Rockets' Jock Landale OUT of World Cup with Injury?

Rockets center Jock Landale suffered an ankle injury during an exhibition game with Australia that is likely to sideline him for the FIBA World Cup.

During the Australian national team's 88-67 victory over South Sudan in Thursday's exhibition match, Houston Rockets center Jock Landale suffered a left ankle injury. His status for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup is now very much in doubt. 

During the postgame press conference, Australia coach Brian Goorjian admitted that Landale is probably unlikely to even travel with the team to Japan, but will undergo an MRI. The team likely will need to adjust to losing its starting center for this year's World Cup. 

"Telling the truth here, he's not getting on the plane with us," Goorjian said postgame. "He's gonna have an MRI.

"It didn't look great, so they're gonna deal with that here; we're gonna travel with the 12 we've got now and prepare," Goorjian explained. "I'm on the mindset right now as if we don't have him."

Before Landale's injury, Australia planned to bring 13 players to Japan ahead of needing to make a final roster cut. Jack White was on the roster bubble before Landale went down, but will make the final roster now. 

"We planned on taking Jack regardless of tonight, still not seeing where Chris (Goulding) is at," Goorjian said.

"Jack White has been right on the cusp of this thing and has been huge for us, and there's a quality piece there. I'm not comfortable with some of these guys that have not played at all. Thank goodness he's here, he's played in all of this, and that we went down the road that we went, and he's a very helpful piece; he's multi-purpose and, if we're gonna play that small ball and switch, he's another really important piece."

Australia faces a tough challenge in its first World Cup match against Lauri Markkanen's Finland squad. Losing a frontcourt player ahead of facing such a talent makes the task all the more challenging. 

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Grant Afseth is an NBA reporter primarily covering the Dallas Mavericks, but also the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic for FanNation, as well as the league at larger for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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