Rockets' Alperen Sengun Quietly Having Great Defensive Season

The Houston Rockets have consistently been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season. Despite the team's recent six-game losing streak that dropped them to fifth in the Western Conference, Houston has generally been a tough team to score against.

The leader of the Rockets is All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who mostly shines on the offensive side of the floor. Averaging 19 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, the Turkish big man draws comparison to NBA greats such as Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis. He can score, rebound, and facilitate with such a unique skillset.

However, Sengun has quietly had a great defensive season, anchoring the Rockets in the paint. If you watch the 6-foot-11 center move, you wouldn't expect him to be such a good defender. He doesn't jump the highest, nor does he move with the same athleticism as some of the best defensive centers in the league.

Believe or not, Sengun has not only not been a bad defender, but he's been a great one in Ime Udoka's system. Starting with stats, he ranks fifth in defensive rating this season at 106.8. This puts him just above his teammate Amen Thompson, who is known to be a pest on the other side of the ball. The rating also puts him in company with Defensive Player of the Year candidates Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Anthony Davis.

Alperen Sengun ranks No. 3 in Defensive Win Shares and No. 7 in Defensive Rating.

If you can't see how integral Alpi's defensive improvement has been to the Rockets going from No. 10 in defense last year to one of the NBA's best defenses this year then you don't know ball. https://t.co/aD3hC3tWYn pic.twitter.com/eBb7xOuSG7
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) January 30, 2025

Of course, defensive rating isn't everything. Looking at more intricate stats, though, Sengun has an average of 17.4 shots attempted on him per game. Of those 17.4, just 8.4 get converted into made baskets, putting him at a defensive field-goal percentage of 47.9%. To put that into perspective, Wembanyama, the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, has a defensive field-goal percentage of 42.9%.

I need you to watch Alperen Sengun’s defense throughout these 3 straight possessions down the stretch pic.twitter.com/twJQ0Gqggp
— Hoops Digest™️ (@TheHoopsDigest) January 17, 2025

This isn't to say Sengun needs to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, but it should sildence doubts of his defense. Early in his career, he had trouble on the other side of the floor, but this season, he's doing a better job as a roamer, playing good help defense and is looking more mobile in his fourth NBA season.

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