The Houston Rockets are currently sitting on a 23-25 record.
They’re 11th in the Western Conference, but they’re not that far behind in the race to make the Play-In Tournament at the very least.
Notably, Ime Udoka’s team wasn’t able to keep up the pace after a strong start to the season, yet one of their players has been a bright spot for them.
Third-year pro Alperen Sengun has established himself as the undisputed best player on the team, even ahead of projected franchise players like Jalen Green or Jabari Smith Jr.
Sengun has been one of the most efficient scorers in the league, a playmaking big who has shown shades of Nikola Jokic every now and then.
And with averages of 21.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, some thought he would get a chance to make it to the All-Star Game, which wasn’t the case.
Even so, when asked about his snub, the Turkish big man was completely unfazed and unbothered.
Talking to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Sengun claimed that he was never concerned about the All-Star Game, and he’s just focused on winning right now.
Alperen Şengün said he was never concerned about making the All-Star game, adding that he’s young and still has a lot to do. Says he’s more focused on winning.
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) February 3, 2024
That’s the right mindset and mentality you want from your franchise player.
The Rockets’ lottery picks have been less than impressive, but Sengun took a massive leap in year three, and he made the front office change all of their plans.
Now, they’ll look to build their team around their playmaking big, one of the most entertaining players to watch in today’s game.
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