 playoff minutes across 62 appearances, starting a combined 35 games in the 2015 and 2016 playoffs. He won't be spooked by the bright lights in Orlando. 

Perhaps the 33-year-old isn't a bankable rotational asset, though he brings another long body on the wing for Mike D'Antoni and the small-ball Rockets. The next two weeks will give Carroll a chance to crack D'Antoni's rotation as the Rockets eye their first Finals appearance since 1995.