The Houston Rockets recently acquired Steven Adams, providing the team with a veteran presence in the frontcourt. While the big man is still recovering from knee surgery, it seems that his rehabilitation progress is going well. Speaking to the media, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone confirmed that Adams would be back on the court once Houston’s training camp begins.
“We passed his physical…the surgery went really well,” Stone said. “He’s ahead of schedule on the rehab. So the answer is yes, we’re very comfortable and we do expect that he should be ready for camp.” (clip via ClutchFans)
The GM made it clear, however, that the team won’t be rushing Adams if any complications arise moving forward.
“We’re not gonna rush him. If something happens and he’s a little late, that would be perfectly fine. But as of right now, I do anticipate he’ll be ready,” Stone added.
A brute force under the rim, Adams brings rebounding and rim protection to the Rockets. Prior to being traded, the center was averaging 8.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Right now, the Rockets have a young frontline in developing stars Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. Both are far from reaching their full potential, so Adams’ experience and veteran leadership could help boost their growth to the next level.
Overall, Houston has been relatively quiet this season, with a below .500 record at the bottom half of the Western Conference standings. Still, a silver lining comes in the form of expected improvement from Sengun, Smith Jr, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. There’s no telling when the young players will peak, but with vets such as Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet present, it might not be too long.
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