Alperen Sengun Showed Again He Could Be the Rockets' Main Facilitator This Season

In the Houston Rockets' 122-113 win over the Atlanta Hawks Alperen Sengun continued to show he could be the main offensive hub for the Rockets.

Oct 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as Atlanta Hawks forward/center Kristaps Porzingis (8) defends during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets had an active offseason. They traded their second overall pick from 2021 in Jalen Green for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, signed Dorian Finney-Smith to take the place of Dillon Brooks, who was also part of the Durant trade, brought back a familiar face in Clint Capela, and found out their floor general, Fred VanVleet, may be out for the entire season. To say the Rockets had a lot going on would be an understatement.

After that adventurous offseason, the Rockets were ready to hit the court to start the 2025-26 season, and they did just that on Monday in their preseason opener as they hosted the Atlanta Hawks. The long-awaited Durant debut in a Rockets jersey, however, would have to wait for another day as Durant was ruled out a couple of hours before the game.

Durant didn't miss the game due to injury concerns; it was because the Rockets took a cautious approach during the four preseason games. Udoka said that Durant should play on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz. That meant the Rockets' offense would run primarily through its All-Star Alperen Sengun.

Alperen Sengun again showed he could be the main offensive hub for the Rockets

Oct 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka and center Alperen Sengun (28) react during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

With Durant on the bench, the Rockets ran the entire offense through their star, and Sengun did not disappoint. Sengun finished with 19 points on an efficient 5-9 from the field and even more encouraging shot 2-2 from beyond the arc and 7-7 from the free throw line. That is about as efficient a game as you can have, especially in a preseason opener.

However, it wasn't just the scoring; it was Sengun's planning that stood out. Sengun was the Rockets' point center throughout the night, finishing with six assists and, more importantly, only one turnover in his 19 minutes of play. Sengun started the game off breaking down the defense and finding Jabari Smith for a wide-open 3-pointer and continued that playmaking the entire game.

Sengun drew double teams throughout the entire first half but was able to play at his own pace for the entire game. Sengun has been preparing for that type of defense all summer, as teams in EuroBasket double and sometimes triple team the Türkiye star, who dominated during the tournament.

The Rockets will lean on Sengun more this season than ever before as a playmaker, following the trade of Jalen Green, who was the Rockets' secondary ball handler, and the injury to VanVleet. Even when Durant is on the court, the ball will still go through Sengun throughout the game, as Durant is just as effective off the ball as he is on the ball. With the improvement in Sengun's game and his increased workload, expect Sengun to have a career season as a playmaker this season.