All-Star center Alperen Sengun has never been known as a defensive standout for the Rockets, but his production the last two months has slipped even relative to his own standards.
From the start of the 2025-26 season until early January, Houston was 3.2 points worse in net defensive rating with Sengun playing (relative to when he sits).
But in 30 games since returning from an ankle sprain on January 11, the Rockets are a whopping 16.1 points worse in net defensive rating when Sengun plays.
Without Sengun in those 30 games, Houston’s defensive rating is 99.5, which would be by far the NBA’s best for the season.
Many theories have been thrown out in an attempt to explain the regression. Perhaps the ankle sprain never fully healed. Maybe opponents are attacking Houston in different ways. Maybe Sengun is fatigued fter an extended run playing for his native Turkey in last offseason’s FIBA EuroBasket 2025 competition.
Or perhaps it’s a different injury altogether. On Friday, prior to Houston’s home matchup versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Sengun was added to the team’s injury report as questionable with low back pain.
Whatever the case, Sengun and the Rockets (40-25) need to sort things out in a hurry. While Houston remains at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings and in line for home-court advantage in at least one round of the 2026 playoffs, the surging Phoenix Suns (39-27) are only 1.5 games back in the No. 7 slot.
The No. 7 slot, of course, requires going through the West’s play-in tournament to even qualify for the playoffs.
In this year’s West, the margin between having home-court advantage in at least one postseason round and potentially missing the playoffs altogether is thin. With one month left in the regular season, the best way for Houston to end up on the right side is to rediscover the best version of its All-Star big man.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: As slump continues, Rockets star Alperen Sengun lands on injury report
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
