With Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) sidelined, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Jae’Sean Tate could all potentially see increased usage and minutes.
After Wednesday’s training camp practice, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka confirmed a recent report that forward Dorian Finney-Smith (offseason ankle surgery rehabilitation) is likely to miss regular-season games.
“No, probably not,” Udoka replied after being asked if Finney-Smith could be available by the NBA’s Oct. 21 opener for its 2025-26 regular season.
Udoka said he did not yet know how long Finney-Smith’s debut would be delayed. The ankle procedure reportedly took place in early June, so the Rockets were presumably aware of it when they agreed to sign him on June 30.
While not yet cleared for contact activities, Udoka noted that the nine-year NBA veteran is already a partial participant at training camp.
“No contact, but doing all the shooting and other things, as well as getting treatment during practice,” Udoka said of Finney-Smith’s current status.
In comments at Monday’s media day, the 6-foot-7 forward suggested that it wouldn’t be a lengthy delay.
“Soon,” Finney-Smith said of a potential return timetable. “I’ve been running, so it’s been getting better.”
His ankle injury had lingered in previous seasons.
“I’m a competitor, I want to play, but sometimes I probably made the injury worse because I don’t like to sit out,” he explained. “You might have to save me from myself, and I wish I’d have somebody to tell me to take it easy, two years ago. But that’s what got me here. Being that hard-nosed guy, sometimes the things that get you where you’re at can also hurt you. So, I’m learning, and sometimes I have to listen to my body.”
Now 32 years old, Finney-Smith averaged 69.9 games per season (at 29.5 minutes per game) over the last seven NBA campaigns, and he also played in 40 additional playoff games (at 35.5 minutes) over that span.
That type of mileage seemingly took a cumulative toll — and while the expectation is for the surgery to fix the issue, it may require a bit more recovery time over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, any Finney-Smith absence could open up more minutes at Houston’s forward spots for players such as Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Jae’Sean Tate.
In addition to being a strong and versatile defender who communicates well, Finney-Smith brings offensive value as a shooter and floor spacer — as evidenced by his career-high clip of 41.1% last season on 3-pointers.
Neither Smith, Eason, nor Tate has come close to that mark to this point in their NBA careers.