Plumlee gets start at center; Parker back in starting lineup

Center Miles Plumlee is moving back into the starting lineup for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Coach Jason Kidd announced the move in his pregame remarks before the Bucks faced the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Kidd also said Jabari Parker would return to the starting five and Matthew Dellavedova would remain the starter at point guard, with Malcolm Brogdon coming off the bench. Parker did not start Saturday in Miami after being disciplined for speaking about a team meeting following the Bucks' loss at Orlando on Saturday.

Plumlee replaces John Henson, who has started the last 34 games. The 6-foot-11 Plumlee was the starter in the first nine games of the season but struggled and was moved to the bench. Plumlee was the No. 3 center behind Henson and Greg Monroe.

But Plumlee got a chance in Orlando and scored seven points in 16 minutes. He did not play (coach's decision) in Miami on Saturday.

"You go back to Orlando and Houston," Kidd said. "We need him. He's been sitting for a while. We all know on our roster we have three centers. It's hard to play all of them.

"We're looking at this point of giving him a chance and see what he can do with it."

Kidd also said he liked the way Dellavedova responded to being put back in the starting lineup in Miami.

Dellavedova had struggled off the bench but immediately showed his usual hustle and grit, helping to steal the opening tip in the game against the Heat and later diving on the floor several times.

"His grit is sometimes overlooked," Kidd said. "We always look at the numbers, the box score. But his intensity, his leadership is why we wanted him. He plays extremely hard while he's out on the floor, and I thought in Miami he was really, really good."

The Bucks (20-23) have lost five in a row entering the game with the Rockets (34-13), one of the top teams in the NBA. Houston sank 14 of 44 three-point attempts in a 111-92 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday at the Toyota Center.

Houston is coming off a 119-95 victory over Memphis at the FedExForum on Saturday as former Wisconsin star Sam Dekker scored a career-high 30 points in his first NBA start. Dekker hit 6 of 11 three-pointers in the game. Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela will start against the Bucks, so Dekker will come off the bench behind Anderson.

Kidd said he can play rookie Thon Maker at both the power forward and center spots. Maker played in the fourth quarter in Miami with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Parker, a look that gives Milwaukee a front line of 7-1, 6-11 and 6-8.

"You look at Maker; he's been great," Kidd said. "He came in and I thought he handled himself well as a starter. The minutes he was out there, he was fresh. He was running around. He was productive on both ends. He was one of the positive guys on the plus-minus.

"He does that in practice. He works extremely hard and he's always prepared and ready to play."