Alperen Sengun now has the perfect motivation to take Rockets to a championship

As the 2025-26 NBA season creeps closer, the Houston Rockets, perhaps more than any other team in the Western Conference, appear poised to give the Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money and seriously compete for a championship.

Moreover, as Alperen Sengun returns from a historic performance, and a disappointing defeat, in this year's EuroBasket tournament, the team's most dominant player now has the motivation and experience he needs to help lead the team on that run.

Although Houston acquired Kevin Durant in the offseason, and he has certainly become their most versatile offensive player, Sengun's performance on both ends of the floor will be absolutely vital to the Rockets this season, and the intensity he brings could make the team an increasingly feared opponent.

Alperen Sengun has gotten a taste of what a championship could be like

Through his nine games in EuroBasket, Sengun displayed a dominance that, while he has shown flashes of it through his four seasons in the NBA, indicated that there is another echelon that can be reached in his game.

Through the group stage and Turkiye's run to the final against Germany, Sengun averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists, shooting 55% from the field and looking dominant against all opposing centers he faced including NBA star Nikola Jokic.

While his country fell short to the deep Germany team, 88-83, in the final yesterday, Sengun still posted 28 points, three rebounds and three assists in a valiant effort.

While Sengun's scoring in the tournament was impressive, what left an even more lasting impression was his willingness to do whatever the team needed to win. At times, he was able to step back from his offensive game in order to facilitate baskets for his teammates or take on a heavier load on the defensive end of the floor, and this versatility is exactly what led Turkiye on such a historic run.

Now, as Sengun has come so close to international glory, it is conceivable that he will return to Housotn in just two short weeks with a serious taste and hunger to win a championship, something he has not necessarily come close to in his time in the NBA.

Although Durant will completely transform the offensive structure of this team, he will be frequently double-teamed and will draw a massive amount off attention from opposing defenses. If Sengun can harness this motivation to somehow become even more dominant in the paint this season, his ability to capitalize off of Durant's gravity could make the Rockets one of the most feared offensive teams in the league.