Inside The Rockets

Rockets' Alperen Sengun Has Room for Improvement

Alperen Sengun was good, not great, in his Houston Rockets season debut.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Fresh off a five-year, $185 million contract extension, Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun had a lot to prove.

He did just that with his 25-point, 18-rebound performance in the team's season-opening loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but there is still a lot of room for him to be even better.

“They sent some doubles a few times in the post, but I think more of more of us than what they did,” Udoka said via SportsRadio610 reporter Adam Spolane. “They put Grant Williams on him, and switched some matchups, but he had point blank layups a few times that he missed, so I wouldn't say it was a lot that they did, other than us rushing and being a little sloppy at times.”

Udoka was fair in his criticism for Sengun, which the Turkish center echoed when self-reflecting about the game. Sengun shot just 8 of 19 from inside the 3-point line, an efficiency line that should get better over time.

"I was just missing shots today (that) normally I'm not missing,” Sengun said via Spolane. “I wasn't my best today."

Through his four seasons in the NBA, Sengun has always been one to focus on improving his game, and now that he has the big contract to make him a cornerstone for the Rockets, it's a must for him to get better.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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