Playmaking Sengun Should Be More Prominent For The Rockets

The most accomplished young player for the Houston Rockets is the first-time All-Star Alperen Sengun, who has elevated his game each season he's been in the league. From early in his career, he showed an ability to score and to make spectacular passes to his teammates. He's only gotten more proficient the longer he has been in the league, and he was rewarded for his growth with an appearance in the All-Star Game. Now, the Rockets have the highest expectations since Sengun was drafted, and his passing may be the key to unlocking the Rockets' potential.

Sengun has always been a creative passer. Behind-the-back, no-look, cross-court, bounce passes, etc., are all a part of his arsenal as he creates open shots for his teammates when he is double-teamed.

While flashy passes are no longer as prominent in his game, he still shows off his creativity on occasion while being a much-improved passer.

His assist totals don't reflect his improvement on that end. Sengun's game is centered around his ability to beat even elite, defensive bigs in the post during isolation. When teams choose to stop his one-on-one scoring, he can kick the ball out to open shooters on the perimeter. However, the Rockets were one of the worst shooting teams last season, and Sengun's presence in the paint did make it difficult for anyone to cut into that space unless Sengun was creating some movement of his own.

Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, and Jalen Green were all beneficiaries of Sengun's passing, getting open 3-pointers within the flow of the offense. The most consistent player who converted shots from his passes was the recently traded Dillon Brooks, with Smith Jr. a little behind.

Brooks' departure takes away Houston's most efficient shooter, but Kevin Durant is a more-than-satisfactory replacement for Brooks.

Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith will be able to knock down deep shots created by Sengun, likely at a higher clip than the players who left through the trade. Increased minutes for Reed Sheppard and projected shooting improvement from Smith Jr. may help Sengun level up his assist numbers.

The Rockets' offense can be more well-rounded if he's allowed to take the wheel more often. With such an elite shooter and scorer right next to him, the Rockets should have no issue creating one-on-one situations with Sengun or catch-and-shoot situations with Durant.

If the Rockets buy into Sengun's ability to function in the middle of the floor and pass to the open man, they might be able to raise the potential for this offense.