Dwight Howard (suspension) said he is ready to play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Grizzlies, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Howard (suspension) said he is ready to play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Grizzlies, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

Howard indicated he'd have no issues playing both ends of the Rockets' back-to-back set to kick off the preseason set, suggesting he has nothing to worry about on the health front. While it's possible that coach Kevin McHale will deploy Howard in both games, the Rockets do plan on reducing the star center's minutes this season in an effort to keep him on the court after a wide range of injuries limited him to 41 games in 2014-15. Howard is slated to miss the first game of the regular season due to a suspension, but barring any preseason injury setbacks, he should be ready to make his debut Oct. 30 against the Warriors.