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Donatas Motiejunas Has No Timetable For Return

By Duncan Smith

Dec 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) drives the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Donatas Motiejunas (20) drives the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the season from hell drones on for the Houston Rockets, it has been announced that Donatas Motiejunas is suffering back pain and is out indefinitely, with no timetable currently set for his return.

Donatas Motiejunas has been suffering from back pain following surgery to repair a herniated disk in April, and it appears to have reared its ugly head once again after he briefly returned to the Houston Rockets‘ lineup after being cleared to play on Dec. 5.

During Motiejunas’ time back on the floor, he averaged 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and an assist in just 13.4 minutes per game. He has played as many as 27 minutes, which just occurred on Dec. 29 against the Atlanta Hawks. He only managed six minutes two days later against the Golden State Warriors, and has missed the last two games against the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz.

Fortunately for everybody concerned, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Motiejunas underwent an MRI on Monday and no further damage to his back was shown. This means that the onus will likely be on Motiejunas to decide when he is ready to go again, as the Rockets won’t establish a timetable for his return until after he is without pain.

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This also means that rookie Montrezl Harrell will likely enjoy an expanded role, if only for a brief time until Motiejunas is ready to go.

Harrell played just five minutes against the Spurs on Jan. 2 in the first game Motiejunas missed, but his minutes increased against Utah in a 93-91 road win on Monday night, when he played 17 minutes off the bench, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound.

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Harrell is all hustle, which is a great thing on a team like the Rockets, whose effort and commitment have been widely questioned, so while it’s never good to have a solid rotational player replaced by an inexperienced rookie due to injury, maybe Harrell’s energy will rub off on the rest of the veterans on the squad.

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