Rockets' Patrick Beverley: Expected to remain in starting five

Beverley, who was cleared for full practice Tuesday, is expected to remain in the starting lineup to begin the season, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

Coach Mike D'Antoni raised some eyebrows at Monday's media day when he intimated that James Harden would often function as the Rockets' point guard, which led to speculation that Beverley could be moved into a bench role. It doesn't look like that will be the case, however, as D'Antoni clarified Tuesday that still envisions Harden and Beverley sharing the backcourt. "Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah," D'Antoni said. "[Beverley] can play off the ball, on the ball. He's a great defensive player so there's a lot of spots he can play." Beverley has served as the Rockets' primary starting point guard for the last three seasons, though Harden is often the one tasked with initiating offense and handling the ball in transition. Even under a new coaching regime, that's not likely to change this season, though the addition of free agent Eric Gordon threatens to cut into Beverley's workload.