The Houston Rockets expect veteran point guard John Wall (left knee soreness) to return “after the weekend,” according to an update shared Wednesday afternoon by head coach Stephen Silas.
Including Wednesday night’s game versus Phoenix, the five-time All-Star has now missed Houston’s last four games, and it sounds as if he will miss two more — on Friday in Detroit, and Saturday in Dallas.
But after Saturday, the Rockets won’t play again until next Tuesday night. That would give the 30-year-old two weeks of rest since his last game activity, which occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 12 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Wall struggled that night and appeared noticeably less explosive, scoring just 10 points (36.4% shooting) in 30 minutes.
“We actually had a meeting today, trying to figure out what the best way to handle his injury is going to be,” Silas told radio host Matt Thomas of SportsTalk 790 in Houston. “It doesn’t look like he’s going to play tonight, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to play over the weekend. But after the weekend, it looks like he’ll be back.”
Silas on John Wall: "We actually had a meeting today, trying to figure out what the best way to handle his injury is gonna be. It doesn't look like he's gonna play tonight, & it doesn't look like he's gonna play over the weekend. But after the weekend it looks like he'll be back" https://t.co/AjpdkCV3Sn
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 20, 2021
Wall did travel with the team on its recent road trip to San Antonio and Chicago and has maintained a leadership role from the bench.
“I don’t believe it’s a long-term type deal, from the information I’m getting from the performance staff,” Silas said following Sunday’s team practice from Chicago. “It seems like a day-to-day thing. It wasn’t a specific injury, it’s something just kind of popped up. They’re managing it, he’s moving around, but we’re being cautious.”
Wall is averaging 18.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 33.9 minutes per game this season, and he’s shooting a career-high 45.4% from the field. Including two earlier games that Wall missed due to a mandatory quarantine, the Rockets are 1-4 in five games without him.
