Earlier this month, Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun suffered a brutal ankle and knee injury in a game against the Sacramento Kings. Following his injury, reports suggested Sengun would likely miss the remainder of the season. However, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Sengun could return to the Rockets by the end of the season depending on the team’s place in the standings:
It’s within the realm of possibility that Sengun could return during the regular season. He avoided a major injury, but it’s a significant sprain. We kind of assumed he’d be done for the season because they wouldn’t have anything to place for.
I was told there’s a very real chance that it could come down to, late in the regular season, ‘Hey, does it make sense to bring him back?’ Obviously, the number one thing is going to be, ‘Is he cleared, medically?’ … They’re not going to bring him back if they’re not playing for something, but they’re putting themselves in a position to be playing for something.
Report: Alperen Sengun could make Houston Rockets return during regular season https://t.co/VsEvE5ctNI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 25, 2024
Injured NBA Budding Star Could Shockingly Return This Season
Alperen Sengun Had a Breakout Season Before His Injury
Sengun’s third season in the NBA has by far been the best of his career so far. In 63 games played, the Turkish native averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. All of these numbers are career highs for Sengun. Furthermore, the 21-year-old shot 53.7% from the field. Despite not being selected as an NBA All-Star this season, Sengun’s impressive season has not gone unnoticed. Earlier in the year, Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal compared Sengun to two-time champion Pau Gasol. Furthermore, Rockets GM Rafael Stone recently praised Sengun’s game and his growth on the offensive side of the ball:
“What we saw with Alpi — it’s obviously gotten better as he’s gotten older, more experienced and skilled — is his ability to beat his guy 1-on-1 to get to a layup or dunk,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone told The Athletic. “(That) was evident in video from the Turkish league and from the very first practice we had him. That’s just a real strength, and he has moves upon moves upon moves, and it comes very naturally to him.”
It’s clear Sengun is on pace for a tremendous career. If the Rockets can get him back this season, that could provide a huge boost to the team’s Play-In chances.
How the Rockets Have Fared Following Alperen Sengun’s Injury
When Sengun played his last game, the Rockets were 29-35 and owned the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference. Since then, Houston has gone 6-0 and are 9-1 in their last 10 games. Now, they sit just one game behind the Golden State Warriors for a Play-In spot. Despite losing Sengun, the Rockets have stayed afloat and are rolling right now. This is in large part due to Jalen Green‘s recent breakout. Since Sengun’s been out of action, Green has averaged 31.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.
What other teams have a young core doing this?
BLESSED pic.twitter.com/oWOCQ0J0ci
— RocketsMuse (@RocketsMuse) March 19, 2024
The Last Word on the Houston Rockets
If Sengun is truly healthy and can play at full speed, the red-hot Rockets should bring him back for a late-season push. However, if he is anything less than 100% healthy, bringing him back so soon is too risky for the Rockets. Either way, it will be interesting to see if Houston can keep their hot streak going.
