DALLAS - The Rockets' return to a full complement of rotation players left Gerald Green out of the mix on Monday when he returned from his two-game suspension, though coach Mike D'Antoni said he would be happy to play Green if the need arises. Until then, he said he would try to explain Green's revised role while seeking to give his four players off the bench enough time to be effective.

"Just keep talking to him, tell him to stay ready," D'Antoni said. "That's his job. He's in a great place. But I can't upset five guys to appease one. I'd rather have one guy kind of out of it and four happy. I've got to keep a core that knows about their minutes. Now, whenever I can, I'll play him. I won't hesitate to play him. If somebody's hurt or sick, he'll play. Or if I can find time, I will."

The Rockets hope to trim the minutes of their stars, Chris Paul and James Harden, and more significantly for their forwards. Though D'Antoni said Green's attitude remained "great," he said he does worry about how players react to being the odd man out.

"It just helps overall, knowing you have more weapons to choose from," D'Antoni said. "If one is not firing on all cylinders because he's tired or whatever, we got another guy to come in. Having depth is key and we have a lot of it. The problem I have is trying to find room for everybody and play them. When all of them are playing well, what do you do? If somebody's ticked off, I don't blame them."

Gerald Green's role diminished with Rockets returning to full strength

Updated 7:02 pm, Wednesday, January 24, 2018