Houston is a dozen games above .500 and played its way into the top four in the West despite playing the entire season without starting point guard Fred VanVleet.
Now the Rockets are down another starter for the rest of the season: Center Steven Adams has undergone season-ending left ankle surgery, a story first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania and confirmed by others, including Adams himself.
Adams sprained his ankle 10 days ago against the Pelicans and has been out since with a Grade 3 sprain, according to the team. Adams needing surgery was always a possibility.
While his counting stats are not eye-catching — 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds a game, on 50.4% shooting — his elite offensive rebounding was critical to a team with the fourth-best offense in the NBA despite having the 17th-ranked True Shooting Percentage. Adams averaged 4.5 offensive rebounds a game, leading a Rockets offense that grabs the offensive board on a league-leading 40.6% of their missed shots — those second chances are what drive Houston’s offense. The Rockets have a +11.2 net rating when Adams is on the court this season.
In the four games without Adams since his ankle injury, that offensive rebound rate has fallen to 35%, and the Rockets’ offense is 16th in the league in that stretch.
Look for coach Ime Udoka to give Clint Capela more run, plus lean into small-ball lineups with Jabari Smith Jr. at the five. Also, expect the Houston front office to at least explore trading for a center before next week’s trade deadline.