Having already missed his team's last eight games due to a hamstring injury, Houston Rockets veteran swingman Trevor Ariza will not make his return until after the All-Star break, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The team has apparently opted to rest him out in their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, as he has not been a full participant in practice yet.
Rockets forward Trevor Ariza could probably return from his strained hamstring, Mike D'Antoni said, but with no real practice time and the break coming after tomorrow's game, Rockets will hold him out.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) February 13, 2018
The development is a huge blow to the Rockets, as Ariza has been having another solid season for them. averaging 12.1 points, on 38.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.0 minutes per game. If there's any good news for the team so far though, Luc Mbah a Moute has filled in nicely in his absence and has been providing them with a lot of hustle and energy, especially on the defensive end. He has also scored on some timely baskets, to lessen the hit Houston is taking with Ariza on the shelf.
The Rockets are currently on an eight-game winning streak and proving that they have a deep bench which can compete against the best teams in the league today. They will play the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday before heading to the break, which will give Ariza more time to recover from his tricky injury. Once he returns, he's expected to receive the same amount of playing time as a starter again, and knockdown 3-pointers, as well as defend the opposing teams' best shooting guard or small forward
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