Bruno Fernando nears return; Rockets open to playing Usman Garuba at forward

Bruno Fernando began the 2022-23 season as Houston’s starting center, but he played less than two full games for the Rockets before going down with left knee tendinitis. That cost him more than a month, and it led to second-year center Alperen Sengun becoming the starter and Usman Garuba the backup.

Now, it appears Fernando is ready to return after he participated in Tuesday’s practice at Toyota Center. While it’s unclear whether Fernando will regain his previous role in the starting lineup, the reality is it’s tough to play three centers, and Sengun’s development makes his minutes a clear priority.

So, if Fernando plays, would that squeeze out promising second-year big man Usman Garuba, who has had a strong run of games in recent weeks? Not necessarily. Per Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets, head coach Stephen Silas said at Tuesday’s practice that Garuba at power forward is a possibility in the games ahead.

It should be noted, however, that there’s no easy solution. If Garuba plays at power forward, that could eat into the available minutes for a reserve forward KJ Martin or rookie Tari Eason. Both Martin and Eason have played well in recent games. There’s also the matter of eventually finding room in the rotation for veteran forward Jae’Sean Tate, who has missed most of the season with ankle issues.

Whatever the case, we could find out Silas’ initial plan for reintegrating Fernando when Houston returns to action on Friday night at home versus Atlanta. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Central.

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Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire