Getty Images
The Rockets received the worst news of their young season after backup big man Steven Adams went down with a sprained left ankle late in Houston’s Jan. 18 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Adams landed awkwardly while contesting a shot at the rim. Follow-up imaging and evaluation confirmed a grade 3 sprain, the most severe level, but without rupture.
Head coach Ime Udoka and team reports describe Adams as “out indefinitely” and say he won’t be back anytime soon. Grade 3 ankle sprains typically require six to twelve weeks of recovery before returning to action. So Adams is widely expected to miss most or all of the remainder of the regular season unless he heals at the shorter end of that range.
Adams has been one of Udoka’s top weapons since he was acquired from Memphis at the trade deadline two seasons ago. The Rockets lead the league in offensive recovery rate, thanks in large part to Adams’ presence on the boards. Since last season, Udoka has had many lineups with both Adams and starting center Alperen Sengun together on the court, designed to overpower opponents, especially on the glass.
Now Houston will rely heavily on third-string center Clint Capela to pick up Adams’ minutes. Capela, acquired from Atlanta in the offseason, is making just $6.7 million this season. After this season, he will be in the books for two more seasons. On the year, Capela is averaging 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, shooting 53.1% from the field and playing 11.6 minutes per game.
Capela has been impressive lately in his new role, defending the rim and setting screens for Reed Sheppard on offense. In his last three games, Capela has played 12 minutes, 15 minutes and 16 minutes respectively.
It’s possible that general manager Rafael Stone will look to expand the frontcourt ahead of the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline to avoid depleting Capela. Another option could be adding more minutes to forward Jabari Smith Jr. to play in the backup center in smaller formations. Whatever the Rockets decide to do, they have huge shoes to fill with Adams’ absence. They hope their backup center can be back in time for the playoffs.
#Rockets #push #Steven #Adams