The Houston Rockets faced a setback in their early season with the unfortunate injury of backup center Steven Adams. In the closing moments of their January 18 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Adams suffered a left ankle sprain after an awkward landing while defending a shot at the rim. Subsequent imaging revealed a Grade 3 sprain, the most severe type, but fortunately, no fracture was detected.
Head coach Ime Udoka and the team’s medical staff have declared Adams as “out indefinitely,” indicating he won’t be back on the court soon. Typically, a Grade 3 ankle sprain requires a recovery period of 6 to 12 weeks before players can resume competitive play. As such, Adams is likely to miss a substantial portion, if not all, of the remaining regular season unless his recovery progresses rapidly.
Since joining the Rockets from Memphis at the trade deadline two seasons ago, Adams has been a pivotal player for Udoka. The Rockets currently lead the league in offensive rebounding percentage, a testament to Adams’ prowess on the boards. Udoka has strategically utilized lineups featuring both Adams and starting center Alperen Sengun, leveraging their combined strength to dominate opponents, especially in rebounding.
With Adams sidelined, the team will now turn to third-string center Clint Capela to fill the void. Acquired from Atlanta in the offseason, Capela is under contract for $6.7 million this season, with two additional seasons remaining. This year, Capela has averaged 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 53.1% from the field, playing an average of 11.6 minutes per game.
Recently, Capela has stepped up admirably, showcasing his defensive skills at the rim and providing solid screen support for Reed Sheppard on offense. In his last three outings, Capela has logged 12, 15, and 16 minutes, respectively, indicating his growing role on the team.
General Manager Rafael Stone may consider bolstering the Rockets’ frontcourt depth ahead of the league’s February 5th trade deadline to prevent overburdening Capela. Another strategy could involve giving starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. more time at the backup center position in smaller lineups. Regardless of the approach, the Rockets face a significant challenge in compensating for Adams’ absence and are hopeful he will return in time for the playoffs.
It’s possible that general manager Rafael Stone could look to add frontcourt depth ahead of the league’s February 5th trade deadline, so as to avoid wearing Capela down. Another possibility could be playing starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. more minutes at backup center in smaller lineups. 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.
