The Houston Rockets have taken a step forward this season, but when it was announced that Alperen Sengun had suffered a sprained ankle in their March 10th victory over the Sacramento Kings that would likely keep him out for the rest of the regular season, many fans figured that was the end of their playoff chances. However, Sengun's season may not actually be over after all.
Sengun suffered a Grade 3 sprained ankle, which is a fairly serious injury that takes some time to recover from. At the time, it seemed like the Rockets weren't in the conversation for a potential playoff spot, but now that they are only 2.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the ten seed in the Western Conference, there's a chance Sengun could return if Houston is still in the hunt by the time he is healthy to play.
“It's within the realm of possibility that Sengun could return during the regular season. When he got hurt and obviously avoided a major injury, but it's still a significant sprain of his ankle. So we kind of assumed he'd be done for the season because they weren't going to have anything to play for.
I was told there's a very real chance that it could come down to late in the regular season and a ‘Hey, does it make sense to bring him back?' And obviously the number one thing is going to be is he cleared medically? But then you know, they're not going to bring him back if they're not playing for something, but they're putting themselves in a position where they've got a chance to play for something.” – Tim MacMahon, Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
Rockets giving Alperen Sengun a fighting shot of returning this season
The Rockets have surprised a lot of fans this season, and Sengun's breakout campaign was at the center of their success (21.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5 APG, 53.7 FG%). Without him, it seemed like this team was toast, but they have won each of their last four games without him, and are currently in the middle of a six-game win streak that has thrown them back in the conversation for a Play-In spot out West.
If Houston doesn't have a chance to find their way into the playoffs, then it would obviously make no sense to bring him back. But if Sengun gets cleared and the Rockets are still alive, it sounds like they could consider bringing their star center back a bit sooner than expected. Of course, it's all going to depend on how his team holds up without him moving forward.
It wouldn't have been all that bold to write off the Rockets after Sengun's injury, but it sounds like his team's early success without him has kept the door open for him to potentially return this season. Whether Houston can continue winning without him remains to be seen, but you can bet Sengun is going to do whatever he can to make his way back on the court this season if he has a chance to do so.
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