The Rockets have now sidelined Steven Adams for the rest of the season following surgery on his left ankle. Adams injured himself while contesting a rebound with Zion Williamson when playing against the Pelicans earlier in the middle of January.
Before the Rockets faced the Spurs tonight, their head coach, Ime Udoka, spoke to the media and explained why Steven Adams had to undergo a season-ending surgery for an ankle sprain.
“Yeah, we knew it was a bad sprain immediately. It blew up to a softball size or so immediately, but the next day, nothing was broken, but the swelling was still there, and it had turned into a grade 3 sprain.”
“From there, it was some ligament damage, and I got a few opinions [from doctors]. We had a back-and-forth on whether he could rehab and come back this year, and maybe have the surgery later on. Or get it done now and be fully healthy for next year.”
“So we went through that process, got two or three opinions, and came up with the conclusion,” said Udoka. Udoka also later explained how the team will adjust to Adams’ absence and mentioned Clint Capela as a key player now.
“What we’ve done the last you know few games with him out and nights when Alpi’s out for back-to-backs. You know Clint will get more of a run, and part of the reason was the back-to-backs and injuries that happened.”
“You know, whether it’s Alpi or Steven, and you have a nice third-level center and not a lot of drop off, and then more small ball where we’re good.”
“And once we get everybody healthy, and like I always say, off the minutes restrictions, we’ll be able to play more small lineups with Kevin [Durant], Dorian [Finney-Smith], Tari [Eason], and Jabari [Smith Jr.], those guys at the four or five.”
Adams ended his season averaging 8.6 rebounds, 5.8 points, and 1.5 assists in 32 games this season while shooting 50.4% from the field. He was a crucial part of what made the Rockets the best rebounding team in the league, posting historic numbers on the differentials.
This is the Rockets’ second major loss for the season after losing Fred VanVleet to a season-ending ACL injury. The Rockets will have to rely more on their alternative options at the center position. Clint Capela and even Jabari Smith Jr. should now expect more minutes in the rotation every night.
Adams’ absence may not be reflected on the box score as much, but his screens and offensive rebounding will be a major aspect that the Rockets will miss in his absence.
The Rockets are +11.3 points per 100 possessions with Steven Adams on the floor (compared to +3.8 when he’s off), mainly due to his offensive rebounding.
Do you think Adams’ absence now compels a move in the trade market? And does it significantly hurt the Rockets’ chances to be title contenders this season? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
