HoopsHype Ranks Rockets' Alperen Sengun as Ninth-Best Center

Should he have been higher?

Mar 10, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun was one of the league's emerging players in 2023-24. The Turkish big man has long drawn comparisons to two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, but he broke out in a major way last season, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 53.7 percent from the field.

Sengun made a legitimate argument for being on the All-Star team, which was evidenced by his fifth-most All-Star votes among frontcourt players. Although he missed the cut, he drew the attention of the masses and firmly placed himself in the conversation regarding the best big men in the NBA.

HoopsHype just released their annual positional rankings and writer Frank Urbina ranked the Rockets center ninth-best at his position, up four spots from Urbina's preseason ranking.

"One of the bigger All-Star snubs in 2023-24, Turkish big man Alperen Sengun had a fantastic breakout third season, putting up a 21/9/5 stat line while also securing over one steal per contest. Had he not missed a good chunk of the season to end the year, he would have ranked even higher on this list, too.

Sengun is a Jokic lite type of player – to be clear, of course, no one is Jokic – a highly skilled big man who can shoot the ball, dribble, create for others and has move after move in the low post. Year 4 should be another step forward for Sengun, who looks like one of the most promising young big men in the NBA."

Sengun was also much better on the defensive end of the floor, which many were worried about heading into last season. He averaged nearly two stocks a game and consistently earned praise from the defensive-minded Ime Udoka.

Sengun was tasked with being the primary defender on San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama in spurts and was effective in the matchup. Speaking of which, Sengun demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion when the stakes were highest, as he was extremely dominant when facing Wembanyama, especially in the final matchup, as he dropped 45 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists in the Rockets' 114-101 victory.

The Turkish center has given Rockets fans even more reason to be excited about the future.

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