Was Rockets' Alperen Sengun Snubbed from the NBA All-Star Team?

Houston's star big man was left off the NBA All-Star reserves. Did he deserve to make it, or is there just too much talent in the league?

Jan 28, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The NBA's influx of talent has resulted in even more discourse regarding All-Star and All-NBA teams. There's simply too much scoring in the modern era for the same stats to be recognized as top-tier. Today's 25 points per game were 2010's 18 points per game.

So when looking at the 2026 NBA All-Stars, fans and analysts have plenty to say about who was snubbed or what actually qualifies as an All-Star. Is team success valued more than stats? How much of a player's production is inflated if he's playing for an underperforming franchise?

That discourse applies more toward the Eastern Conference than the West. Houston Rockets' star Alperen Sengun has been recognized among fans as a potential snub, but if they were in the East, he'd likely be a lock over players such as Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Alas, Sengun plays in a loaded conference, but his teammate, Kevin Durant, qualified as the leading scorer on the fourth-best team in the West. The 37-year-old is averaging 26.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists on incredible 51-41-89 shooting splits.

Was Sengun, who is putting up 21 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.4 assists per game, truly snubbed? The Turkish big man is putting up some of the best numbers of his career on what many consider to be a fringe title contender.

The 6-foot-11 center has been incredible, but the talent pool in the West was enough for Sengun to even be left off of Andscape's 2026 NBA All-Snub Team. The names from that conference were Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers), Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz) and James Harden.

The player on the reserves list with the most underwhelming surface-level stats was Chet Holmgren, but he has been a legitimate second option on the Oklahoma City Thunder. What's more is that the 7-foot-1 forward is anchoring the league's top defense, putting up 17.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Scoring seems to be less of an emphasis with the amount of talent in the league, and while that should have helped Sengun's case, he still ranks 11th in rebounds per game and 16th in assists per game.

The truth is that Sengun is a fantastic second option on a high-level playoff team. His all-around ability as a scorer, rebounding and playmaker elevate Houston's offense. However, he's the victim of saturated talent in a loaded Western Conference. Players like Leonard and Harden had more of a case as snubs