Jock Landale suffers “serious” ankle injury in FIBA warm-up game

The Houston Rockets got some bad news yesterday when newly-signed backup center Jock Landale suffered what’s being described as a “serious” ankle injury in Australia’s warm-up victory over South Sudan yesterday, according to ESPN.

Landale was already dealing with some minor ankle issues before rolling his left ankle just five minutes into the game and hobbling off the court. He is scheduled to receive an MRI today to uncover the full extent of the damage and is expected to now miss the entirety of the FIBA tournament.

NBA Training Camps start in about a month a half, and serious ankle sprains can often take at least six weeks or more for full recovery, so Landale’s status for camp is currently up in the air until we get more information.

Landale was signed in the offseason to backup Alperen Sengun as a defensive-minded center, and Houston currently doesn’t have another legitimate backup on the roster, though Boban Marjanovich and Willie Cauley-Stein have both spent some time with the organization these last two seasons, so it’s possible we see one or both return for camp/the start of the season depending on Landale’s status.

Landale averaged 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds on 52.8 percent shooting for the Phoenix Suns last season on 14.2 minutes per game. He was expected to see similar minutes for the Rockets.