Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengun's Three Goals Are All Realistic This Season

Alperen Sengun has three main goals this season and he has a good chance to achieve all of them.

Sep 30, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) speaks during Houston Rockets media day. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets star center Alperen Sengun is expecting a lot from himself this upcoming season. The star center is going into his fourth season with the Rockets and the all-important contract year. After a knee injury ended his season early last season, Sengun is looking to take that next step this season.

Sengun spoke to the media Monday afternoon after the Rockets practice and stated he has three goals for the 2024-25 season.

Today at @HoustonRockets practice @alperennsengun talked his individual goals for the season

1. Free Throw %
2. 3-Point Shot
3. Make All-Star Team pic.twitter.com/yCnuStl4MB

— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) October 14, 2024

Sengun stated that he wanted to improve his 3-point and free-throw shooting, and make his first All-Star game. All three goals are attainable for Sengun, as he has become one of the best players from the 2021 draft.

In the 2023-24 season, Sengun shot a career-low 69.3% from the free-throw line on 5.6 attempts per game, which was also a career-high. Despite this drop in free-throw percentage, Sengun is showing promising improvement in his free-throw shooting.

Sengun stated that he has adjusted his shooting positioning and worked on being more disciplined at the line. We have already seen the positive results of his offseason work. After the first two preseason games, Sengun is shooting 15 out of 16 from the line, which places him in the top five in the league.

Nobody expects Sengun to maintain a 90% shooting average for the entire season, but it's a positive sign that he is showing rapid improvement early in the new season. The fourth-year center also discussed his efforts to improve his 3-point shooting.

Last season, Sengun's 3-point shooting percentage was .297, which was a 3% drop from the previous season. During the training camp before the 2023-24 season, Sengun mentioned that the new coaching staff had encouraged him to take more 3-pointers, especially when he was open.

Sengun's sample size from beyond the arc has been small so far during the preseason. So far, the big man is shooting 25 percent from deep on only four attempts. The improved free-throw shooting we discussed earlier is the one thing going in Sengun's favor regarding the possibility of better shooting from beyond the arc.

Players and coaches have spoken about how a good free-throw percentage is an indicator of a player's ability to shoot well beyond the arc. We also heard from Jeff Green how Sengun is improving as a spacer on the floor and not just a post-up player.

One other interesting thing from yesterday was Jeff Green talking about how Alperen Sengun has improved over the offseason.

“He is coming along with his offensive game being a spacer not just in the low post”

If Sengun can continue to add the ability to score outside the paint… pic.twitter.com/WuZfed2FnN

— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) October 14, 2024

If Sengun can improve even a few percentage points from 3-point range that will open up even more of his offensive game. The final goal Sengun mentioned was becoming an All Star for the first time.

Last season was Sengun breakout year. Outside of his 3-point and free throw shooting Sengun set career marks in almost every offensive category. Sengun was top seven at one point in fan voting and was starting to receive consideration from coaches as a possible reserve all the way up until January.

Unfortunately, the Rockets struggled in January, and Sengun was dealing with a minor injury as well and he eventually fell short of making the team. With the Rockets high expectations and Sengun by all accounts having a great offseason it wouldn't be a surprise if he is not taking the court Sunday during All Star weekend.

If Sengun can achieve all three goals this season, the Rockets will have a great chance at making the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

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