Jalen Green plans to play Thursday vs. Pacers

Update, Dec. 21 — Green will play Thursday, December 23 against the Pacers after a long absence due to a hamstring injury. The No. 2 pick from the 2021 NBA Draft has some ground to make up in the Rookie of the Year race, but will be back on the court after nearly a month off.

Update, Dec. 10 — Green remains without a timetable for return from his hamstring injury. He was set to miss another week last Friday, and there has been no progress since then. The Rockets likely don’t want to chance things with their prized rookie.

Update, Dec. 3 — Well, Green was going to be re-evaluated in a week and that has revealed the rookie guard will miss at least seven more days with the hamstring injury. It’s all going from bad to worse for the Rockets slowly, but this is a rebuilding season so fans have been well prepared for this.

Update, Nov. 26 — Green has been diagnosed with a strained hamstring and will be re-evaluated in one week.

The Houston Rockets suffered a potentially devastating blow Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls when rookie guard Jalen Green left the contest with a leg injury. He will not return to the contest.

Green is averaging 14.2 points per game this season and had 11 in 11 minutes against the Bulls prior to exiting the game. He has been the lone bright spot for the Rockets this year, who are at the bottom of the standings.

The Rockets weren’t going to be favored in many contests this season but this will certainly impact Green’s chances at Rookie of the Year. He was behind Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley, according to DraftKings Sportsbook heading into the contest. If this is a long-term setback, it will push Green further down the ladder.

Houston is likely going to start dealing veteran pieces soon for future assets. Let’s see if Green will still be around to entertain fans in what is already a lost season for the team.