Rockets Royce White skips game, practice, to be sent to D-League

UPDATE 10:19 pm: Royce White took to twitter to answer critics and defend himself on Tuesday night. He said first hat the flight to Detroit the Rockets had to take was not the issue.

I’m most definitely* not AWOL... There are many things here ppl don’t know, #Honesty is what I’m sticking with. @houstonrockets “Luke 12:3"

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

While #anxiety is the issue, the main piece of that isn’t AIRPLANES, it’s asking for support 4 my disorder thats consistent and fair.

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

Again My “Anxiety” is not well but not BAD, my main WORRY is being treated as a digit instead of a HUMAN, in the case of my health.

— Royce White (@Highway_30) November 14, 2012

The Rockets feel they have been accommodating. This is not a situation with easy, simple answers.

7: 14 pm: Royce White — the Rockets first-round draft pick who has been battling an anxiety disorder — has been away from the team for several days now, reports the Houston Chronicle.

No reason for the absence has been given.

The Rockets are planning to send White (along with Scott Machado and Donatas Motiejunas) to the D-League’s Rio Grande team. However, as of right now White is not with the Rockets. He was not at the game Monday night (he has been on the inactive list for most games this season) but his absence seems to be longer than that,

Chronicle writer Jonathan Feigan reports.

Marcus Morris, asked if he had spoken with White about his experience in the D-League last year, said White had not been at practice for at least three days.

Tuesday night, Rockets GM Daryl Morey released a statement:

“Royce is not available right now. We are committed to his long term success and we will continue to support him now and going forward.”

Well, that is vague. More ominous is what Rockets owner Leslie Alexander said to Feigan, including that there were “internal repercussions” for White’s absences.

Alexander would not elaborate, but ominously added, “If he doesn’t work out, well, it’s tough to lose a draft choice.”

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) November 13, 2012

White is a very talented player and the Rockets given him room to set up his own travel arrangements (he was going to pay for a bus to drive him to games — part of White’s anxiety disorder includes a fear of flying. The heavy travel and broken routines of an NBA lifestyle (especially on the road) will be White to deal with due to his disorder.

To be clear, we don’t know if White’s absence is related to the disorder. We don’t really know much of anything. Like the Rockets, we’re still hopeful this can all still work out.