Is Alperen Sengun the Answer for the Rockets?

Is it time for Houston to finally lean into their star?

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-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have undergone one of the more interesting rebuilds in the NBA.

After losing one of the greatest players in franchise history in James Harden — a player who came up just short in leading them to the Finals on multiple occasions — the team has now amassed new talent with four top-4 picks and well-spent money in free agency.

Despite those picks — which yielded Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and the newly-added Reed Sheppard — the team’s best player is likely Alperen Sengun, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

A Turkish standout, Sengun was on draft radars for a while due to his international dominance at a young age. But now, he’s proved he’s capable of doing something similar in the NBA.

In just his third season, he pushed his stat line to 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 54% overall. Suffice it to say, Sengun is one of the best young players in the league at just 22-years-old.

Still, there’s been some hesitancy on Houston’s end to make him the premiere player in its rebuild over the last couple years. Be that through its rotations, on-court schemes, contract and trade talks, and a number of other small factors.

But it’s high time the Rockets lean into Sengun as one of a few key pieces moving forward. And when they inevitably do, that’s likely to come with a shiny new contact sooner rather than later.

Sengun’s proven he can carry the offensive load on a competitive team. Now, the front office is tasked with finding co-stars, and surrounding that core with malleable players.

Luckily, they’ve done just that in drafting the high-octane Green, Thompson and Cam Whitmore, as well as the complimentary Smith and Sheppard.

For now, Sengun is unequivocally the answer in Houston.

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