Rockets’ Alperen Sengun Finishes Third for Most Improved Player Award

Alperen Sengun, Houston’s breakout star, finished as the runner-up for the Most Improved

Houston Rockets breakout star Alperen Sengun earned a third-place finish in the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey won the award with 319 total votes, 51 of which were first place votes. Coby White finished narrowly behind with 305 total votes. Sengun was outright third, finishing with 92 total votes and followed by Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Washington’s Deni Avdija.

Drafted No. 16 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Sengun has seen consistent improvement throughout his three-year NBA career, but none more than his most recent and best season with the team.

In his debut season, the then-19-year-old Turkish center averaged 9.6 points and 2.6 assists in just over 20 minutes of play. In the follow-up year, he’d already boosted that to 14.8 points and 3.9 assists.

Last year, he averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game, improving by nearly seven points and over one assists per game. For a large chunk of the season, he effectively functioned as the team’s offensive hub, and was monumental in helping Houston to a record of 41-41, 19-win improvement from the season before.

With just weeks to go in the season, Sengun suffered a Grade 3 right ankle sprain and a bone bruise in his knee, remarkably avoiding major damage despite a fairly gruesome fall.

Next season, the Rockets will likely look even better with another season of internal development from Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. If the team can get another push forward from Sengun, they could grab a coveted Playoffs spot.

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