Bruno Fernando was sidelined indefinitely due to a knee injury, and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets became the starting center against the Jazz and had a chance to lead the team to their first win of the new season.
After Rockets starting center Bruno Fernando was injured in the first half of the Grizzlies' home opener, Smith was a natural fit to become the Rockets' starting center for the 2022-23 regular season.
Ahead of today's game against the Utah Jazz, head coach Stephen Sellars said forward Jessian Tate had yet to play the regular season due to a sore left ankle, and Fernando was closer to returning with rookie guard Taytay Washington, who was dealing with a sprained knee.
Tate could return as soon as the next game, with Alperen Shenkyo supposed to be the starting center after Fernando, but the Rockets seem determined to keep him in the role of sixth man, a position where he has more access to the ball than starting alongside Kevin Porter Jr. and Jaylen Green.
The Rockets started Usman Garruba in the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, in order to effectively replace Fernando while keeping Shen Kyung's role intact. But with Fernando's absence a long-term problem, the Rockets switched to a smaller lineup in Tuesday's game against the Utah Jazz, with rookie Jabari Smith Jr. as center and Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. as starting forwards.
At 6 feet 11 inches, Smith has enough height to play center, even though he weighs just 213 pounds, which is lighter than almost all the big guys. But in the forward position, he is relatively taller than the 6-foot-3 Gordon and the 6-foot-7-inch Martin Jr. Gordon's physique and size (unlike Smith) can compensate for the lack of height.
Shin Kyung did not participate in today's game because of illness. Garruba got a chance to start, so if Smith's small but flexible lineup doesn't work out, the Rockets may continue to experiment with starting lineups in future games. It is also possible for Garuba to continue to play as a starter. Tate could complete its 2022-23 debut later this week.
Finally, let's hope the Rockets can beat the Jazz today for their first win of the new season!
