Rockets' Alperen Sengun Has Already Shown Improvement on Defense

Alperen Sengun's hard work this past off-season is already paying off.

Oct 7, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) drives the ball against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

When Alperen Sengun was drafted by the Houston Rockets, he may not have been well-known to the casual NBA fan, but scouts and front offices were aware of Sengun's offensive skills. Sengun was seen as one of the best post players in the entire draft.

Over his three seasons, Sengun has not disappointed. He has improved significantly on the offensive end each season. However, his performance on the defensive end has been a work in progress. During the Stephen Silas era, Sengun played a lot of drop coverage, which led to issues on that side of the court.

Ime Udoka was focused on improving the team's defense, particularly the Rockets' pick-and-roll coverage. Coach Udoka emphasized the need for Sengun to switch onto guards instead of staying in the paint. He also wanted to minimize mistakes such as blown coverages and fouls resulting from being out of position.

The Rockets went from the bottom of the league in several defensive categories to the top 10 last season. Sengun showed improvement on defense but still had some work to do. At times, the Turkish center would sit in the fourth quarter as Udoka went with Jeff Green to close out games.

Sengun's season ended early last season after he suffered a knee injury against the Sacramento Kings in March. Since then, Sengun has been rehabbing and getting ready for the 2024-25 season. The Rockets for the first time sent several player devolpment coaches to Turkey for several weeks.

Sengun spoke about the benefits of him working with the same coaches all off-season. Every video or picture of Sengun normally showed him working out or on the court. The hard work seems to have paid off as Sengun told Rocket On SI that he came into camp in great shape which will help him on the defensive end.

Here Ime Udoka is talking about how good of shape Alperen Sengun came into camp and that he looked good on defense.

This lineups with the answer I got from Sengun on his level of comfort when it comes to switching onto smaller players on the perimeter.

Sengun was one of the… pic.twitter.com/LheyBduDej

— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) October 8, 2024

Sengun performed exceptionally well during training camp, especially when switching onto guards. As seen in the video, Udoka also noticed this during the Rockets' loss to the Jazz. Udoka, known for his straightforward and blunt approach, praised Sengun's defensive effort, so you know it is well deserved.

If Sengun can continue to improve on defense to complement his already polished offensive game, he will become one of the most complete players in the NBA.

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