Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas on Wednesday said rookie Jalen Green is itching to return to the lineup following a hamstring injury suffered last week.
Green suffered the injury on Nov. 24 toward the end of the first quarter in a win over the Chicago Bulls. He injured himself on a drive to the basket and was slow to get up. He eventually shot his two free throws and went straight to the locker room.
The Rockets initially announced that Green would be reevaluated in one week following the injury. He has not appeared in each of the Rockets’ last three games and has not yet returned to practice. Silas said the team is waiting to reevaluate him.
He is definitely itching to come back. We are waiting a week and then we are going to reevaluate. It hasn’t been a week yet and we are waiting.
Green is off to a strong start with the Rockets to this point of the season, averaging 14 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 18 games. He ranks third in scoring average among all first-year players, fifth in minutes and sixth in field goals.
The team knows that Green wants to return but it will not rush him back into action too quickly. The NBA season is 82 games long and they do not want him to suffer a setback in December by rushing him back a week or two too early.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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