The Houston Rockets just took a tough hit to their frontcourt depth. Veteran center Steven Adams has undergone surgery on his left ankle and will miss the remainder of the season, according to reports.
The 32-year-old big man, who’s been serving as the primary backup to Alperen Sengun, suffered the injury back on January 18 while contesting a shot against the New Orleans Pelicans. He came down awkwardly, immediately grabbed at his ankle, and had to be helped off the floor.
Now, it’s official: his season is done.
This is a significant loss for a Rockets team that’s been one of the surprises of the Western Conference so far, currently sitting in fourth place. Adams may not have been putting up eye-popping numbers-5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game-but his impact went beyond the box score.
He brought physicality, veteran savvy, and a stabilizing presence off the bench. That kind of interior toughness doesn’t always show up in stat lines, but it matters in the grind of an 82-game season and, potentially, the playoffs.
With Adams out, the Rockets are going to have to get creative. Clint Capela and Jabari Smith Jr. are expected to shoulder more of the load when Sengun sits.
Capela brings rim protection and rebounding, while Smith offers more versatility and floor spacing. But neither brings quite the same bruising physicality that Adams did in the paint.
It’s not just about replacing minutes-it’s about replacing a mindset, a tone-setter.
Houston’s depth will be tested, and how they respond could say a lot about their staying power in a crowded Western Conference race. The Rockets have been building something intriguing this season, and while this injury is a setback, it’s also an opportunity-for Capela, Smith, and the rest of the frontcourt rotation-to step up and keep the momentum rolling.
For now, Adams will begin the road to recovery, and Houston will look to adjust on the fly.