Rockets' Alperen Şengün 'Proud' of Jalen Green's Recent Emergence

Houston Rockets' Jalen Green had the best month of his career in March, which has left Alperen Şengün "proud" of his emergence.

HOUSTON — Jalen Green fell short of Western Conference Player of the Month for March. But despite missing out on the honor, the lack of recognition does not take away from his stellar play.

Green led the Houston Rockets to a league-best 13-2 record in March, which included an 11-game winning streak. He catapulted into one of the league's most intriguing young stars with averages of 27.7 points on .492/.408/.767 shooting splits, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals. And in wins against the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz, Green eclipsed 40 points three times during the month.

Alperen Şengün played four games in March before going down with a potentially season-ending ankle injury against the Sacramento Kings on March 10.

He spent the next 21 days watching the Rockets' success from the sideline, wishing he could participate. However, Şengün did find pleasure in watching Green thrive in his absence.

Dec 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and guard

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

"Jalen has always been a good player," Şengün said. "He has shown that to everyone over the last three years. He has led this team and played great. The way he has led the team, I am proud of him."

At the time of Şengün's injury, Green was slowly breaking free from the early season struggles that led to a disappointing year. Şengün watched Green stumble to get accustomed to coach Ime Udoka's demands, which led to a few premature benches on certain occasions.

Şengün had moments where he wondered whether personal issues attributed to Green's lack of on-court production. But despite his subpar play, Şengün never lost faith in his teammate.

Sengün and Green have established themselves as a promising young duo since they entered the league during the 2021 NBA Draft.

They have played well off each other over the previous three seasons, helping one another develop into cornerstone players for the Rockets. Şengün and Green have developed lethal chemistry in Houston's pick-and-roll attack.

Together, Şengün and Green have led the Rockets to their best record since the departure of James Harden in January 2021. And with both players up for a rookie extension this summer, the Rockets will likely keep their young duo together despite trade rumors surrounding an unlikely breakup.

"They played hard," Şengün said. "They got a lot of wins. It was amazing to see them play like that. We had a lot of tough games, road games. But we did a good job. We learned. And I would say we’re going to show more."