Rockets' Alperen Sengun Living Up to Franchise Player Status

Alperen Sengun is making his presence known for the Houston Rockets.
Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun is enjoying the best season of his career.

The fourth-year center is averaging just over 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, and the Rockets are in second place in the Western Conference standings as January rolls into its second half.

A big reason for that success is due to Sengun's progression to his game on both ends of the floor.

"Any doubts about Alperen Şengün's viability as a franchise centerpiece are dead," Bleacher Report analyst Dan Favale writes.

"His defensive activity over the past two seasons upends preconceived notions, even when evaluated against the top-tier perimeter personnel around him. And there is no overstating the significance of his passing, which spans every nook and cranny of the floor and shines through the tightest blocks of traffic.

"Scoring efficiency will be the swing factor moving forward. Şengün can subsist on tough shots inside the arc, and his quality of attempts should get easier as the talent around him improves and evolves. But if he's not going to be a reliable standstill threat from deep, we need to see more operability out of his mid-range game."

In order for the Rockets to keep things going, Sengun will have to continue to improve. However, that shouldn't be a tall task for a 22-year-old who appears as driven as any young potential star in the NBA.

Sengun has a lot going for himself, and the more he buys into whatever the Rockets are trying to get out of him, the better off he and the team will be in the long run.

The Rockets are back in action tonight as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager who has been with On SI since 2021. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20.