As with Fred VanVleet, all indications are that veteran center Steven Adams will be a full participant when the Houston Rockets open training camp for the 2026-27 season in September.
Adams, a New Zealand native, missed the second half of last season after undergoing ankle surgery in January.
Speaking on New Zealand’s Weekend Sport with Jason Pine program, Adams said of his recovery:
We’re tracking that way. It’s hard to tell with injuries, especially ankles. With big dudes, it’s tough. In the books they write about (injuries), I’m not in there. It’s more the average sized dude. We have to make some pivots and that sort of stuff. But we’re tracking well. Our preseason starts in September, so it’s very close. It’s an exciting year.
In a separate interview with Christopher Reive of the New Zealand Herald, Adams referred to his ankle injury — which occurred when he landed on the foot of Pelicans star Zion Williamson — as an acute situation.
As such, the 33-year-old is hopeful that it won’t linger into future seasons.
“The chronic damages that you could have over a career, I try and mitigate those as much as possible,” Adams explained. “But the acute injuries, you can’t do too much about that. Mine, I landed on someone’s foot. It’s part of the game.”
The injury was described by the team as a severe, Grade 3 ankle sprain, and it ultimately required surgery to resolve.
When healthy, Adams is a force with offensive rebounding and screen setting. More than a decade into his NBA career, Adams remains highly impactful to winning, as his +7.8 on/off differential led the Rockets last season.
Over the past two seasons, the Rockets are 59-31 (.656) when Adams plays and 45-29 (.608) when he sits out.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets center Steven Adams ‘tracking well’ in ankle rehab
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire | USA TODAY Network
