The Houston Rockets are set to host the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Monday night. Although the Rockets boast a 1-0 series lead against the Purple and Gold, news about Alperen Sengun‘s availability may affect their chances of extending their lead.
During the pre-game press conference, Rockets coach Ime Udoka revealed that Alperen Sengun would be sidelined for Monday night’s game against the Lakers. Although he was already listed as questionable with low back pain in initial injury reports, Udoka confirmed that Sengun will be out of the rotation, adding that Clint Capela will take over starting big man duties.
This could be a point of concern for the Rockets.
Alperen Sengun has been one of Houston’s best players this season. When considering his averages of 20.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game on 50.3% shooting from the field, it is apparent that the big man plays a considerable role on the offensive end. In comparison, Clint Capela is averaging 3.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 50.8% shooting this season.
While Capela is capable of acting as a solid inside presence, he isn’t as versatile as Sengun. Still, given the comments made by Lakers center Deandre Ayton regarding the Rockets’ backup big man, a head-to-head showdown between the two could prove to be interesting.
Can The Rockets Win Without Alperen Sengun?
Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers is an important one from the perspective of playoff seedings. Currently, the Rockets (41-25) are ranked fourth and are half a game behind the Lakers (42-25). Winning this game would effectively allow Houston to retake third place.
Given how vital this could be, Houston could be expected to play harder, but winning without Alperen Sengun may prove challenging.
Despite his so-called defensive shortcomings, Sengun has played a major role in Houston’s success this season. In his 58 appearances this season, the Rockets have enjoyed a 36-22 record. Additionally, the Rockets have posted an offensive rating of 115.1 without him, a marked drop-off from their offensive rating of 116.4 for the season (10th in the NBA).
Barring Alperen Sengun’s impact on offense, the Rockets haven’t been in top form recently. Although they have a 6-4 record over their last 10 games, the team has struggled to win consistently. While some attribute this to internal tensions stemming from Kevin Durant‘s burner account controversy, there may not be as much merit to this claim as initially expected.
Coming off a 107-105 win against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Rockets will face an uphill battle against the Lakers. Given that the Purple and Gold are on a five-game winning streak and are one of the hottest teams in the league, Houston may have to find different solutions to boost their chances of winning.
