Rafael Stone Confident in Rockets' Pairing of Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün

Despite their success on an individual level, general manager Rafael Stone is confident in the Houston Rockets' pairing of Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün.

HOUSTON — Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün have established themselves as foundational cornerstones for the Houston Rockets. General manager Rafael Stone doesn't expect to make many changes to the roster this off-season, which will keep the pairing of Green and Şengün together for the foreseeable future.

Stone believes Green and Şengün can thrive together despite the duo having a bulk of their best moments at the expense of their respective struggles.

Şengün played at an All-Star level during the first half of the season, averaging 21.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while Green's subpar performances led to several premature benchings. But once Şengün's season came to a disappointing end due to an ankle injury, Green elevated his play.

Şengün's absence led to the Rockets having more floor spacing, which allowed Green to average 24.2 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field. He finished the 2023-24 season with two 40-point performances while Şengün watched from the sideline.

"One of the guys I've worked with for a long time had a saying, 'Somebody gotta score,'" Stone said. "Obviously, the more shots you are going to get, the more you are going to score. In that sense, Jalen benefited. Fundamentally, great players can play with great players. We are a team. I think it is a great one for having all of these guys, who every year, get better and better."

Stone has faith that the 2024-25 season will feature Green and Şengün playing at their best simultaneously. Both players are eligible for an extension as part of the 2021 NBA Draft class, where Green and Şengün were the No. 2 and No. 16 picks, respectively.