LAKE CHARLES, La. – As the Rockets headed into the final 10-minute session at Wednesday's scrimmage, Mike D'Antoni worried. He was happy with how hard his players competed, but was not entirely thrilled with the idea of sparring partners trading punches for a few more rounds on just the second day of camp.

D'Antoni was ready to call it a day. James Harden and Chris Paul, no doubt influenced by a strong stretch from the second unit, would have none of that. They wanted and got another 10-minute clock to finish strong with Harden even pulling Gerald Green back on the floor for more. (The starters won the final session, 19-11.)

By then, there were plenty of training camp legs on the floor. The first scrimmage is always tough. The scrimmage the next day is a clear example that the only way to prepare to play NBA basketball is by playing NBA basketball. Wednesday's was no exception.

A good media rule for viewing training camp scrimmages and practices is to never conclude too much from glimpses. There is so much time on the court, a view of a few 10-minute sessions can be misleading. A player that can't make a shot when the media is allowed in might have been on fire for the bulk of the day. It can work the other way around, too.

Still, after two days of practices and conversations with those that observed all of it, there can be some first impressions, if not conclusions, so it is time for another 3-pointers, training camp edition.

1. Carmelo Anthony seems to be working extensively at power forward, rather than the up-for-grabs small forward spot, which should come as a surprise to exactly no one. He shot exceedingly well on both days, and played well in other ways on Wednesday while running the floor with Michael Carter-Williams at the point.

The starter at small forward remains uncertain, with Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni weighing a variety of options.

Eric Gordon in a three-guard lineup makes sense in many ways. The Rockets' offense was sensational when Gordon, James Harden and Chris Paul were on the floor together last season. Harden can match up with small forwards defensively, as he often does, anyway. Gordon with the holdover starters would allow D'Antoni to return to something that worked in a 65-win season.

Most of all, if Gordon starts, rather than sits for the first six minutes of each half, his 30 to 32 minutes per game can be spread across 48 minutes instead of squeezed into 36 minutes, which often would force him to fade late in his stretches on the floor, or to come in and out of games, making it tough to finish as he often will this season.

James Ennis III, however, has been impressive in Lake Charles and in the workouts last week in Houston. His defense and energy has grabbed attention. His speed running the floor not only could help invigorate the Rockets' break, but can get him to a corner opposite of P.J. Tucker, a key to the Rockets' halfcourt offense.

Gordon can get there, too, but that negates some of the value of his deep range to help with spacing. Ennis is not likely to shoot at Gordon's level, but with the starters, he can take almost all of his 3s from the corners, giving him a chance to shoot well enough for D'Antoni to keep his defense on the floor.

All of that remains to be seen. The Rockets will no doubt look at Anthony at both forward spots, especially since they are basically the same in the Rockets offense. A pair of scrimmages offer only ideas of what to watch through the preseason. Wednesday's workout, however, seemed to demonstrate that D'Antoni will have good, if tough choices to make.

2. The backup center spot, excluding Nene's place in the rotation behind Clint Capela, was expected to come down to Isaiah Hartenstein, Zhou Qi and Marquese Chriss. For now, Hartenstein seems to have a decisive lead.

Zhou has been out with a sprained ankle, giving Hartenstein a head start. Chriss needs to get accustomed to the Rockets' system and his role.

Playing at the speed the Rockets' offense demands, especially from its rolling centers, a great feel for the offense. Everything must be automatic, instinctive. A player thinking his way through the dribble handoffs and rolls will not move at the speed that Capela uses so well.

Chriss has skills that could be valuable at center. He might benefit from having a clear role, rather than trying to play at multiple positions while sharing time and reps with players at the same stage of development as he had with the Suns. But for now, he has to play catch up while working to improve his conditioning.

Hartenstein benefits from his year in the system under Matt Brase and Joseph Blair with the Vipers. He bet on himself by signing a G League contract last season. In the initial days of camp, it seems to have paid off.

He runs the Rockets' offense swiftly enough to give D'Antoni the vertical spacing he wants (and that should eventually come with Chriss' skills.) He switches smoothly. He even held his own on consecutive switches on to James Harden before Harden went MVP mode on him a few trips down the floor later.

There is a long way to go, with Chriss likely to grow more accustomed to his new duties and Zhou to join the practices. But through two days of camp, the rookie is in front.

3. Carmelo Anthony will get 10 times the attention the Rockets' other off-season acquisitions will receive and that makes sense. He is a 10-time All-Star who will eventually be in the Hall of Fame. The same cannot be said of James Ennis III or Michael Carter-Williams.

It has been odd that the conversations about the Rockets often seem to exclude Ennis. Carter-Williams, however, had been easy to overlook through the off-season and impossible to miss so far in training camp.

Carter-Williams will work at several wing positions, but with Brandon Knight out, has gotten extensive time as a backup point, particular while Chris Paul and James Harden work together in a starting backcourt. As a point guard, Carter-Williams can run pick-and-roll and distribute the ball, keeping him from catch-and-shoot duties. He has exceled in the open floor and defensively.

The Rockets never really settled on a third point guard last season, using Eric Gordon when Paul or Harden was out. He might be best served to work as a shooter, rather than facilitator, especially if he ends up a starter.

That would make having a fill-in point important. Some scene-stealing moments at Wednesday's scrimmage won't carve out a role, but with Knight out, Carter-Williams will be someone to watch when the games begin next week.