After missing seven weeks with an injured toe on his left foot, Kevin Porter Jr. is back in the Houston Rockets lineup. But the fourth-year guard says he probably won’t be pain-free until next season.
The type of rest he needs for the toe to fully heal may not be possible until an even longer period off, like the upcoming NBA offseason. But Porter, who starts at point guard for the rebuilding Rockets, says there’s still too much to play for to consider an early shutdown.
Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
There’s definitely going to be some tolerable pain going on. I want to play. This is the best I can get it. Can’t get it 100 percent, so I will play.
The pain’s not too bad. I can play through it.
It’s important. Everyone knows what’s been going on this whole season. We’ve just been playing united within the locker room, within this organization. These 20 games are very important for momentum next season.
ICYMI, last night's Rockets insider: Kevin Porter Jr. returns determined to manage "tolerable pain," why he considers the final 20 games of Rockets season 'very important' https://t.co/KA5RRjNQsm via @houstonchron
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 2, 2023
The Rockets are 3-18 (.143) in the 21 games that Porter has missed this season, as compared to 10-31 (.244) when he has played. So, while still bad, there is something to the idea that Porter’s presence could at least make them better as they wind down the 2022-23 season.
With averages of 19.0 points (43.5% FG, 34.7% on 3-pointers), 5.5 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, Porter leads the Rockets in assists on a per-game basis and is second to Jalen Green in scoring. He was shown limping at times during Wednesday’s loss to Memphis but played through it, finishing with 11 points and 5 rebounds in 26 minutes.
