Steven Adams Ruled Out for Rockets' Season Opener With Calf Injury
Houston Rockets center Steven Adams will miss Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Dallas Mavericks due to a calf injury, shifting backup minutes to Clint Capela.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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The NBA season is barely out of the wrapper, and Steven Adams is already in midseason form on the injury report. The Houston Rockets have officially ruled the veteran big man out for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Dallas Mavericks thanks to a lingering calf issue.
Death, taxes, and Adams popping up on a Wednesday afternoon Underdog NBA tweet. The guy has racked up 41 different injuries and missed 171 days over his career. At this point, his medical file reads less like a sports chart and more like a medieval battle ledger.
"Underdog NBA reported: 'Steven Adams (calf) listed out Wednesday.'"
He missed Houston's final two preseason games to rest the calf, but the extra time off clearly was not enough. With Adams in street clothes, the Rockets' frontcourt rotation gets an immediate shakeup behind their star big man.
Alperen Sengun is obviously locked in as the starter, but the backup minutes are now up for grabs. Reports indicate Clint Capela will step up to absorb the extra run in the paint while Adams recovers.
For anyone firing up fantasy lineups or looking at the prop market, Sengun's rebounding floor just got a lot safer. Adams is an absolute vacuum on the offensive glass when healthy, and his absence means fewer bodies stealing boards from the starting unit.
The Rockets have already made it clear that Adams will not play back-to-backs this year. If a tight calf is enough to sideline him for opening night, Houston fans should probably get used to checking the inactive list before tipoff.
Key stats
41 career injuries and 171 days missed
Missed final two preseason games for rest
What's next
The Rockets have already stated Adams will not play back-to-backs this season, suggesting his workload will be heavily managed moving forward.

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