The Rockets found out the hard way on Friday night just how much Alperen Sengun means to them on both ends of the floor.
With Sengun sidelined, Houston took its first loss of the season, and the absence showed up everywhere. The frontcourt still produced some scoring, but the Rockets’ offense lost a major piece of its flow, and the defense took a hit too. Clint Capela stepped into the starting center role, and the difference between the two was impossible to miss.
Capela did have a few useful moments against the Mavericks. He finished with 5 points, 11 rebounds, including 6 offensive boards, plus 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. But even with that stat line, he couldn’t come close to replacing what Sengun brings as a complete offensive engine.
That gap is no surprise. Sengun has been playing at an All-Star level this season, averaging 25 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists per game. Very few centers in the league can match that kind of production, so expecting Capela to replicate it at age 32 was never realistic.
The bigger issue for Houston was that Capela also looked vulnerable defensively. His steals and blocks helped, but his agility and reaction speed weren’t enough to handle the Mavericks’ perimeter attack. On switches and hedges, he had little chance against players like Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, and even when he contested shots, he was often a step late.
Sengun has already moved ahead of Capela defensively this season, thanks to his own improvement and Capela’s athletic decline. Capela can no longer rise up for blocks the way he once did without arriving late or risking a goaltend. Sengun may not deliver the same highlight-reel stops, but his defense has been better for the Rockets this year.
That makes Houston’s center situation look shaky. Capela is still a useful depth option, but only if he stays in that role. Steven Adams, who was supposed to be the backup, has remained very injury-prone this season, and that has put even more strain on the position.
If Adams keeps missing time, Sengun can’t afford many absences of his own. Otherwise, Capela gets pushed into a starting job that no longer fits him.
Behind those three, the Rockets’ only other true center is Oscar Tshiebwe, a two-way player, and Houston can’t realistically lean on him for big minutes in meaningful games. That leaves Sengun’s health as a major priority unless the Rockets can get Adams healthy or find another answer in the middle.
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