Rockets guard Marcus Smart could return for Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee but center Steven Adams will miss at least another week, head coach Ime Udoka said before Monday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. 

Smart missed his second straight game on Monday due to a left forearm strain, while Adams missed his second straight game due to a right soleus strain.

Adams played nine minutes in San Antonio on Friday after missing the Rockets season opener against the Mavericks. 

“He had the soreness, and it tightened up,” Udoka said. “First game he missed, and thought he felt good enough to play (in San Antonio). Warmed up, felt good, looked good. Felt something during the game, and that’s when he got the MRI and saw the imaging.”

The soleus muscle is located in the back of the lower leg.

Udoka said Clint Capela will get first crack at the backup center minutes behind Alperen Sengun, but Jabari Smith Jr. will also see time at the five in small ball lineups, a look Udoka is more than comfortable going with. 

“I think Jabari from day one, before I got here, was really good as a small-ball five,” Udoka said. “He can guard up and down, and with all the switching we love that aspect of it, where we can take advantage of five-men guarding him. His handle’s gotten better. His one-on-one game has improved. His jump shot has always been there, and so that’s where he can take advantage of those matchups.”

Third-year center Oscar Tshiebwe, currently on a two-way contract, is still with the Rockets, while their other two-way players, Quadir Copeland and Julian Phillips are in Rio Grande Valley for the start of the G League training camp. 

The situation at guard

Smart is averaging 7.5 points in 24 minutes in two games with the Rockets this season. He signed as a free agent from the Los Angeles Lakers over the summer. Udoka said Reed Sheppard will see his role increased behind starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Sheppard scored 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting as the Rockets starting point guard on Saturday night in Atlanta.

“I loved his aggressiveness there,” Udoka said. “Relocating, finding. Guys were really looking for him off-ball, but he mixed in on-ball handling and pick-and-roll as well and made some really nice pocket passes and got the lob and got the skip passes.”

The Rockets have started the season 3-0 despite missing at least one rotation player in each game.