Alperen Sengun's EuroBasket Run Completes With One Major Factor For The Rockets

Alperen Sengun proved that his game can translate to the highest level of basketball, but the most important element of his EuroBasket tournament is that he completed it unscathed.

May 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) stands on the court against the Golden State Warriors before the start of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets cheered on star big man Alperen Sengun as he displayed his talents on an international stage in the EuroBasket Finals against Germany. While Sengun's national team in Turkey failed to win the EuroBasket title, the Rockets are still satisfied with Sengun's performance.

However, their satisfaction isn't solely just from his actual performance in the tournament, but from the fact that he finished his run in the tournament healthy.

The Rockets couldn't afford to begin the season at a deficit as they NBA year approaches.

Houston is going into next season with an entirely revamped offense that replaced former Rocket Jalen Green with new addition Kevin Durant. The Rockets are also expecting improvement from players like Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. offensively.

Sengun may be the key to getting the most out of each of these offensive players with his scoring threat and intelligent passing.

He proved his ability to move the ball around during the EuroBasket tournament. Fellow NBA player Cedi Osman benefited from several slick passes from Sengun that created open opportunities.

Sengun's health is something that can't be taken for granted by the Rockets.

The high level of play and effort he showed during the summer tournament required an element of risk, as he accomplished several athletic feats throughout Turkey's run. Sengun had the healthiest season of his career last season, and he's played over 70 games every season but the 2023-24 season.

That year, the Rockets made a push for the postseason during a March win streak that featured some of the best shooting the team has seen in this new era. Unfortunately, Sengun was injured during a significant portion of this stretch and wasn't able to contribute to the team during their push for the playoffs.

The Rockets hinge so much of their success on Sengun's offensive abilities. Houston doesn't depend on solely his scoring, but the effect on defenses because of his scoring may be his most valuable impact.

Defenses send double teams and blitzes at Sengun to get the ball out of his hands when he is scoring effectively in isolation. When the extra defender approaches, Sengun makes quality passes to open players on the perimeter or slashing to the basket.

Every player will benefit from an increased role for Sengun. Fred VanVleet will get more open shots from deep range, and Tari Eason may get easier shots at the rim by cutting around Sengun in the post.

Sengun has proven he can play at the highest level during EuroBasket, but the Rockets can finally exhale knowing their star big man finished the tournament healthy and can provide his talents for the team during the NBA season.