Alperen Sengun's Outside Shooting Could Open Things up for the Rockets

Last offseason, Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun made it a point to work on his outside shot. He and his trainer spent an extensive amount of time focusing on improving his proficiency from long-range.

Understandably, as Sengun made just 23.3 percent of his outside attempts in the previous 2024-25 season, which was a career low. Houston made the postseason for the first time in four seasons and upped his outside proficiency to 37.5 percent.

Granted, the volume plays a part. And Sengun has never been a high volume outside shooter and will surely never be. But it's a bonus if there's merely a threat of Sengun making outside shots.

In the postseason, he made 37.5 percent of his 1.1 attempts, which is almost double his 23.3 percent on nearly the same number of attempts during the regular season (1.2 attempts, to be exact).

We hear alot about the Rockets' lack of spacing on the offensive end of the floor. Alperen Sengun plays a large part in that.

Especially considering the stretch-five era of the NBA, that is centers being marksmen from outside. Or simply being able to convert on 3-pointers at an average clip.

Sengun made 32 percent of his triples during EuroBasket (31.8 percent, to be exact). Which was a step in the right direction and a potential sign of things to come. It certainly seemed that way early in the season.

Or, at least at the onset. Remember the Rockets' first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on opening night? Of course you do. How could you forget?

That game still ranks as one of the NBA's best games through the 2025-26 NBA season thus far. The Rockets took the defending champions to double-overtime in a nail-biter. And it had alot to do with Sengun's ability to light it up from the outside, to the tune of 5-of-8 from deep.

He was letting it fly with confidence! In fact, Sengun hasn't attempted eight outside shots in a game since that game. And that was five months ago.

Two games later, Sengun went 2-for-2 from deep in a vcitory over the Brooklyn Nets. Sengun was 8-of-14 from the outside through Houston's first four games.

Then he regressed back to the mean. In a major way, going 6.7 percent from deep in the month of December, 23.5 percent from deep in the month of January and 25 percent from deep in the month of February.

Lately, however, his outside shot seems to be coming back around. He's gone 8-of-11 from deep in Houston's last three games, which were all victories (72.7 percent). And he made 37.5 percent of his treys in the month of March.

Which is the right time to be heating up from the outside, as the playoffs are two weeks away. Again, if the mere threat of Sengun's outside shot is there, the defenses won't be able to continue to blitz Kevin Durant.

Granted, they'd still do it, especially considering Durant's struggles to move the ball when trapped and/or pass out of double teams. But Sengun would be able to make them pay.

The same goes for defenses sagging off of Sengun when he's behind the 3-point line. Hopefully he can continue to shoot a good clip from deep.

This is a Rockets team that lacks outside shooters. At least shooters that Ime Udoka will consistently play (as he doesn't play Josh Okogie or Aaron Holiday consistently).

Sengun discovering a viable outside shot would change things immensely for the Rockets on offense.