"When Rockets coach Kevin McHale said so often he would shrink his rotation, it was assumed he meant he would play fewer players.

McHale has, but the downsizing has been bigger than that. The starters have remained the same through nine games, but McHale has played his point guards, Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic, together.

He has played his backup shooting guard, Courtney Lee, as a small forward. He has played his small forward, Chandler Parsons as a power forward.

When small was not small enough — for five minutes as the Rockets ran away from the Timberwolves — McHale even had all 185 pounds of Kevin Martin as a "power" forward."