The struggling Houston Rockets are getting a major boost for their game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night. Starting center Christian Wood will be returning to action after a month-long absence due to a sprained right ankle sustained back in early February, per ESPN‘s Tim MacMahon.
Source: Rockets big man Christian Wood is expected to return tonight vs. Warriors. Houston is 0-17 since Wood, the Rockets’ leading scorer and rebounder, went down with a sprained right ankle.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 17, 2021
Wood was having an incredible run in the early stages of their campaign with averages of 22.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks through 17 games played this season. The former undrafted player was even in the conversation for Most Improved Player of the Year before he went down due to the injury.
In his absence, the Rockets struggled without a stifling presence in the paint. The Rockets also parted ways with backup center DeMarcus Cousins, making their frontcourt rotation even more shallow. Though they’ve added a capable young center in Justin Patton, he still needs to gain more reps before he can make a significant impact for the team.
After suffering yet another loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night, the Rockets extended their losing skid to 17 consecutive defeats without Wood on the court. Their struggles have caused them to plummet down to the 14th spot in the Western Conference with a lowly 11-27 record.
Certainly, Christian Wood will be immediately leaned upon for his production in the shaded area when he finally gets back on the floor. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas and his men are hoping that the looming return of their starting big man will help them turn things around for the second half of the season.
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