In most scenarios, NBA players try to avoid using injuries as an excuse when their play slips, or improved health as a key factor when their production ticks up..<\/p>\n
In Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s case, he had to admit the obvious.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, I had some lower back issues,\u201d the Houston Rockets center said after Sunday\u2019s blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans. \u201cMy lower back is coming back stronger. We\u2019re at the point where I need to get stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Based on the numbers he\u2019s putting up or just by the way he\u2019s moving around on the court, it\u2019s fairly obvious that \u015eeng\u00fcn has been a different player since returning from a two-game absence a few weeks ago as he dealt with lingering lower back pain.<\/p>\n
That made it even more concerning when the All-Star big man left the floor during the fourth quarter of Wednesday\u2019s 119-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks and headed to the locker room while reaching for his back.<\/p>\n
Given how much injuries have altered this Rockets season, \u015eeng\u00fcn going down again with only six games remaining in the regular season would\u2019ve been brutal. But he tried to quiet any concerns about his health after the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good,\u201d \u015eeng\u00fcn told reporters. \u201cNot bad. It\u2019s a back-to-back \u2026 got hit a little bit, but I\u2019ll be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having a healthy, aggressive \u015eeng\u00fcn on the floor has been one of the biggest reasons Houston (47-29) has looked so reenergized during its current four-game winning streak, and even more so during the nine games \u015eeng\u00fcn has played since his two-game absence. During that nine-game stretch, \u015eeng\u00fcn is averaging 23.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 63.4 percent from the floor. He\u2019s making quicker decisions and not hesitating to attack when he has a mismatch down in the post.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also back to facilitating at a high level in the middle of the floor. When he\u2019s scoring a lot, it forces defenses to send more attention his way. That only makes it easier for him to spray passes to shooters on the perimeter or to find Amen Thompson on lobs as he\u2019s gliding toward the rim.<\/p>\n
\u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s efficiency as a scorer has also improved tremendously. In the 20 games before he rested his back, he was shooting 48.3 percent from the floor \u2014 disturbingly low for a player who takes most of his shots around the basket. \u015eeng\u00fcn wasn\u2019t making the strong moves to the basket that make him such a tough player to defend. He was relying way too much on the finesse side of his game, rather than overpowering smaller players and getting to the rim.<\/p>\n
If \u015eeng\u00fcn can keep playing at this level, the Rockets are going to be a much bigger threat in the playoffs. Kevin Durant has performed at an elite level all season. If Houston enters a series against the Los Angeles Lakers or Denver Nuggets confident that both its best players will perform at a superstar level, that changes the equation significantly.<\/p>\n
The Achilles\u2019 heel for the Rockets all season has been their tendency to stall on offense when the game slows down. Once defenses pick up their aggression and take the ball away from Durant, the Rockets have repeatedly failed to find a solution.<\/p>\n
As of late, with \u015eeng\u00fcn punishing defenses the way he has, that strategy hasn\u2019t been as successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s doing everything,\u201d Rockets forward Tari Eason said. \u201cHe\u2019s being what we need (from) him to be the best team we can be. He\u2019s making all the right plays. He\u2019s getting us into actions. He\u2019s being more vocal on the court, trying to step in as more of a leader. What I see from Alpi is a huge jump.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two-man game with Durant and \u015eeng\u00fcn has gone through some ups and downs this season. As effective as it\u2019s been at times, it has also produced too many turnovers and failed possessions, particularly late in games.<\/p>\n
The chemistry between the two stars has finally started to blossom lately, and that has lifted everyone around them. The Rockets have tried to emphasize playing with a faster pace and utilizing more off-ball movement to create space for Durant and \u015eeng\u00fcn. But more than anything, the two of them have done a better job reading each other and simplifying some of the plays they go against overaggressive defenses.<\/p>\n
The turnovers have plummeted lately. Over the last three games, Houston has averaged just 8.6 turnovers per game and recorded 10 or fewer turnovers three games in a row for the first time all season. This group only has six games with nine or fewer turnovers all year \u2014 and two of them have come in the last three games.<\/p>\n
The other obvious area of improvement has been Durant\u2019s comfort in making the right pass to \u015eeng\u00fcn when he sees the double-team coming.<\/p>\n