HONOLULU — Russell Westbrook smiled brightly, as people visiting paradise often do, even if his is a bit of a modified business trip.

Westbrook went through the voluntary workouts Tuesday and the practice Wednesday, but once again the Rockets will hold him out of a preseason game, as they had Monday in Houston.

Still, he said there will be no frustration with watching his new teammates play without him, no test of his patience.

On Monday, he took a turn participating in the Toyota Center dance cam. By Wednesday, he still seemed as unconcerned with the wait to take the floor.

“What’s the rush?” said Westbrook, who had offseason surgeries on his right knee and left hand. “No rush. Got a lot of time.”

In time, Westbrook will have to become accustomed to new teammates and they to him. When a player gets traded, he needs to adjust. When a point guard is traded, to some degree everyone adjusts.

But Westbrook was as unconcerned with that as with waiting for one of next week’s games in Tokyo to make his Rockets’ debut. The trip is a chance to know his teammates better than if he was in the NBA routine.

As much as trips such as the Rockets’ preseason jaunt to Honolulu and Tokyo are always said to be valuable for “bonding,” Westbrook has said his priority is about learning players’ life stories and priorities.

Chemistry on a fast break or pick-and-roll will come.

“I think it’s more off the court,” Westbrook said.

“Getting a chance to know your teammate off the court is more important to me. The game will tell you what to do. Understanding where your teammates like the ball, that stuff will come. But understanding who somebody is, understanding what they are about is more important.”

He was not talking about checking out Diamond Head in Honolulu or navigating the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. His idea of sharing is more personal.

“That’s a part of being a leader, man,” Westbrook said. “That’s real leadership. Guys lead and fake lead. To me, that’s real leadership, understanding what guys go through, what’s their upbringing, what they stand for. To me, that’s the more important thing. That’s always been important.”

There is time for the basketball, too, even if he will take a seat when the game against the Clippers begins at Stan Sheriff Center Thursday night in Hawaii (12:05 a.m. Friday in Houston).

Wednesday’s was Westbrook’s fourth full practice with the Rockets, not including the morning drills during two-a-days. That has been enough to begin the adjustment process and consider him on schedule to be cleared to play in one of the games in Tokyo next week.

“He’s on track,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’ll get more practices in him and we’ll see, but he’s close. His timing is not there yet because he has not played all summer, but he looks good.”

There also has been enough time on the floor, even if limited to practices, to bring a reminder of Westbrook’s passionate playing style.

“It feels great,” guard James Harden said of their on-court reunion. “Obviously, in practice when we do our drills and what not, his competitive spirit is just different. He loves to win, but the way he goes about it, he gets after it. That’s the type of player you want on your team.”

For now, those are just glimpses. Westbrook might practice the way he plays and he clearly values time together off the floor, but he has acknowledged that in time, he will have to get accustomed to where teammates feel most comfortable and they will have to get used to the speed he brings to a break.

He and Harden will eventually need to find a balance of playmaking when sharing the court, but D’Antoni intends to stagger his point guards playing time, which will have Westbrook running the offense for long stretches when Harden is out of the game, along with some possessions when they are on the court together.

“It’s definitely going to take time,” said Rockets guard Eric Gordon, who while starting also is likely to play often when Harden sits. “He’s a great player, Russ is. He’s going to figure it out. We’re all going to figure it out. It’s all about adjusting. I think it’s going to work out sooner than later.”

Until then, Westbrook was happy to share more than practice time.

“That’s everybody, that’s what these trips are for, an opportunity to get to know somebody off the court,” Harden said. “That’s your teammate, somebody you try to compete for a title for. You get to know them. Not just Russ, but the entire team has that type of mentality.”

Being able to deliver on-target, no-look passes can wait.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

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