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D'Antoni: With Paul back in lineup, 'what we've done up to now doesn't count'

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Houston Rockets have carved out the third-best record in the NBA going into Thursday, and have done so with Chris Paul only playing a total of 33 minutes. With the point guard's return expected in Phoenix, coach Mike D'Antoni knows that it's back to the drawing board.

"What we have done up to now doesn't count," D'Antoni said Wednesday, via the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "We have a new team. When you put that big of a rock into a pond, there's big waves."

Through 15 games, the Rockets have been using last season's template: Run the entire attack through James Harden, who's averaging 10.3 assists to go along with his league-leading 30.7 points per game. During this run, they've seen Clint Capela further emerge as a devastating roll man, while keeping their shooters like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson engaged.

The question of how Paul affects the balance of the offense goes back to before his knee injury, when D'Antoni said he would keep him and Harden on the floor together for just 18 minutes per contest.

"We have to figure out, one, give him a chance to get into game shape, and two, everybody's rotation will be a little bit different," D'Antoni said Wednesday. "We have the next two or three games to get that smoothed out."

The Rockets currently rank third in the NBA in net rating and offensive rating, and third in true shooting percentage.

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