Alperen Sengun is flabbergasting Rockets fans with his improvement

As the Houston Rockets attempt to mount a run at a championship with superstar-caliber scorer Kevin Durant on their roster, they will, somewhat ironically, need to lean on franchise center Alperen Sengun more than ever before in order to keep their offense humming.

According to Will Guillory, on Monday's episode of The Athletic NBA Daily Show, the improvements Sengun has made this offseason in his shooting and playmaking games has him perfectly poised to take on this mantle.

Following an excellent offseason in which Sengun led his native Turkiye to the EuroBasket Final, he should be ready to take another major leap, showing the world why he is among the top tier of centers in the NBA.

Alperen Sengun is ready to take another leap on offense this season

Last season, although his scoring took a slight dip, Sengun emerged as a bona-fide star, averaging 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and getting his first career nod to the All-Star game.

Yet, there were clearly aspects of his offensive game that needed polishing, and, with starting point guard Fred VanVleet likely out for the season, the team will lean on Sengun as an offensive facilitator more than they have ever before in his career.

Guillory, however, believes that his unique skill-set means he is more than capable of taking on this burden: "He has a skill-set that really fits well as far as what they need to make up for some of the playmaking that was lost with Fred VanVleet... I know we always do the 'Baby Joker' thing with Sengun, but I really think we're going to see him operating a lot like Jokic does in Denver: as the point guard..."

Last season, Sengun averaged 5.6 assists per 36 minutes on the court, just a tick below VanVleet's 5.7, meaning that Sengun, in addition to his scoring responsibilities, was already taking on a heavy facilitation workload.

Moreover, his performance this summer as the offensive hub for Turkiye, in which he averaged 6.6 assists across nine, 40-minute games, has left him seeming infinitely more comfortable with the ball in his hands this preseason.

In Durant's debut in a Houston uniform, Sengun posted 13 assists in just 28 minutes on the court, flashing his ability to handle the ball not only in the paint but also at the top of the key.

Moreover, Sengun has shot 52% from the field through their first three preseason games, meaning that, in addition to his playmaking duties, he could also still stand up as one of the leading scorers on the team.