On Monday, the Houston Rockets announced that third-year big man Alperen Sengun was named Western Conference Player of the Week. At 21, he is the youngest Rocket in franchise history to receive this honor and the first to be named POTW since James Harden did it back in 2019.
Sengun has become the Rockets’ best player and a force on the offensive end of the floor, while improving his defense to a respectable level as well. According to a press release, Sengun averaged “a team-high 24.0 points along with 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.50 steals” last week during which the Rockets went 3-1. He scored 20 or more points in seven straight games. His longest previous streak was two.
For the season, Sengun is averaging 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, all career highs. He is also shooting nearly 54 percent from the floor. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are averaging those numbers this season. He has been an absolute beast.
Best yet, Sengun has dramatically improved himself defensively and now can make free throws, something he did not do well in his first two seasons. In his last 14 games, he’s shot 83 percent from the charity stripe bringing his average for the year up to nearly 74 percent.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
