Inside The Rockets

Alperen Sengun Is Still the Rockets’ Engine

The Rockets have welcomed the growth of several of their young players, but the team still relies on the contributions of Alperen Sengun.

Trenton Whiting

Mar 6, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) passes the ball around New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) and forward Kelly Olynyk (13) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Mar 6, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) passes the ball around New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) and forward Kelly Olynyk (13) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets took a while to get going in their road matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. Their first half lacked energy and focus as Zion Williamson and the Pelicans marched into the paint for layups. Things changed in the second half as the Rockets locked in on defense, but the offense stayed afloat due to the contributions of Alperen Sengun, Houston's leading scorer.

Sengun finished with 22 points and showed good touch at the rim and high-level efficiency. He scored 11 of his 14 attempts and helped the Rockets keep up on the scoreboard with timely buckets in the paint.

Sengun received scoring assistance from Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, who finished with 21 and 20 points, respectively. However, Sengun's scoring presence opened lanes for his teammates and helped create open shots. This allowed Sengun to display some of his passing abilities as he finished with eight assists. Jalen Green picked up eight assists as well as both players helped distribute the ball.

The offense performs at its best when the athletes surrounding Sengun can cut to the basket and shoot open shots created by screens and double-teams in the paint.

Houston's victory against the Pelicans is a reminder that the Rockets still depend on their All-Star to lead the offense despite growth across the rest of the team. Fred VanVleet hasn't been a consistent presence in the lineup yet, and Sengun can step in as a primary ball-handler who can create offense for the rest of the team.

The Rockets need to lean on Sengun and the rest of their young talent during the next stretch of games. They're still trying to recover from two separate losing streaks that dropped them from the second seed in the Western Conference to the No. 5 seed.

Houston will face off against the Pelicans again to start a long home stretch that includes games against the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, and the Dallas Mavericks. Houston can't afford to lose many more games if it hopes to stop the Golden State Warriors from taking over the fifth seed.

For the Rockets to solidify their claim on the No. 5 seed or even higher, Houston should continue its success on defense and lean on its leaders for offense. While VanVleet is looking for consistency in the lineup, Houston's best option is to lean on Sengun to help keep the offense organized. The Rockets' success depends on their big man to lead their offense.

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Trenton Whiting
TRENTON WHITING

Trenton is a Houston-born, Pearland-raised University of Houston graduate who first developed his love for journalism while in school. He began his professional career as a sports reporter for a newspaper in Columbus, Texas, before becoming the managing editor.

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