I liked how Houston handled this most recent situation. Heavy handed and fining Royce White for not living up to his obligations.
Royce White wanted Houston to make special allowances for him due to his condition, the Rockets complied, they made an agreement stating those conditions and Royce White failed to meet his obligations.
Looks to me like someone who is almost going out of his way to cause problems in Houston (either he is doing this intentionally or he is just handling this situation so bloody awful that it looks that way). That mess in training camp should have been dealt with way before October. Back in the middle of summer. Instead, knowing that there was a problem and he needed Houston's help to nagivate it, Royce Whitewaited until he could make the most noise, create the most publicity and only talked about it then. Trying to show up the team. Instead of going out and dealing with a problem he knew was there months prior.
And now he is at again. Seems like a spoilt brat who insists everything in the world revolve around him and answer his every whim. Not just needs. Whim. And the minute something doesn't go his way (no playing time), he acts up again. I bet this most recent issue wouldn't have even happened if White was in the starting lineup playing 30+ minutes a night.
We'll see how this plays out in time but that is my read on him so far. He doesn't look like someone who is willing to put the work in (both on the court in terms of earning his playing time and off the court in terms of handling his condition). Wants everything instantly with no regard for the situation or anyone around him + throws a hissy fit when he doesn't get it. Anyway, we'll see ... but initial signs are very worrying for Houston.
The problem with the situation is that if you look at it from White's perspective, his actions make more sense than Houston's.
He is the expert on his own condition, and it seems like he was able to handle it most of the time in college. And the testimonies about him are generally positive.
He obviously needs a firm support system around him for therapy and daily routines, and if those aren't around, he probably can't function as an NBA player. The problem here is, whether you allow him to be the judge on what he needs or not. And from his perspective it doesn't really make sense to leave this to anyone else. That may sound entitled, and it is a real problem for the organization, but how else can he deal with it?
I agree that he should have solved most of this before training camp, but I will cut him some slack. First of all there is no precedent, not with the Rockets, not in the NBA and probably not in most professional sports. Secondly, given the nature of his problems, going to the Rockets and - as his first action as a rookie - walk into the office and say "Houston, we have a problem..." would probably be a huge trigger for his anxiety. Maybe someone else should have made that call and set things in motion.
I hope that they work things out, since the Rockets actually have sounded like they were commited to do that. But it could very well be, that White's conditions are too severe for an NBA career. I have wondered that since I saw Grantland's short documentary about his draft day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRUS6QBiViQ