Could Rockets' Alperen Sengun be Named an All-Star Following Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Injury?

It's well-known that Alperen Sengun didn't make the cut for the Western Conference All-Star team. Not even as a reserve.

Which is a bit of a surprise, considering that the Houston Rockets center made the All-Star team last season, despite having worse numbers than this season.

Sengun's scoring is up. In fact, he's averaged a career-best in scoring, with 21.4 points per game. Last season, he averaged 19.1 points per contest.

His facilitating has taken a giant leap, to 6.3 assists, which is another career-best. In fact, Sengun leads the Rockets in assists, which was assumed (and fairly predictable) when Fred VanVleet, Houston’s lead on-ball floor general dating back to his Houston arrival in 2023.

(Last season, Sengun averaged 4.9 assists).

Sengun's All-Star snub even caught Golden State Warriors defensive ace Draymond Green off-guard.

"Alperen Sengun didn't make it. Which I was also shocked by. It's getting more and more disgusting by the year."

Green’s comments were on his signature podcast, The Draymond Green Show.

Sengun could still technically get in, albeit as an injury replacement.

Kawhi Leonard has already been added to the All-Star team in order to balance out the three All-Star teams, which is a new format.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be sidelined through the All-Star break, due to an abdominal strain.

That obviously creates a vacancy on the World Team.

Sengun should get the nod.

He joins just Nikola Jokic and Jalen Johnson as the only players to average 20 points, 6 assists and nine rebounds across the league.

Another potential candidate for the World Team is Utah Jazz star Lauri Markannen, whose 27.4 points rank ninth in the league. However, Sengun's overall contributions top Markannen's scoring surge (although Markannen is also averaging seven rebounds).

More importantly, Sengun has clearly had more of an impact on his team's success, which should matter for something, on the All-Star front.

(Remember when Jalen Green’s scoring outputs were dismissed and chalked up as "empty stats" during Houston's rebuild?)

Dillon Brooks could also get the nod, considering the season he's had and the role he's played in the Phoenix Suns' sixth-place ranking in the West.

Sengun has a relatively good chance of getting in, as Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely to sit out the exhibition game, which would create two spots on the World Team, if so.