Strong points
- Sengun avoided serious injury after a worrying scene and was diagnosed with a severely sprained ankle and bruised knee.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka praises Sengun and says the third-year pro isn’t even close to his ceiling.
- Sengun has shown steady improvement each year, raising scores, rebounds and assists and is on the verge of becoming a nightmare.
Houston Rockets Center Alperen Sengun avoided serious injury after a disturbing scene during the March 10 match between the team and the Kings of Sacramento. While Sengun had to be carted off the court in a wheelchair after contesting a Domantas Sabonis layup attempt, it was impossible not to fear the worst while awaiting the final word on his injury statistics.
Sengun was diagnosed with a severely sprained ankle and bruised knee, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The injury appears to be much worse, and while the 21-year-old former first-round pick’s season is likely over, the outcome, while not ideal, is far from the worst case.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka praises Alperen Sengun
Sengun says ‘he’s not even close’ to his potential ceiling
Before his injury, Sengun was undoubtedly playing his best basketball of the season. Through five games in March, he averaged 24.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field.
That stretch included a 45-point, 16-rebound performance against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spursfollowed by a superb triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds and 14 assists against the Los Angeles Clippers. Sengun was ready to finish the season strong, and recent comments from Rockets head coach Ime Udoka shows that the big man is only scratching the surface in terms of his potential.
“[Sengun’s] he’s not even close to hitting his ceiling and he still has a way to go, but he’s had a great year. His future is bright, basically. All the things we really challenged him with, he kind of took over and improved in certain areas. ” -Ime Udoka
Udoka is as outspoken as they come when it comes to NBA coaches, and hearing this type of praise from him is remarkable when it comes to Sengun’s future. But the former No. 16 pick’s play this season speaks for itself, and the Rockets have a player capable of building an extremely special career if he continues to improve.
Sengun’s steady improvement early in his career is proof of immense potential
The Rockets center has improved in each of his first three seasons in key areas
It’s not often that players who enter the NBA with legitimate potential and a unique skill set, advance consistently, year after year, from the start. But that’s exactly the case for Sengun, who has gradually improved over his first three seasons in the NBA, and the stats underline it.
|
Alperen Sengun statistics by year |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Year |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
MPG |
|
2021-22 |
9.6 |
5.5 |
2.6 |
20.7 |
|
2022-23 |
14.8 |
9.0 |
3.9 |
28.9 |
|
2023-24 |
21.1 |
9.3 |
5.0 |
32.5 |
Sengun’s growth from year one to year two, and then from his second season to this year, is evident. Stats don’t always tell the story, but for the Rockets’ burgeoning star, they sum it up pretty perfectly here.
The most impressive aspect of Sengun’s growth over three seasons is his ability to impact the game in multiple ways. The fact that he has managed to improve as a scorer, rebounder and passer each year gives him the ability to be a nightmare in games, and that should prove to be the case consistently upon his return, probably for the 2024-25 season.
Even though Sengun’s true ceiling seems high, it’s obvious he hasn’t reached it yet. And after his exceptional play this season, and especially after the All-Star break, that’s bad news for opposing big men.
Rockets’ Alperen Sengun outdoes himself by making NBA history against the Clippers
The young Houston Rockets center had a career game the day before against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
