An MRI will be conducted today on Rockets center Christian Wood, who injured his right ankle in Thursday night’s win over the Grizzlies, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Wood had to be helped off the court after rolling the ankle on a drive to the basket during the third quarter. He split two defenders, but landed awkwardly and fell to the ground in pain. It’s the second time in less than three weeks that he has hurt the ankle. He missed three games after a similar injury on January 20, but sources tell MacMahon the Rockets are concerned it will be much longer this time.
“I don’t know,” coach Stephen Silas said after the game when asked how long Wood might be sidelined. “It didn’t look great. It was unfortunate.”
Acquired by Houston in a sign-and-trade during the offseason, Wood has emerged as an All-Star candidate, averaging 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds through 17 games.
DeMarcus Cousins will become the Rockets’ starting center while Wood is sidelined. He was outstanding in that role in the three games Wood missed in January, averaging 17.3 points, 14.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per night. Cousins is playing on a non-guaranteed contract that won’t become fully guaranteed until the league-wide date later this month.
Houston doesn’t have much size apart from Cousins, so the team could be looking at a roster move if Wood is forced to miss several weeks.
“It was difficult for me,” Silas said of watching the injury. “I had to like sit down and collect my thoughts and gather myself. As good as he’s been playing, I mean, really just like a breakout season and doing everything we needed him to do … Yeah, it sucks.”
I wish him the best. Scary watching him go down. I have loved his play. Sad timing when getting strong push for all star game.
Makes me think of Clemons when he went down. I know different injuries. But hope Wood will be able to be back this season.
Rockets are all-injury team
My eyes said that Wood should play in two weeks
Missing 7 or 8 games wouldn’t be too bad.
Ahh… Before the season I bet 50 bucks at 40 to 1 odds he was going to win Most Improved Player this year. His ankle can’t hurt as much as my wallet does right now.
Does anyone know why Wood wasn’t signed by New York. I thought most rumors said he would. I would of signed Wood and drafted Halliburton.
I was thinking maybe because he was a restricted free agent that he preferred to go to Houston instead of New York. He’s not going to sign that contract and then be traded to the Knicks.
Another Factor could have been all the draft compensation Houston sent to Detroit in the trade? I’m only guessing so probably doesn’t answer your question with facts but at least it’s more info.
He was unrestricted. New York simply did not offer him a deal.
Knicks planned to save money for superstars last summer
Because in the end he was more a Center than a 4. They scouted him hard. Thought of Woods and Mitch front court. But as we can see now. He is a center. It’s his best position, I’m sure he can play some 4. I checked him out hard too. Good for him.
Rockets should go slow with him. They have enough injured players. Soon they could change their name to Rehabs. That’s from injuries K.
Not counting Exum who is always hurt, they don’t have any other injured players at the moment. They might rest Wall again tomorrow with a minor back issue, and David Nwaba should return then from a minor injury, but otherwise the team is healthy. Wood re-injuring his ankle comes at a time when they were finally coming together as a team, so hopefully he won’t be out for too long.
Nwaba is a tough kid. I like the way he plays & fits currently with Houston.
I meant guys injured or coming back from injuries. They have more than any other team. They have rolled the dice on rehabbed players lol.
Wall, Exum, Boggie, Oladipo, major players. Don’t want to see any get hurt. Would like to see them all come back strong.
I hope he gets an extension because ever since he was on Charlotte I’ve always thought that he was a good player
Oladipo for Randle,Nkilitina, Dal 1st
@Sensitive let’s go make it happen. I doubt highly that’s all it would take. @Gary thanks I was just curious.
Yes but I was wrong, he was UNrestricted but still wind up doing a sign-and-trade and perhaps he signed off on it because Houston had more opportunity for playing time vs Randall and Mitchel Robinson on the Knicks? But as Iron Monger 835 pointed out, the Knicks just didn’t offer him a contract. Good stuff.
Randle is playing extremely well this season, so that looks like a good trade if the Rockets plan on giving Exum a buy out then they would have another backup PG to replace him.
Should change Wood’s last name to glass. Wood is always fairly durable, but glass….. not so much.
Wood should miss at least the next 4 games. He’ll be re-evaluated in a week.