Rockets Doran Finney-Smith Likely Sidelined to Begin Season

First reported by ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the 32-year-old forward is not cleared for basketball activities, impacting the start of the season for him and the Rockets.

Finney-Smith has been running but did not discuss a timeline, and Stone (Rafael, general manager) simply said he was on schedule. But Finney-Smith has not been cleared for basketball activities and will likely miss time to start the season.

The reason for this non-clearance, in case fans were unaware, is that back in June, he underwent ankle surgery, which the veteran wing is still rehabbing back to 100%.

Finney-Smith inked a four-year, $53 million deal with Houston following his surgery, and while the front office may have been fine with waiting for DFS to get back after the start of the season, with the recent loss of Fred VanVleet, the front office may hope that the veteran wing can return to the court sooner rather than later.

During the Rockets' media day, Finney-Smith discussed his rehab process and let fans know that his return to the court is "soon" in his own words.

"I've been getting better and rehab has been amazing and I'm excited for this year"

He'll bring a heavy defensive presence to the floor when he can return and suit up for Houston for the first time. With his size and skill set on the floor, it's expected that the Rockets will be able to compete with the best teams in the league, including the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

"The Rockets, with Finney-Smith, suddenly have elite length and defensive athleticism at the wing, which should align with clamping Oklahoma City players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams," said Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.

While no exact date has been released, fans will have to expect the first couple of weeks to be without Dorian Finney-Smith.

Young players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason will likely see an increase in minutes to begin the season, but will see a hit once the veteran forward is cleared for action.