The Rockets will face the Mavericks twice in the first three games of the season and the Spurs twice in the first two weeks. That does not mean they will hold out some of their schemes with those games in mind as they finish their preseason schedule in Dallas and San Antonio this week.
There will be more than enough scouting, Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said, for each opponent to check out the Rockets, anyway. But running the usual offensive and defensive schemes against the Mavericks and Spurs will allow the Rockets to see how their opponents react.