The Houston Rockets on Tuesday officially recalled rookie forward Usman Garuba from their NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers. After missing time in recent weeks with a right thigh contusion, the 19-year-old returned to RGV’s lineup in a home game on Monday and had 13 points (60.0% FG) and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes.
The timing of Garuba’s recall is interesting, since RGV also plays at home on Wednesday before a break of more than two weeks. Assuming the Spanish forward is healthy, it would seem that if the move was purely for the benefit of practice time at the NBA level during a period in which RGV isn’t playing, the prudent decision would be to let him play one more G League game before bringing him back to the Rockets.
Instead, bringing Garuba back to the NBA team two days earlier than anticipated may indicate that Houston wants to have the 6-foot-8 forward available as a bench option during a rough back-to-back on Wednesday (at Cleveland) and Thursday (home versus New York).
The next official update from the team will come when head coach Stephen Silas meets with the media on Wednesday from Cleveland.
Garuba was drafted at No. 23 overall in the 2021 first round. While he has played only sparingly with the Rockets thus far, he has averaged 9.3 points (71.4% FG, 55.6% on 3-pointers), 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 24.1 minutes per game with the Vipers. Garuba is generally considered to be a strong defensive prospect, though as with many young international players, he is still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game while adding more strength and bulk to his long and wiry frame.
@Usmangaruba with the transition dunk! pic.twitter.com/TuhmXSf369
— RGV Vipers (@RGVVipers) December 14, 2021
The #Rockets have recalled forward Usman Garuba from their NBA G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 14, 2021
