Kevin McHale Says Dwight Howard Won’t Return Anytime Soon
Dwight Howard has missed 9 games so far this season for the Houston Rockets due to a knee issue that surfaced before Houston faced the Los Angeles Lakers last month. Howard had surgery on the knee the day after and was said to be potentially returning back to the line up by now, but according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale doesn’t foresee Howard making his return in the near future,
The Rockets’ hope that Dwight Howard could be close to returning from his strained right knee seemed to be fading.
While discussing Pat Beverley’s return from a strained left hamstring, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said “It would be nice to get everybody else back, but that won’t be happening any time soon.”
McHale had previously said he hoped that Howard, who has been out since Nov. 19, might be ready to return in time to play on the Rockets’ road trip Wednesday and Thursday to play Golden State and Sacramento. Asked if he had a better feel for Howard’s timetable, he said again, “He won’t be back anytime soon.”
Howard started off the season strong and healthy until the knee issue crept up. The Rockets in the meantime have gone 7-2 without Howard, keeping to their style of basketball behind MVP play from James Harden and they now have in a top-two standing in the conference. They have wins in that span against the Grizzlies and Mavericks.
If the Rockets are without Howard for a good portion of this next stretch of the season, Houston will have to keep finding ways to compensate and produce in his absence.